First-Year Seminars

SPHHS First-Year Seminar Course Descriptions - Fall 2026

191PHHS14 FYS- U-Thrive: Explore Public Health and Health Sciences

Primary Audience: First-year students only (freshman of sophomore status)

This seminar will support your transition to college and introduce you to a topic in public health and health sciences. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. The last seven weeks will focus on exploring a topic in public health and health sciences of your choosing. Please see PHHS course topics below:   

191PHHS14; Sections (01, 05, 06): Community Power for Health and Social Change

191PHHS14; Section (01): Community Power for Health and Social Change ; Class number: 20288; Mo 10:10AM - 11:00AM

191PHHS14; Section (05): Community Power for Health and Social Change ; Class number: 20292; Wed 9.05AM - 9:55AM

191PHHS14; Section (06): Community Power for Health and Social Change ; Class number: 20293; Wed 12:20PM - 1:10PM

This seminar explores the power that comes from within communities to drive meaningful change in public health. Students will engage with foundational concepts such as health equity, social determinants of health, intersectionality, and community-building while learning about community-based approaches to public health across a range of topics and marginalized communities. Throughout the course, students will explore participatory action research, community-driven initiatives, and the importance of building partnerships rooted in genuine connection and radical love. We will also discuss strategies for sustaining programs and initiatives over time. The seminar also introduces storytelling and arts-based approaches as powerful tools within public health. These methods can serve as forms of activist inquiry that foster joy, build community, and challenge systems of inequity. Through discussion, hands-on activities, and creative methods, students will critically examine different approaches and ethical considerations while exploring how public health practitioners can help bridge the gaps that often exist between academia, policy, and community.

191PHHS14; Sections (02, 04, 07): Reimagining Healthcare

191PHHS14; Section (02): Reimagining Healthcare; Class number: 20289; Mon 11:15AM - 12:05PM

191PHHS14; Section (04): Reimagining Healthcare; Class number: 20290; Tues 11:30AM - 12:20PM

191PHHS14; Section (07): Reimagining Healthcare; Class number: 20294; Wed 1:25PM - 2:15PM

Why do some lives receive more support and opportunities for their health to thrive while others face neglect and limited resources – Whose lives matter? What does it look like to center cultural and community perspectives and build partnerships that can help us to reimagine healthcare? If hospitals were no longer to exist, where would people receive healthcare? In this course, students will explore these questions by learning about the social determinants of health and how they are directly associated with health disparities seen especially in racialized and minoritized communities. We will closely examine how oppressive systems operate both within and beyond the medical system, profoundly impacting people and continuing to foster mistrust today.

During the course, students will actively participate in critical thinking exercises to develop solutions aimed at advancing health equity through a range of activities. This includes exploring how to redirect healthcare away from traditional brick-and-mortar practices, break down silos, and enhance healthcare accessibility for all. Students will also engage with topics related to healing justice, drawing from African and Indigenous knowledge and wisdom practices, and tapping into the transformative power of their imagination as a critical source for developing cutting-edge innovations in healthcare. As a result of this class, students will gain a greater understanding of how to promote health equity and community health by employing strategies focused on social justice, including asset building and participatory approaches to address health disparities effectively.

191PHHS14; Sections (03, 10): Will that make me healthy or sick? Causation in Public Health

191PHHS14; Section (03): Will that make me healthy or sick? Causation in Public Health; Class number: 20290; Tu 11:30AM -12:20PM

191PHHS14; Section (10): Will that make me healthy or sick? Causation in Public Health; Class number: 20297; Fri 10:10AM - 11:00AM

Association is not causation is an oft repeated maxim in public health, but do we understand what we mean by causation? Is it as simple as it sounds, and how do people determine if something causes another. Focusing on public health, and using a historical and contemporary perspective, this course is designed to help students reflect on causation, and to be critical readers and thinkers of information presented as causal, particularly in public health.

191PHHS14; Section (08): W. E. B. DuBois - public health pioneer

191PHHS14; Section (10): W. E. B. DuBois - public health pioneer; Class number: 20295; Thurs 10:00AM - 10:50AM

The main library at UMass is named after him, but many students know little about W. E. B. DuBois and why he is important. Even for those who do know some of his work, fewer know about his pioneering work in public health. This course will provide a brief introduction to W.E.B. DuBois and the important contributions he made to the field of public health, particularly his pioneering research in public health and data visualization. 

191PHHS14; Section (09): Neurodiversity and Health: Rethinking Care and Inclusion

191PHHS14; Section (09): Neurodiversity and Health: Rethinking Care and Inclusion; Class number: 20296; Thurs 4:00PM - 4:50PM

This seminar explores how neurodiversity is understood in healthcare and society, with a focus on access, inclusion, and everyday experiences. Students will learn about different frameworks for understanding neurodiversity, including medical and neuro-affirming models. Autism will be used as a case study in neurodiversity to better understand different ways of thinking, communicating, and experiencing the world. We will also consider how neurodiversity intersects with culture, language, and identity. 

191PHHS14; Section (11, 12): Food for Thought - Your Health Starts with Food

191PHHS14; Section (11): Food for Thought - Your Health Starts with Food; Class number: 20298; Fri 11:15AM - 12:05PM

191PHHS14; Section (12): Food for Thought - Your Health Starts with Food; Class number: 20299; Fri 1:25PM - 2:15PM

Food is a human right, and you have the right to know how to eat healthy and why it is important for your wellbeing! Often, our eating habits will change when we leave the comfort of our home and go to college, living independently and making your own dietary choices. With so many options on campus, how should you put together a healthy meal throughout the day?  In this seminar, students will not only learn why nutrition is so important for our health and wellbeing, but also some challenges people might face when it comes to eating, preparing, affording, and choosing food. We will also explore food and nutrition in other health sectors (e.g., environmental sciences, nutrition for physical activity, current policies and practices with respect to food, etc.) to understand how important food is in the complex web of public health.

191PHHS15 FYS- Thriving in Transition

191PHHS15; Section (01): Thriving in Transition; Class number: 20700: Mo 9:05AM - 9:55AM

191PHHS15; Section (02): Thriving in Transition; Class number: 20701: Mo 12:20PM - 1:10PM

191PHHS15; Section (03): Thriving in Transition; Class number: 20702: Mo 1:25PM - 2:15PM

This course will support your transition to college while allowing you to discover your strengths and explore resilience. The first six weeks will provide foundational skills for students to thrive at UMass. During the last seven weeks, students will engage in mindfulness and writing exercises to manage stress, build resilience, and enhance leadership. The curriculum promotes personal growth in adversity and enhances leadership capabilities, covering topics like strengths-based practice, leadership styles, social belonging, and resilience. The course also reviews current research on stress and thriving, with practical exercises to develop self-regulation, prosocial behavior, and strategies for long-term wellbeing.