Graduate School Bulletin

Spring 2025

HAX: Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

HAX 600: Doctoral Seminar

Provides a venue for faculty and doctoral students to discuss all aspects of their research. Researchers will present different branches of translational science and discuss linkage between research agendas. Provides opportunity for data to be viewed and analyzed by investigators with different perspectives and tools for analysis. Offered in the

Fall, S/U grading

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 602: Frameworks, Models and Classification Systems in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Examines the dynamic interaction between health, disability, and community and contextual factors as identified using different frameworks and models. These frameworks and models will be expounded to recognize the influence of each solely and collectively in terms of health and rehabilitation research, disability studies, and behavioral and community health research. Explores parallels and divergences in approaches with particular attention to analyzing how students in varied concentrations can work together to engage in meaningful translational research within the domains of historical and present-day society and research paradigms.

3 credits,

HAX 605: Research Ethics

Presents a broad overview of research ethics and regulation. Conveys the moral bases of scientific ethics, the historical evolution of social science and biomedical research ethics, and the development, implementation and limitations of U.S. human subjects regulations. Includes ethics and morality in science; science in society; scientific integrity; misconduct; whistle blowing; conflicts of interest; collegiality; publication and authorship; peer review; history and development of human experimentation ethics and regulations (HHS, FDA); Institutional Review Boards; informed consent, waivers, vulnerable populations; privacy and confidentiality of records; epidemiology; and research using animal subjects.

3 credits,

HAX 620: Rehabilitation and Disability

Introduces the Science of Rehabilitation and the Science of Disability. Presents models of rehabilitation and disability research and discusses controversies and commonalities between these areas. Forms the groundwork of future coursework in rehabilitation and movement sciences.

3 credits,

HAX 626: Outcome Measurement in Rehabilitation Research

Introduces outcome measures relating to impairments, functional limitations and disability, general health status, and patient/client satisfaction. These outcome measures are used to guide research outcomes. Explores measurement properties and discusses strategies to appropriately assess and select various outcome measurement scales. Critical appraisal of the literature will provide the basis for making research methodological decisions regarding selection of the most effective outcome measures.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 629: Evidence Based Pediatric Rehabilitation Research

Provides students an opportunity to develop an overview of issues related to the health of America's children and adolescents. Emphasizes chronic disease and disability, nutrition, fitness, educational accommodations, and trends in long term health services and health policy. Explores the growing need for evidence based practice and outcomes assessment necessary for the development of strategies for optimal function of children with disease/disability and their families. Students will review and analyze evidence for interventions for a specific pathology/disability.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 630: Exercise Physiology and Physical Activity

Provides key elements of exercise physiology and instructs students in measurement techniques for the assessment of exercise capacity and physical activity. Reviews normal physiology of the cardiopulmonary system and presents normal immediate response to exercise, and long-term effects of exercise in the healthy individual. Explores foodstuffs for energy production, metabolic pathways for production of ATP, and energy systems used in aerobic and anaerobic activities. Principles of physical activity assessment and body composition and examines qualitative and quantitative measurement techniques across the lifespan and in disability. Assimilates, via lab manual, literature reviews of articles addressing measurement.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 631: Electro/Neurophysiology: Topics for Rehabilitation Research

Introduces basic methodology of clinical electrodiagnostic measures of EEG, EMG, nerve conduction velocity studies (NCV), H-reflex and evoked potentials. Interpretation of these measures provides access to the physiological basis of disability in peripheral or central nerve damage and potentials for recovery. Examines the interventions using peripheral and central electrical stimulation modalities on muscle, bone, cardiovascular and autonomic systems. Includes lab activities of selected modalities such as E-stim, FES, TMS, EEG, EMG, NCV, and H-reflex.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 632: Teaching and Learning

This course will introduce students to adult learning principles and strategies for effective teaching of cognitive psychomotor and affective skills and behaviors in academia. Individual teaching/learning philosophical orientations, characteristics of the adult learner, learning styles, self-directed learning, and reflective practice will be explored.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 634: Motor Learning and Motor Control

This course will introduce the various theories underlying human motor control. Students will actively synthesize and analyze current theory and research related to motor control and skill acquisition through examination of relevant literature. This course places emphasis on determining the implications of this work for future research, educational and/or clinical practice. Includes early and contemporary theory, skill acquisition facilitation, practice, feedback, transfer of training, modeling, part vs whole training, imagery, implicit learning, explicit learning and memory systems.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 635: Biomechanics and Movement I

Introduces students to principles and interrelationships of biomechanics and movement. Includes physical biomechanics of the extremities as a foundation from which to apply biomechanical principles. Involves learning to use mathematical approaches to solving static problems and lay the groundwork for solving dynamic biomechanical problems. Reinforces biomechanical theoretical concepts and mathematical models with lab experiments that involve the manipulation of 3D kinematic, kinetic and EMG data

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 636: Biomechanics of the Musculoskeletal System and Movement II

Provides advanced concepts of kinetics in the field of biomechanics. Explores biomechanical concepts during lecture and reinforces those applications with associated lab experiments. Provides viscoelastic characteristics of biological tissues as a foundation applied to human motion. Includes mathematical models of the musculoskeletal system and analysis of the dynamics of human motion. Collection and analysis of gait and other movement kinematics, kinetics and muscle activation by electromyography (EMG) are components of lab activities.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 637: Orthopedic and Anatomical Principles I

Provides advanced concepts of orthopedics and anatomy. Focuses on best evidence of examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and procedures used for a variety of orthopedic conditions of the spine and pelvis. Requires active engagement in problem solving by identifying research problems, searching for evidence, and evaluating and synthesizing the evidence to answer research questions. Includes examination of select advanced procedures and principles to enhance research investigations.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 638: Orthopedic and Anatomical Principles II

Continues and expands on advanced concepts of orthopedic interventional research. Focuses on best evidence of examination, evaluation, diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention of orthopedic conditions of the extremities. Requires active engagement in problem solving by identifying research problems, searching for evidence, and evaluating and synthesizing the evidence to answer research questions. Student directed pilot study will incorporate knowledge of select advanced techniques and technologies.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 639: Technology and Medical Imaging in Rehabilitation

Examines a range of medical imaging techniques available for use and interpretation in rehabilitation research. Includes radiographs, fluoroscopy, MRI, fMRI,CT, qCT, MEG, TMS and diagnostic US. Synthesizes the technologies and their limitations, the methods of capture and interpretation. Reviews evidence supporting or refuting the sensitivity of these techniques in determining outcomes in rehabilitation.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 640: Community Health and Community Based Participatory Research

Provides an overview of critical issues in conducting research in community settings including models of community-based services. Covers the general principles of community-based participatory research, and practical and ethical issues in collaborating with communities, quantitative and qualitative techniques used in community-based participatory research, evaluations, and interventions. Prerequisite: 24 credits of HAXPH core courses or Permission of Instructor

3 credits,

HAX 641: Community Mental Health

Explores the policies and programs that address mental health needs of individuals with a community health focus. Students will apply models of behavior and health to explore topics of mental health including stigma, marginalization, self-determination. Discusses challenges to service provision. Focuses on the ethics of research with this population as a central theme.

3 credits,

HAX 642: Participation and Health in Pediatric and Educational Settings

Explores policies and programs that inform pediatric services and community based research. Focuses on pediatric programs that influence health and community participation. Includes programs that support health, wellness, and community participation as well as those influenced by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) that supports children with disabilities from Birth to 21 years. Prerequisites: 24 credits of HAX core courses or permission of Instructor.

3 credits,

HAX 643: Healthcare Systems and Policy Analysis

Provides students with an overview of the US healthcare system and major health policy challenges we face. Explores the history and state of the US healthcare system, and circumstances that have given rise to current problems such as employer-based health insurance, challenges in access to and quality of care, and the rising costs associated with the US healthcare model. Discusses ways to improve upon the system, importantly including the Affordable Care Act, and how this legislation was enacted with close attention paid to the policymaking process, roles of political actors, and the importance of policy analysis.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 644: Ethics, Health Disparities and Social Justice

Examines aspects of inequality and health status as an injustice within the context of ethical theories (utilitarian, libertarian, deontological, equalitarian). Determines the influence on case studies of health disparities and inequalities. Discusses cases such as global and U.S. racial, class and gender disparities and in developing countries. Presents ethical issues relative to different methods of measuring health inequalities and related policies.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 645: Organizational Theory, Management and Leadership

Examines theoretical and conceptual framework for understanding leadership and management styles of health and human services organizations and how they operate in a broader community. Identifies and applies strategic models to analyze organizational problems, organizational behaviors and processes, formulate strategic solutions, and make sound decisions. This knowledge is critical for the behavioral and community health field to understand how individuals influence and are influenced by organizations.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 646: Social Behavior and Community Health Change

Examines the nature of the behavior that takes place within social systems and how to effectuate change in these systems. Analysis of behavior and possibilities for change will be placed in the context of health and public health questions and will draw upon theories of organizational behavior, leadership, and mechanisms for action.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 647: Policies and Ethics in Behavioral and Community Health

Explores health care policies of the US health care system and the influence on public health and programs in behavior and community health. Includes access and utilization of health care, barriers to care, prevention programs, and health disparities and ethics. Addresses the perspectives of the consumer, provider and the institution.

3 credits,

HAX 653: Research Methods: Design and Statistics

This course presents process and skills needed to develop independent research studies, including but not limited to, formulating a research question or hypothesis, conducting literature searches, critically appraising scientific literature, and selecting appropriate research designs and methods. This information will be presented in the context of protecting human subjects and health information based on the policies and procedures of the Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects (CORIHS) and IACUC.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 656: Qualitative Research

Students will learn the basic principles and techniques of effective analysis and interpretation of the merits of qualitative data. Examines how qualitative research captures complex phenomena that span the international classification of function (ICF) and impact on quality of life, illness/injury experience and recovery. Students will learn the strengths and limitations of qualitative analysis and how it complements quantitative analysis. Emphasizes several methods to represent data, such as the mixed method approach, and students will apply a range of analysis techniques through research exercises.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 663: Disability, Occupation and Community

Inspired by disability justice social movements in the US and abroad, this course presents politically engaged critical approaches to disability that intersect community organizations, the arts and academic fields including occupational therapy, disability studies and anthropology. Broader than a medical category, disability identity recognizes the political and economic dimensions of disability inequity as it related to other forms of inequality and disadvantage. Themes include all permutations of the concept of occupy;disability justice/decolonization; [participation and training for collaborations; marginalization and minoritization; technology; struggle, creativity, and change.

3 credits,

HAX 664: Conceptual Foundations of Disability Studies 1890s-1990s

Present conceptual foundations of disability studies beginning with the 19th and early 20th century theories and scholarships. Theorists from the 1960s and 1970s who influenced the theoretical development of the new field of disability studies will be discussed. The course will explore foundational disability studies scholarship of the 1980s and 1990s as the field established itself first in the social sciences and then the humanities.

3 credits,

HAX 665: Disability, Participation and Justice

Explores concepts of "Participation" and "Justice" as they relate to disability experience. Introduces research strategies, participatory methods and methodologies for disability studies research in the applied social and health sciences. Discusses ethical issues in disability research and what it means to disabled people in daily life. Examines social analysis, healthcare discourse, and research on the evolution of healthcare practices, cultural beliefs, and social structures influencing the treatments, services, and opportunities available to disabled people in the United States and internationally.

3 credits,

May be repeated 1 times FOR credit.

HAX 667: Disability Studies Language, Narrative and Rhetoric

Focuses on how language and rhetoric frame how disability is perceived, experienced, and treated. Included critical and rhetorical analysis of professional discourses as well as personal disability narratives and memoirs. The society for Disability Studies, an interdisciplinary organization, says in its mission statement, disability is a key aspect of human experience.So is language. This course explores the interdisciplinary nature of disability studies and the roles language and rhetoric play in representations of disability. Some questions to be explored include: In what ways do clinical or professional discourses and personal narratives reveal experience of power and powerlessness? How is the bodily experience of disability described in professional contexts as compared to personal narratives? How does description and perception influence the practice of professionals and quality of life for people with disabilities? What assumptions about disability are revealed through rhetorical analysis? These questions will frame our attention to representations of disability in a variety of texts: academic, professional, literary, clinical, personal, and visual. Not to be taken for credit with ESL 592

3 credits,

HAX 668: Emerging Topics in Disability Studies

Focuses on the intersections of disability with other emerging area studies such as gender, class, sexuality, race and global studies. Encompass study of different emerging disciplinary areas of disability studies in the social sciences, health sciences, humanities, business, and technology. Explores the connections between disability activism, art, and scholarship in the 21 century. Traces emerging regional distinctions in disability studies research and scholarship, especially between Northern and Southern Countries

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 669: Disability and Health in Local and Global Contexts

Critically examines the experiences of people with disabilities in a local and global context and examines the connections between the two contexts. Utilizes policy documents, ethnographies, memoirs, program evaluations, and multi-media and provides the tools to critically evaluate local and global disability experiences as well as programs and interventions.

3 credits,

HAX 690: Independent Study in Health and Rehabilitation Sciences

Independent study proposals in health and rehabilitation sciences. Approval of independent study proposal and credit hours required prior to registration.

1-3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 693: Directed Readings

Provides faculty directed readings and guided discussion to synthesize selected content related to the current course curriculum and/or to the students' research interests. Through the guided readings, the students will learn foundational and advanced theoretical constructs that will be important underpinnings of their future studies and doctoral research. Specifically, studies may focus in the concentration areas of rehabilitation and movement science, disability studies or behavioral and community health. A critical analysis of readings may include theoretical constructs, methodologies, and/or interpretation of results. The course will include analytical writings and a summative paper.

3 credits,

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 699: Dissertation Research On Campus

Dissertation research under direction of advisor. Prerequisite: Advancement to candidacy (G5). Major portion of research must take place on SBU campus.

1-9 credits, S/U grading

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 700: Dissertation Research Off Campus- Domestic

Dissertation research under direction of an advisor. Prerequisite: Advancement to candidacy (G5). Major portion of research will take place off-campus, but in the United States and/or U.S. provinces. All international students must enroll in one of the graduate student insurance plans and should be advised by an International Advisor.

1-9 credits, S/U grading

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 701: Dissertation Research Off Campus International

Dissertation research under direction of an advisor. Prerequisite: Must be advanced to candidacy (G5). Major portion of research will take place outside of the United States and/or U.S. provinces. Domestic students have the option of the health plan and may also enroll in MEDEX. International students who are in their home country are not covered by mandatory health plan and must contact the Insurance Office for the insurance charge to be removed. International students who are not in their home country are charged for the mandatory health insurance. If they are to be covered by another insurance plan they must file a waiver by the second week of classes. The charge will only be removed if other plan is deemed comparable. All international students must receive clearance from an International Advisor.

1-9 credits, S/U grading

May be repeated for credit.

HAX 800: Summer Research

Prerequisite: Pre-approved participation in health rehabilitation sciences (HAX) department activity. S/U Grading. May be repeated for credit.

May be repeated for credit.