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DISTA Course Domains

  • This foundational domain introduces learners to essential concepts in public health, including epidemiology, surveillance, building community health knowledge & navigation, and the social and economic conditions contributing to health. Courses focus on building a solid understanding of population health, communication strategies, and the importance of cultural humility and cross-cultural agility in working with diverse communities.

  • Disease-specific content provides in-depth knowledge of infectious diseases, including syphilis, HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and Mpox. It explores both clinical and public health perspectives, using case studies, applied modules, and outbreak response training to prepare learners for real-world scenarios. Additional courses offer learners an opportunity to explore a range of specialized topics, including foodborne illnesses, vector-borne and zoonotic diseases, respiratory viruses, and bioterrorism.

  • This domain equips learners with essential interpersonal and communication skills for conducting effective interviews in public health settings. Courses cover techniques such as contact tracing, client counseling, motivational interviewing, and adapting to various communication styles.

  • Focused on the interpersonal aspects of public health intervention, the counseling domain prepares learners to provide compassionate, informed support to clients.

  • This domain addresses the broader social and behavioral factors influencing health outcomes. Learners explore topics such as substance use, trauma-informed care, and correctional health, alongside social marketing approaches to public health messaging.

  • This hands-on domain provides technical training in specimen collection, focusing on venipuncture. 

  • Designed to develop the next generation of public health leaders, this domain covers communication styles, interprofessional collaboration, mentoring, program management and evaluation, and strategic thinking. Learners build skills in project management, finance, and performance improvement through both online modules and in-person leadership development sessions.

Courses are offered in different modalities

  • Asynchronous online modules for flexible, self-paced learning are offered through the USF College of Public Health Lifelong Learning Academy.
  • Live virtual training sessions
  • In-person, hands-on experiences to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios