Public health promotes and protects the health of everyone in every community where they live, work and play. The overarching goal of public health is to reduce human suffering through improving the health of the public as a whole and achieving equity and justice in health status for all.
Public Health occupations work to promote and protect health where we live, learn, work and play. Courses build skills in health sciences, behavioral psychology, communication, planning, policy development and ethics. Students also have choices for a variety of enrichment areas. Opportunities for Public Health careers are in both the public and private sectors. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPH) have determined that public health workforce needs are increasing. The Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health degree can lead to advanced degrees in Health Care Administration, Nursing, Medicine, Dentistry, Law and many other fields. The program blends easily with study abroad and with a variety of Minors.
Public Health core functions are:
- assessment and evaluation, which is collection and analysis of health data and works to improve programs and processes
- policy development, which assures that scientific principles are used in public health decision making (big ‘P’ and little ‘p’ policy development)
- assurance, which guarantees that services necessary to achieve public health goals are provided
- research, for new insights and innovative solutions to timely health issues
Curriculum & Requirements
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| PBH 2000 | Foundations of Public Health | 4 |
| CM 3095 | Technical Communication (TECO,WRCO) | 4 |
| AHS 3305 | Epidemiology and Evidence Based Medicine (GACO,QRCO,WRCO) | 4 |
| PBH 3200 | Social and Behavioral Health Psychology (INCO,INCP) | 4 |
| PBH 3400 | Program Planning for Public Health (WRCO) | 4 |
| PBH 4000 | Ethics, Social Justice, and Policy in Public Health | 4 |
| PBH 4200 | Guided Practice in Public Health | 4 |
| Statistics Group | ||
| Complete one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
MA 2300 | Statistics I (QRCO) | |
PE 3565 | Measurement and Assessment in Physical Education (QRCO,WRCO) | |
SS 3705 | Social Statistics (QRCO) | |
| Diversity Enrichment | ||
| Complete one course from the following: | 3-4 | |
CJ 3157 | Society, Ethics, and the Law (DICO) | |
SO 2225 | Foundations of Sociology (DICO) | |
MGM 3450 | Organizational Behavior & Team Development (DICO) | |
IS 4360 | Cultural Diversity and American Society (DICO,INCO,INCP) | |
PO 2025 | Public Administration (DICO) | |
PY 3370 | Ethics and Communication (DICO,INCO,INCP) | |
SO 3375 | Sociology of Race and Ethnicity (DICO) | |
| HI 3351 | Women, Gender, and Sexuality in American History (DICO) | 4 |
| Social/Environmental | ||
| Complete two courses from the following: | 6-8 | |
AN 2100 | Foundations of Anthropology (GACO) | |
AN/SO 3130 | Wealth and Poverty | |
ESP 3550 | Environment and Health (WECO) | |
SO 3065 | Social Problems | |
SO 3385 | Drugs and Society (INCO,INCP) | |
SO 3505 | Illness, Wellness, and Healing (INCO,INCP,WECO) | |
SO 3605 | Sustainability in Practice (WECO) | |
SW 3300 | Mental Health and Society (GACO) | |
SW 3500 | Health and Society (GACO,WECO) | |
HI 3355 | Health and Illness in American History (WECO) | |
SU 2111 | Introduction to Sustainability Studies | |
GE 2050 | GIS I: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (QRCO,TECO) | |
| Health Enrichment | ||
| Complete 12 credits from AHS, EX, HE or NR. At least 6 credits must be from HE. | 12 | |
| General Education | ||
| EN 1400 | Composition | 4 |
| IS 1115 | Tackling a Wicked Problem | 4 |
| CTDI | Creative Thought Direction | 3-4 |
| MA | Mathematics Foundations | 3-4 |
| PPDI | Past and Present Direction | 3-4 |
| SIDI | Scientific Inquiry Direction | 3-4 |
| SSDI | Self and Society Direction | 3-4 |
| Directions (choose from CTDI, PPDI, SIDI, SSDI) | 3-4 | |
| Connections - if not completed above | ||
| GACO | Global Awareness Connection | 0-4 |
| INCO | Integration Connection | |
| Electives | 36-25 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Check all course descriptions for prerequisites before planning course schedule. Course sequence is suggested but not required.
To complete the bachelor’s degree in 4 years, you must successfully complete a minimum of 15 credits each semester or have a plan to make up credits over the course of the 4 years. For example, if you take 14 credits one semester, you need to take 16 credits in another semester. Credits completed must count toward your program requirements (major, option, minor, certificate, general education or free electives).
| Year One | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| EN 1400 | Composition | 4 |
| IS 1115 | Tackling a Wicked Problem | 4 |
| PPDI | Past and Present Direction | 3-4 |
| SSDI | Self and Society Direction | 3-4 |
| Credits | 14-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| MA | Mathematics Foundations | 3-4 |
| CTDI | Creative Thought Direction | 3-4 |
| Elective | 3-4 | |
| Elective | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 12-16 | |
| Year Two | ||
| Fall | ||
| PBH 2000 | Foundations of Public Health | 4 |
| SIDI | Scientific Inquiry Direction | 3-4 |
| Enrichment Choice (HE or WECO) | 3-4 | |
| Social or Environmental Choice | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 13-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PBH 2200 | Assessment and Communication in Public Health (TECO) | 4 |
| SIDI | Scientific Inquiry Direction | 3-4 |
| Statistics Choice (QRCO) | 3-4 | |
| Enrichment Choice (HE) | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 13-16 | |
| Year Three | ||
| Fall | ||
| PBH 3010 | Epidemiology and Biostatistics for Public Health (QRCO) | 4 |
| PBH 3200 | Social and Behavioral Health Psychology (INCO,INCP) | 4 |
| Social or Environmental Choice | 3-4 | |
| Elective or Minor | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 14-16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PBH 3400 | Program Planning for Public Health (WRCO) | 4 |
| Enrichment Choice (HE) | 3-4 | |
| Enrichment Choice (DICO) | 3-4 | |
| Elective or Minor | 3-4 | |
| Credits | 13-16 | |
| Year Four | ||
| Fall | ||
| PBH 4000 | Ethics, Social Justice, and Policy in Public Health | 4 |
| Enrichment Choice (HE) | 3-4 | |
| Electives or Minor | 9 | |
| Credits | 16-17 | |
| Spring | ||
| PBH 4200 or PBH 4400 |
Guided Practice in Public Health or Internship/Field Experience |
4-12 |
| Electives or Minor | 1-9 | |
| Credits | 5-21 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Academic advising recommendations:
- Audit accumulated credits each semester to carefully to ensure reaching appropriate totals at each year end.
- Internship requires a 3.0 Major GPA. If a 12 credit internship is desired, credits should be front loaded to ensure that 12 credits will be adequate to graduate in Spring 4.
- For SIDI Series that support PH consider:
- BIDI 1220 Biology Core Concepts: Ecology, Evolution and Behavior
& BIDI 1320 Biology Core Concepts: Cells, Genes, and Biotechnology
- BIDI 2010 Human Biology I & BIDI 2020 Human Biology II
- PSDI 2030 Mind, Brain and Evolution
- PSDI 2190 Quack Remedies, False Prophets and Unwarranted Claims
- GEDI 1200 Environmental Geography
Explore Program Details
In addition to the departmental outcomes, students who complete the Public Health degree are able to:
- Mobilize community partnerships and action to identify and solve health problems.
- Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health efforts.
- Enforce policies and regulations that protect health and ensure safety.
- Link people to needed resources and assure the provision of health care when otherwise unavailable.
- Build capacity of communities to achieve health equity through community development and policy.
From the American Public Health Association CareerMart newsletter, Bachelor of Science in Public Health students find jobs such as:
- Serving as a Community Health Worker for clinics, hospitals, and healthcare agencies
- Designing and implementing health promotion programs
- Leading physical activity programs for clinics, wellness centers or communities
- Serving as a program assistant with an international health organization
- Carrying out health-related assessments at worksites or in communities
- Working as a research assistant with a nonprofit organization or agency
- Doing consulting work related to disease prevention
- Working at a company that does health communication and health marketing
- Conducting air quality sampling and surveying
- Serving as a mentor or trainer for programs for children and/or youth
- Designing and leading wellness programs in assisted living facilities for older adults
- Working for international agencies to address public health issues in special populations
Explore Today.
Realize Tomorrow.
