Public Health (B.S.)
The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine offers training in public health issues and policies to students interested in a broad range of health careers. Students will learn to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and explore answers to promote the health and well-being of communities locally, nationally and globally.
Admission Requirements
Admission requirements for this program are satisfied by the general requirements for undergraduate admission to the University.
Candidates must complete 120 credits in course work including satisfaction of the University General Education Requirements and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Group Requirements, as well as the Departmental major requirements cited below. All course work must be completed in accordance with the regulations of the University and the College governing undergraduate scholarship and degrees.
Major Requirements
Students must complete 38-41 credits distributed as follows:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core | ||
| PH 2100 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| PH 3100 | Social and Behavioral Aspects of Public Health | 3 |
| PH 3200 | Introduction to Biostatistics | 4 |
| PH 3300 | Epidemiology | 4 |
| PH 3500 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| PH 4100 | Public Health Principles and Practice | 2 |
| PH 4150 | Public Health Practicum | 2 |
| PH 4400 | Methodological Approaches in Public Health | 4 |
| PH 5100 | Capstone Course in Public Health | 4 |
| Electives | ||
| Select at least one public health (PH) elective (3-4 credits), and a minimum of two courses (6-8 credits) from the following: | ||
| Anthropology | ||
| Introduction to Medical Anthropology | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Anthropology of Health and Illness | ||
| Biology | ||
| Introductory Microbiology | ||
| Anatomy and Physiology | ||
| Genetics | ||
| Cellular Biochemistry | ||
| Human Physiology | ||
| Biometry | ||
| Cancer Biology | ||
| Basic Endocrinology | ||
| Biology of Aging | ||
| Economics | ||
| ECO 2550 | U.S. Health Care: Policy and Economics | 4 |
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Economics of an Aging Society | ||
| Economics of Health Care | ||
| Introduction to Development Economics | ||
| History | ||
| American Medicine in the Twentieth Century | ||
| Nutrition and Food Science | ||
| Nutrition and Health | ||
| NFS 3230 | Human Nutrition | 3-4 |
| Food Laws and Regulations | ||
| Community Nutrition | ||
| NFS 5250 | Nutrition and Disease | 4 |
| Philosophy | ||
| Ethical Issues in Health Care | ||
| PHI 1130 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| Introduction to Philosophy of Science | ||
| PHI 5250 | Justice and Rights in Health Care | 4 |
| Political Science | ||
| Introduction to Public Policy | ||
| Ethics and Politics of Public Policy | ||
| Environmental Policy and Politics | ||
| Psychology | ||
| Introduction to Drugs, Behavior, and Society | ||
| Health Psychology | ||
| Psychology of Social Behavior | ||
| Brain and Behavior | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
| Human Neuropsychology | ||
| Public Health | ||
| PH 3050 | Mental Health and Crime | 3 |
| Global Health | ||
| PH 3550 | Geography and Public Health | 3 |
| Special Topics in Public Health | ||
| PH 3900 | LGBT Health | 3 |
| PH 4050 | Crime and Public Health | 3 |
| Special Topics in Health Disparities | ||
| Directed Study in Public Health | ||
| Sociology | ||
| SOC 2205 | Sociology of the Environment | 3 |
| SOC 2210 | Sociology of Health and Medicine | 3 |
| SOC 4204 | Seminar in Aging and the Life Course | 3 |
| SOC 4205 | Seminar in Medical Sociology | 3 |
| Women and Health | ||
| End-of-Life Issues | ||
| Introduction to Medical Sociology | ||
| Health and Life Course | ||
| Sociology of Urban Health | ||
| Urban Studies and Planning | ||
| Cities and Food | ||
| College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts - Communication | ||
| COM 5320 | Health Communication | 3 |
| College of Education - Health Education | ||
| Dynamics of Personal Health | ||
| Advancing Policy in Community Health Education | ||
| Nutrition and Health Education | ||
| Family and Reproductive Health | ||
| Health Behavior Change | ||
| Mental Health and Substance Abuse | ||
Before enrolling in PH 3200 and 3300, students must complete STA 1020 or MAT 1800 or MAT 2010 or the equivalent with a C or better (or place into MAT 2010) .
Students in the Public Health major must complete all required courses with a C grade or better.
Students in the Public Health major must complete all elective courses with a C- grade or better.
Elective courses allow students to specialize within the program in ways that enhance their academic and professional goals. Students should remember that elective courses may have their own prerequisite courses, and students should consult the Undergraduate Academic Advisors in Public Health to learn more about the major prior to undertaking the program.
Public Health Honors
To be recommended for an honors degree from this program, a student must maintain a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 3.30 and complete a minimum of twelve honors course credits including:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PH 4150 | Public Health Practicum (Honors Section) | 2 |
| PH 5100 | Capstone Course in Public Health (Honors Section) | 4 |
| One Course in Public Health (PH) with an Honors Option 1 | 3-4 | |
| One 42XX level Honors Seminar 2 | 3 | |
| 1 | Consult an advisor or the University Schedule of Classes for available Honors Sections. |
| 2 | A list of seminars is available in the list of Honors (HON) courses. |