PBHL - Public Health
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Program Long Title
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Catalog Full Description
Public Health, B.S.
Public Health is a truly interdisciplinary major that includes aspects of biology, economics, exercise science, management, political science, psychology, and sociology. This allows students to explore critical concepts, research, and practices that shape community well-being. Public health majors will gain expertise in epidemiology, health policy, and disease prevention as they prepare for careers or further education in the field of public health.
Program Learning Goals in Public Health
After completing a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, students will be able to:
Explain public health history, philosophy, and values
Identify the core functions of public health
Apply qualitative and quantitative methods in describing and assessing a population’s health
Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health
Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health
Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health
Explain the social, political, and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to population health and health inequities
Explain how globalization affects global burdens of disease
Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health, and ecosystem health
Display competency in a public health professional environment
Display oral and written communication skills that can be used to advance public health knowledge
Major Requirements
35 required foundational credits and an additional 19 credits of electives. The electives include at least 3 credits from each of the following categories: Social and Behavioral Health, History of Health and Health Policy, Health of Diverse Populations, Environmental Health/Environmental Studies, and Additional Electives. The final 4 credits of electives will be completed through a mandatory Public Health internship. At least 9 credits (excluding the internship) of electives must be at or above the 3000 level.
Foundational Courses (35 credits)
BL 2400 | EPIDEMIOLOGY | 3 |
DATA 1220 | ELEMENTARY STATISTICS | 3 |
or | ||
DATA 2280 | STATISTICS FOR BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES | 3 |
DATA 2600 | INTERMEDIATE STATISTICS WITH SPSS | 3 |
EC 2221 | FUNDAMENTALS OF ECONOMICS | 3 |
EC 3362 | HEALTH ECONOMICS AND FINANCING | 3 |
ESC 2229 | HUMAN NUTRITION | 3 |
PBHL 2500 | CURRENT ISSUES IN POPULATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH | 1 |
PS 1010 | INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
SC 1010 | FOUNDATIONS OF SOCIOLOGY | 3 |
SC 2730 | PUBLIC HEALTH IN U.S. SOCIETY | 3 |
Choose one of the following Research Methods sequences (7 credits): | ||
PO 3510 | QUALITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
PO 3511 | QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS | 3 |
PO 3521 | QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS LAB | 1 |
PS 3010 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS LAB | 1 |
PS 3011 | EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND ANALYSIS IN PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
ONE ADDITIONAL PS ELECTIVE FROM BELOW | 3 | |
SC 3500 | SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH METHODS I | 3 |
SC 3510 | SOCIOLOGICAL DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
SC 3520 | SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH ANALYSIS LAB | 1 |
Area Electives (19 credits)
Tier I: Social Behavioral Health
Choose one:
PS 2260 | DRUGS AND BEHAVIOR | 3 |
PS 2880 | HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
PS 3890 | PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTION | 3 |
PS 4260 | PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY | 3 |
PS 4570 | PSYCHOPATHOLOGY | 3 |
SC 2750 | FAMILY VIOLENCE | 3 |
SC 3150 | SEXUALITY AND SEXUAL BEHAVIOR | 3 |
SC 3430 | DRUGS AND CRIME | 3 |
Tier II: History of Health and Health Policy
Choose one:
HS 1137 | HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN AMERICA | 3 |
HS 1138 | HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND THE BODY IN AMERICA | 3 |
HS 1162 | SEXUALITY IN AMERICA | 3 |
HS 1239 | HEALTH, MEDICINE, AND SOCIETY | 3 |
PO 2210 | HEALTHCARE ACCESS IN LATIN AMERICA | 3 |
PO 3140 | INTRODUCTION TO POLICY ANALYSIS | 3 |
PO 3270 | COMPARATIVE HEALTH SYSTEMS | 3 |
Tier III: Health of Diverse Populations
Choose one:
COM 3453 | DIVERSITY, STEREOTYPES, & MEDIA | 3 |
PS 3430 | PSYCHOLOGY OF PREJUDICE | 3 |
PS 4150 | MULTICULTURAL PSYCHOLOGY | 3 |
SC 2550 | PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION | 3 |
SC 3250 | GENDER, HEALTH & MEDICINE | 3 |
PJHR 2750 | MODERN SOCIAL PROBLEMS | 3 |
Tier IV: Environmental Health/Environmental Studies
Choose one:
BL 1370 | CLIMATE CHANGE: GLOBAL IMPACTS | 3 |
BL 2220 | GENERAL ECOLOGY | 3 |
BL 2600 | SOCIAL INEQUALITY AND DISEASE | 3 |
BL 3310 | GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE | 3 |
HS 2138 | ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY OF THE USA | 3 |
SC 2800 | SUSTAINABILITY & CLIMATE JUSTICE | 3 |
SC 3800 | ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS | 3 |
Tier V: Additional Elective
Choose one (lecture + lab counts as one):
BL 1200 | CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY | 3 |
BL 1500 | PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY I | 3 |
BL 1505 | PRINCIPLES OF BIOLOGY LAB I | 1 |
BL 3100 | MICROBIOLOGY | 4 |
BL 3105 | MICROBIOLOGY LAB | 0 |
BL 4100 | MEDICAL MICROBIOLGY | 3 |
BL 4170 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS | 4 |
BL 4175 | GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS LAB | 0 |
CH 1410 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY I | 4 |
CH 1430 | GENERAL CHEMISTRY LAB I | 1 |
COM 2510 | COMMUNICATING ABOUT SCIENCE | 3 |
COM 3013 | INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION | 3 |
COM 3752 | COMMUNICATING ABOUT HEALTH | 3 |
EC 3318 | APPLIED GLOBAL HEALTH ECONOMICS | 3 |
ER 3304 | SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP | 3 |
ESC 2000 | CURRENT HEALTH ISSUES | 3 |
GEND 1100 | INTRODUCTION TO GENDER STUDIES | 3 |
PJHR 1020 | POVERTY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE | 3 |
PL 2088 | BIOETHICS | 3 |
PO 3160 | SOCIAL MOVEMENTS | 3 |
PO 3660 | GENDER, JUSTICE AND THE LAW | 3 |
PS 2680 | LIFE SPAN DEVELOPMENT | 3 |
SC 2200 | CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS | 3 |
SC 2350 | AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCES | 3 |
SC 4400 | VIOLENCE AND SOCIETY | 3 |
TRS 3563 | BIOETHICS | 3 |
Tier VI: Public Health Practice/Capstone
PBHL 4730 | INTERNSHIPS IN POPULATION AND PUBLIC HEALTH | 4 |