Program Overview

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Public Health, BS

Program Description

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) is designed to build and strengthen the public health workforce, preparing students for new approaches to emerging global and public health issues. The curriculum was developed in accordance with the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and focuses on prevention and communicable disease, environmental health, public health surveillance, and health management in a context of human rights and cultural understanding.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles, practices, and applications common to public health promotion and disease prevention. Specifically, students will be able to:

• Describe and apply basic public health sciences, including epidemiology, health and policy administration, behavioral and social sciences, biostatistics, and environmental and occupational public health, to the prevention of illness and injury.
• Use information literacy skills and research methods appropriate to public health.
• Communicate effectively in writing and orally in ways appropriate to public health.
• Discuss and apply cultural, ethical, and policy aspects of public health.
• Develop and manage strategic planning and budgets.

Program Requirements for Public Health

Prior to designation as a BSPH major, students must meet with the advisor to create a degree completion and minor area of specialization plan.

Grading

A scholastic grade point average of 2.5 is a minimum requirement in the upper division courses designated for the Bachelor of Science in Public Health. A minimum grade of C is required in all courses in the BSPH major. If a student earns a grade of D, F, or W in a public health course, that course must be repeated. A course in which a grade of less than C (i.e., D, F, or W, Withdrawal) was earned may be repeated only once. A student who has earned a grade of less than C (i.e., D, F, or W, Withdrawal) in two courses or who has earned a grade of less than C (D, F, or W, Withdrawal) twice in the same course will be dismissed from the BSPH program.

General Requirements

• Core Curriculum Program: 42 credit hours
• University Seminar (when applicable): 0-2 credit hours
• Required Courses: 48 credit hours
• Electives: 24 credit hours
• Other (Public Health Internship): 6 credit hours
• Total Credit Hours: 120-122

Program Requirements Course List

• USSE 1201: University Seminar (2 credit hours)
• Core Curriculum Program: University Core Curriculum (42 credit hours)
• Public Health Major Requirements:
  • PUHE 1310: Introduction to Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 1320: Introduction to Emergency Management (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 1340: Primary Care and Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3320: Biostatistics in Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3330: Healthy Behavior and Chronic Disease (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3340: Healthy Policies for Healthy Living (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3360: Qualitative Research for Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3380: Field Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigations (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 4380: Public Health Capstone (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 4390: Topics in Public Health (3 credit hours, can be taken twice)
  • PUHE 4600: Public Health Internship (6 credit hours)
  • HCAD 3300: The Health Care System (3 credit hours)
  • HCAD 3310: Epidemiology (3 credit hours)
  • HCAD 3340: Health Program Planning and Evaluation (3 credit hours)
  • HCAD 4350: Global Health/Health Disparities (3 credit hours)
  • ESCI 4320: Environmental Health (3 credit hours)
• Electives: 24 credit hours

Course Sequencing Plan of Study Grid

First Year

• Fall:
  • POLS 2305: U.S. Government and Politics (3 credit hours)
  • BIOL 1406: Biology I (4 credit hours)
  • USSE 1201: University Seminar (2 credit hours)
  • COMM 1311: Foundation of Communication (3 credit hours)
  • Creative Arts Core Requirement (3 credit hours)
• Spring:
  • ENGL 1301: Writing and Rhetoric I (3 credit hours)
  • POLS 2306: State and Local Government (3 credit hours)
  • MATH 1442: Statistics for Life (4 credit hours)
  • BIOL 1407: Biology II (4 credit hours)

Second Year

• Fall:
  • Language, Philosophy, and Culture Core Requirement (3 credit hours)
  • Social & Behavioral Science Core Requirement (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 1310: Introduction to Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • HIST 1301: U.S. History to 1865 (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 1320: Introduction to Emergency Management (3 credit hours)
• Spring:
  • Elective (3 credit hours)
  • Elective (3 credit hours)
  • HIST 1302: U.S. History Since 1865 (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 1340: Primary Care and Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • HCAD 3300: The Health Care System (3 credit hours)

Third Year

• Fall:
  • Elective (4 credit hours)
  • Elective (3 credit hours)
  • Component Area Option Core Requirement (3 credit hours)
  • HCAD 3310: Epidemiology (3 credit hours)
  • HCAD 3340: Health Program Planning and Evaluation (3 credit hours)
• Spring:
  • HCAD 4350: Global Health/Health Disparities (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3320: Biostatistics in Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3330: Healthy Behavior and Chronic Disease (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3340: Healthy Policies for Healthy Living (3 credit hours)
  • Elective (3 credit hours)

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • Elective (3 credit hours)
  • ESCI 4320: Environmental Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3380: Field Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigations (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 4390: Topics in Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 3360: Qualitative Research for Public Health (3 credit hours)
• Spring:
  • PUHE 4390: Topics in Public Health (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 4380: Public Health Capstone (3 credit hours)
  • PUHE 4600: Public Health Internship (6 credit hours)
  • Elective (3 credit hours)

Course Descriptions

PUHE 1310: Introduction to Public Health

This course provides an introduction to the infrastructure of public health; the analytical tools employed by public health practitioners; bio-psychosocial perspectives of public health problems; health promotion/disease prevention; quality assessment in public health; and legal and ethical concerns.

PUHE 1320: Introduction to Emergency Management

This course introduces students to the emergency management profession, including the history of emergency management, the identification and assessment of hazards, risk, and vulnerability, and the four phases of emergency management.

PUHE 1340: Primary Care and Public Health

This course explores historical and current interactions, achievements, and challenges of primary care and public health, analyzing the impact of common medical conditions on individuals, their families, and society.

PUHE 3320: Biostatistics in Public Health

This course covers the fundamentals of biostatistics and basic methods for analysis of continuous and binary outcomes, including summarizing and displaying data, probability, statistical distributions, and hypothesis testing.

PUHE 3330: Healthy Behavior and Chronic Disease

This course introduces healthy behavior concepts through applications to chronic disease prevention, focusing on smoking, dietary behaviors, and physical activity.

PUHE 3340: Healthy Policies for Healthy Living

This course covers the rationale for and effectiveness of policies to influence nutrition, physical activity, and substance use behavior.

PUHE 3360: Qualitative Research for Public Health

This course provides an overview of the role of qualitative research methods in public health, focusing on formative program design, community-based participatory approaches, and amplifying voices.

PUHE 3380: Field Epidemiology and Outbreak Investigations

This course consists of practical epidemiological infectious and non-infectious disease paper- and computer-based exercises, applying epidemiological and biostatistical skills to real-world situations.

PUHE 4380: Public Health Capstone

This course serves as the culminating experience for the BS in public health majors, integrating skills and knowledge gained throughout the program and learning critical elements of public health research and practice.

PUHE 4390: Topics in Public Health

This course covers topics in the field of public health and can be taken twice.

PUHE 4600: Public Health Internship

This course represents an experiential learning opportunity at a pre-approved community site.