Program Overview

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Community Health, BS

The public health field is one of the fastest growing, most exciting, and versatile areas of study on college campuses across the United States today. The Bachelor of Science in Community Health, accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), prepares students for the exciting field of public health with the knowledge, understanding and application of evidence-based approaches to public health. The program explores community health, health promotion, health education, and disease prevention policies and practices. Graduates work with a variety of health-related organizations and are expected to confront complex behavioral, cultural, and social challenges affecting populations at the local, national, regional, and global levels.

Overview

Community Health students develop public health competencies and skills necessary for entry-level positions in a variety of professional settings, including local, state, and federal health and social service agencies and non-governmental and voluntary health organizations, health care delivery, and private industry. Students completing this degree are eligible for and strongly encouraged to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.

Optional Concentrations

Students may wish to complete an optional concentration in Global Health, Clinical Science, Nutrition, or Physical Activity and Public Health. Selection of a concentration is not required.

Global Health Concentration

The Global Health concentration is designed to increase students' awareness of the major health problems and issues that transcend national boundaries, including understanding diseases and other health security threats reflecting the new global landscape, such as tobacco use and obesity, and emerging infectious diseases such as the COVID-19 pandemic, avian influenza, and Ebola. Students complete the required coursework for the BS in Community Health and specialized coursework in global health in addition to interdisciplinary coursework. This concentration is designed for students interested in public health with a global perspective.

Clinical Science Concentration

The Clinical Science concentration prepares students for graduate clinical training in a health profession such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, occupational and physical therapy, and pharmacy. This concentration provides students the flexibility to design their curriculum to satisfy prerequisites for these programs. Students choosing this option are encouraged to check coursework requirements for their desired health profession as these requirements vary.

Nutrition Concentration

The Nutrition concentration provides students interested in nutritional health with a strong foundation of the factors affecting individual, community, and global nutrition, as well as the tools to plan effective interventions.

Physical Activity and Public Health Concentration

Numerous public health burdens such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and depression can be prevented, delayed, or managed with proper physical activity. The Physical Activity and Public Health concentration prepares students to effectively advocate for policies, programs, and legislation that enables equitable opportunities for physical activity across all levels of society. The completion of this concentration prepares students to take the Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist certification.

Policies

• For all policies governing bachelor's degrees, see A.5.3.2 Requirements for Bachelor's Degrees.
• A criminal background check and proof of vaccination status may be required of students prior to beginning the internship if required by the internship organization.
• A minimum grade of C must be earned in all major courses.
• Students must check with their advisor to ensure that all requirements have been met prior to graduation and should assess their own degree evaluation in Patriot Web each semester.

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 120

Students must fulfill all requirements for bachelor's degrees, including the Mason Core requirements.

Mason Core

• Foundation Requirements:
  • Written Communication 1: ENGH 101 Composition (Mason Core) (3 credits)
  • Oral Communication: COMM 100 Public Speaking (Mason Core) (3 credits) or COMM 101 Fundamentals of Communication (Mason Core) (3 credits)
  • Quantitative Reasoning: Any Mason Core Quantitative Reasoning course (3-4 credits)
  • Information Technology: Any Mason Core Information Technology course (3-6 credits)
• Exploratory Requirements:
  • Literature: Any Mason Core Literature course (3 credits)
  • Arts: Any Mason Core Arts course (3 credits)
  • Natural Science 2: Any Mason Core non-lab science course (3 credits) or Any Mason Core lab science course (4 credits)
  • Global History: Any Mason Core Global History course (3 credits)
  • Global Contexts: GCH 205 Global Health (Mason Core) (3 credits)
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences: Any Mason Core Social and Behavioral Sciences course (3 credits)
• Integration Requirements:
  • ENGH 302 Advanced Composition (Mason Core) (social science section recommended) (3 credits)
  • Writing Intensive 4: This program includes the writing intensive course as a part of the major requirements; this course is therefore not counted towards the total required for Mason Core.
  • Mason Apex 5: This program includes a capstone course as a part of the major requirements; this course is therefore not counted towards the total required for the Mason Core.

Required Courses

• Select one of the following sequences:
  • GCH 270 & GCH 271 Applied Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Applied Human Anatomy and Physiology II (8 credits)
  • BIOL 124 & BIOL 125 Human Anatomy and Physiology I and Human Anatomy and Physiology II (8 credits)

Community Health Major Core

Completion of this curriculum also prepares students to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.

• GCH 300 Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
• GCH 310 Health Behavior Theories (3 credits)
• GCH 332 Health and Disease (3 credits)
• GCH 335 Applied Health Statistics (3 credits)
• GCH 350 Health Promotion and Education (3 credits)
• GCH 360 Health and Environment (3 credits)
• GCH 376 Health Ethics, Leadership, and Advocacy (3 credits)
• GCH 380 Public Health Research Methods (3 credits)
• GCH 411 Health Program Planning and Evaluation (Mason Core) (fulfills writing intensive requirement) (3 credits)
• GCH 412 Fundamentals of Epidemiology (3 credits)
• GCH 445 Social Determinants of Health (3 credits)
• GCH 465 Community Health Capstone (Mason Core) (3 credits) or GCH 466 Physical Activity in Public Health Capstone (Mason Core) (3 credits)

Completing the Degree without a Concentration

Students completing the BS without a concentration follow the coursework outlined below.

• Additional Courses: Select nine credits of 300- or 400-level courses from the following (9 credits)
  • GCH
  • HAP
  • HEAL
  • NUTR
  • PH
  • Other 300- or 400-level course approved by advisor
• General Electives: Select 30 credits of General Electives (30 credits)

Global Health Concentration (GLOH)

The optional global health concentration enables students to look at public health issues through a global lens and increases understanding of the differences in health, well-being, disease, and interventions that exist within an international context.

• Concentration Courses:
  • GGS 101 Major World Regions (Mason Core) (3 credits) or GGS 103 Human Geography (Mason Core) (3 credits) or GGS 340 Health Geography (3 credits)
  • GCH 305 Introduction to OneHealth (3 credits)
  • GCH 405 Global Health Interventions: History and Systems (3 credits)
  • GCH 406 Global Health Interventions: Emerging Issues (3 credits)
  • GCH 426 Global Emerging Infectious Diseases (3 credits)
  • One 3-credit 300- or 400-level GCH course (3 credits)
• General Electives: Select 21 credits of General Electives (21 credits)

Clinical Science Concentration (CLNS)

The optional clinical science concentration prepares students to apply for graduate programs in fields such as medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry. This concentration does not guarantee entrance into a graduate health professional program. It is important to note that, depending on the type of graduate program in which a student is interested, additional coursework may be required. It is the student's responsibility to determine the essential criteria for admission to their target schools in consultation with the health professions advising office.

• Concentration Courses: Select a minimum of 20 credits of the following (20 credits)
  • BIOL 103 & BIOL 105 Introductory Biology II-Survey of Cell and Molecular Biology (Mason Core) and Introductory Biology II Laboratory (Mason Core) (8 credits)
  • BIOL 213 Cell Structure and Function (4 credits)
  • BIOL 246 & BIOL 306 Introductory Microbiology and Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory (8 credits)
  • BIOL 305 & BIOL 306 Biology of Microorganisms and Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory (8 credits)
  • BIOL 311 General Genetics (4 credits)
  • BIOL 483 General Biochemistry (4 credits)
  • CHEM 211 & CHEM 213 General Chemistry I (Mason Core) and General Chemistry Laboratory I (Mason Core) (8 credits)
  • CHEM 212 & CHEM 214 General Chemistry II (Mason Core) and General Chemistry Laboratory II (Mason Core) (8 credits)
  • CHEM 313 & CHEM 315 Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Lab I (8 credits)
  • CHEM 314 & CHEM 318 Organic Chemistry II and Organic Chemistry Lab II (8 credits)
  • PHYS 243 & PHYS 244 College Physics I (Mason Core) and College Physics I Lab (Mason Core) (8 credits)
  • PHYS 245 & PHYS 246 College Physics II (Mason Core) and College Physics II Lab (Mason Core) (8 credits)
• General Electives: Select 26 credits of General Electives (26 credits)

Nutrition Concentration (NUTR)

The optional nutrition concentration provides students interested in nutritional health with a strong knowledge base in factors affecting individual, community, and global nutrition, as well as the tools to plan effective interventions.

• Concentration Courses:
  • NUTR 315 Fundamentals of Cooking (3 credits)
  • NUTR 410 Introduction to Food Safety and Defense (3 credits)
  • NUTR 420 Strategies for Nutrition Education (3 credits)
  • NUTR 421 Community Nutrition (3 credits)
  • NUTR 422 Nutrition throughout the Life Cycle (3 credits)
  • NUTR 423 Nutrition and Chronic Illnesses (3 credits)
  • NUTR 451 Nutrition Assessment (3 credits)
• Nutrition Electives: Students should select from the following list or get advisor approval (3 credits)
  • ANTH 366 Food and Human Evolution
  • GCH 497 Pre-Internship Seminar
  • GCH 498 Global and Community Health Internship
  • NUTR 383 Taste and Place
  • NUTR 414 Food, Culture, Nutrition and the Mediterranean Diet
  • NUTR 435 Urban Agriculture
  • NUTR 466 Nutrition and Weight Management: Obesity, Anorexia, and Bulimia
  • NUTR 494 Special Topics in Nutrition and Food Studies
• General Electives: Select 15 credits of General Electives (15 credits)

Physical Activity and Public Health (PAPH)

Numerous public health burdens such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and depression can be prevented, delayed, or managed with proper physical activity. The optional physical activity and public health concentration prepares students to effectively advocate for policies, programs, and legislation that enables equitable opportunities for physical activity across all levels of society. Students in this concentration should take GCH 466 Physical Activity in Public Health Capstone (Mason Core). The completion of this concentration prepares students to take the Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist certification.

• Concentration Courses:
  • KINE 200 Methods of Exercise Instruction (3 credits)
  • KINE 310 Exercise Physiology I (3 credits)
  • NUTR 295 Introduction to Nutrition (Mason Core) (3 credits) or KINE 295 Principles of Human Nutrition (3 credits)
  • KINE 340 Exercise Testing and Evaluation (3 credits)
  • KINE 350 Exercise Prescription and Programming (3 credits)
  • KINE 380 Exercise Prescription and Programming for Special Populations (3 credits)
  • ATEP 300 Functional Anatomy (3 credits)
  • GCH 410 Physical Activity and Public Health (3 credits)
• General Electives: Select 18 hours of general electives (18 credits)