Program Overview

Global Public Health Bachelor of Science Degree

Overview

RIT’s degree in public health explores current health issues to prevent disease, improve health, and help people attain health equity locally and across the world.

Why Pursue a Degree in Public Health at RIT?

• A Cutting-Edge Public Health Courses: Innovative courses pertinent to today’s local, regional, national, and international public health issues prepare you for a high-demand position in global public health or graduate-level training in a wide range of clinical medicine and other health-related fields.
• Two Dynamic Tracks: A choice of concentration in two important subspecialties: global health management or infectious diseases.
• Hands-On Experience: Gain real-world skills via two required blocks of cooperative education or internships, and multiple research and study abroad opportunities.
• The Perfect Pre-Med or Pre-Law Degree: StemJobs.com has rated a degree in public health as the best option for pre-med students, and course work provides a great foundation for law school.
• Pre-Med/Pre-Health Advising Program: Receive personalized guidance to become a competitive candidate for admission to medical schools and graduate programs in the health professions.

What is Public Health?

Public health professionals primarily pursue the goal of preventing disease, promoting health, and prolonging life for people across the world via a pathway of education, public policy, or research to achieve the following:

• Educate the public on health and wellness
• Implement disease and injury prevention measures
• Equity in healthcare worldwide

RIT’s Public Health Degree

The public health BS is the study of health challenges locally and in communities across the globe, and the actions needed to resolve these issues. Infused with a global perspective, RIT’s public health degree empowers you to learn and understand:

• The various social, economic, environmental, and individual factors that impact people’s health.
• How to ensure the global population has the resources and knowledge needed to be healthy.

The public health major allows for significant customization according to your interests and aspirations, starting with your choice of two concentrations:

• Global Health Management: This concentration is ideal for those who are interested in future management or leadership opportunities within healthcare systems, nonprofit, or humanitarian organizations and may want a more international emphasis to their education.
• Infectious Diseases: This concentration is designed for the student who is more science-oriented and may be considering a career with a clinical or research focus.

Public Health Courses

With a range of related elective courses, immersions and minors, you can further explore many topics closely related to global public health, including:

• Culture
• Exercise and Nutrition
• Gender Studies
• The Climate
• The Environment
• Social Inequalities
• Public Policy
• International Relations
• Economics

Careers and Experiential Learning

Typical Job Titles

• International/Global Public Health Professional
• Medical and Health Services Manager
• Health Care Consultant
• Social and Community Service Manager
• Health Educator
• Public Health Officer
• Maternal and Child Health Professional
• Emergency / Disaster Preparedness Professional
• Public Health Specialist in Early Intervention Programs
• Disease Intervention Specialist

Industries

• Health Care
• Government (Local, State, Federal)
• Higher Education
• Environmental Services
• International Affairs
• Non-Government Organization
• Non-Profit

Curriculum

Global Public Health, BS degree, typical course sequence

• First Year
  • MEDG-101 Human Biology I (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
  • MEDG-102 Human Biology II (General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective)
  • MEDG-103 Human Biology I Lab (General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective)
  • MEDG-104 Human Biology II (General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective)
  • GLPH-101 Introduction to Public Health
  • GLPH-105 Disease Awareness and Prevention
  • GLPH-107 Human Diseases
  • STSO-120 Introduction to Environmental Studies
  • YOPS-10 RIT 365: RIT Connections
  • General Education – First-Year Writing (WI)
  • General Education – Social Perspective
  • General Education – Ethical Perspective
  • General Education – Global Perspective
• Second Year
  • COMM-344 Health Communication
  • GLPH-355 Introduction to Global Health
  • GLPH-500 Experiential Learning in Global Public Health (Summer)
  • HLTH-320 Legal Aspects of Health Care
  • NUTR-215 Concepts in Human Nutrition
  • PSYC-101 Introduction to Psychology
  • PUBL-101 Foundation of Public Policy
  • STAT-145 Introduction to Statistics I (General Education – Mathematical Perspective A)
  • STAT-146 Introduction to Statistics II (General Education – Mathematical Perspective B)
  • General Education – Immersion 1, 2
• Third Year
  • GLPH-351 Technology Innovations in Global Public Health I
  • GLPH-352 Technology Innovations in Global Public Health II
  • GLPH-371 Global Mental Health
  • GLPH-500 Experiential Learning in Global Public Health
  • HLTH-328 Finance for Healthcare Professionals
  • MEDS-430 Epidemiology
  • Concentration Courses
  • General Education – Immersion 3
  • Open Elective
• Fourth Year
  • GLPH-450 Senior Seminar in Global Public Health
  • HLTH-325 Health Care Leadership
  • HLTH-330 Health Planning and Program Development
  • HLTH-508 Integrated Health Systems & Population Health
  • MEDS-402 Biomedical Ethics (WI)
  • WSHN-560 Health Sciences Research Foundations (WI)
  • Concentration Course
  • General Education - Artistic Perspective
  • Open Electives

Concentrations

• Global Health Management
  • HLTH-510 Global Health Systems
  • HLTH-511 Emergency Management in Healthcare
  • HLTH-512 Cultural Competency in Global Health
  • HLTH-521 Leadership in Global Public Health
• Infectious Disease Concentration
  • MEDS-313 Introduction to Infectious Disease
  • MEDS-417 Clinical Microbiology
  • MEDS-421 Parasitology

Admissions and Financial Aid

First-Year Admission

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of social studies and/or history
• 3 years of math is required and must include algebra, geometry, and algebra 2/trigonometry. Pre-calculus and/or statistics is preferred.
• 2-3 years of science. Biology and chemistry are required.

Transfer Admission

• A minimum of college algebra is required. Pre-calculus or calculus is preferred.
• Biology and chemistry are required.

Faculty

• Robert Osgood
• Kaitlin Stack Whitney
• Birgit Coffey

Related News

• Global public health class takes field trip to Dominican Republic
• RIT offers new degree in global public health
• Global Health Association holds donation drive for Ukraine with InterVol

Contact

• John Oliphant
• Program Director, Global Public Health
• Global Public Health
• College of Health Sciences and Technology
• 585‑475‑5607