Program Overview

Public Health Program

The Public Health program at the University of Arkansas is an exciting and diverse major that focuses on disease prevention and health promotion needs at the community level. Public health work is conducted by teams of clinicians, epidemiologists, behavioral scientists, environmental scientists, health education specialists, health inspectors, statisticians, and health administrators.

Overview

Students receiving a B.S. in Public Health will be trained for entry-level public health positions found in government agencies, health corporations, and community non-profit organizations. Graduates are employed in a variety of settings, including public health departments, non-governmental agencies, hospitals, health care management organizations, and health care accrediting agencies. The public health degree at the University of Arkansas is specifically focused on health promotion, health behavior, and health education.

Requirements for B.S. in Public Health

An undergraduate major in public health leads to the Bachelor of Science degree. The minimum requirements for all students in the college are listed under general studies. All students begin the program as Pre-Public Health majors. To be admitted into the Public Health major, the student must meet the following criteria:

1. Complete the Pre-Public Health requirements
2. Students must earn a cumulative 2.5 GPA or greater after their first 45 hours of coursework in order to be eligible to apply.

Pre-Public Health Requirements

• MATH 21003: Principles of Statistics (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 2103)
• or ESRM 24003: Statistics in Nursing
• or STAT 28233: Biostatistics
• BIOL 20003 & BIOL 20001: General Microbiology (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lecture) and General Microbiology Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lab)
• ENGL 30503: Technical and Professional Writing (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2023)
• JOUR 10203: Media and Society
• PBHL 34403: Introduction to Public Health
• Total Hours: 16

Requirements for a Major in Public Health

• Pre-major (PBHL) Requirements: 16
• State Minimum Core: 35
• Including these required core courses:
  • PSYC 20003: General Psychology (ACTS Equivalency = PSYC 1103)
  • PLSC 20003: American National Government (ACTS Equivalency = PLSC 2003)
  • PLSC 21003: State and Local Government (ACTS Equivalency = PLSC 2103)
  • SOCI 10103: General Sociology (ACTS Equivalency = SOCI 1013)
  • BIOL 10103 & BIOL 10101: Principles of Biology (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 1014 Lecture) and Principles of Biology Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 1014 Lab)
  • CHEM 14103 & CHEM 14101: University Chemistry I (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1414 Lecture) and University Chemistry I Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1414 Lab)
  • or CHEM 14203 & CHEM 14201: University Chemistry II (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lecture) and University Chemistry II Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lab)
  • or CHEM 12103 & CHEM 12101: Fundamentals of Chemistry (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1214 Lecture) and Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1214 Lab)
• Public Health General Course Requirements (42 hours)
• PBHL Required Core Courses Restricted to Majors Only (17 hours)
• Electives: 10 hours (4 must be 3000 or above)
• Total Hours: 120

Public Health B.S. Eight-Semester Degree Program

The eight-semester degree plan for the Public Health major is outlined below:

First Year

• Fall:
  • ENGL 10103: Composition I (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1013)
  • MATH 11103: Quantitative Reasoning (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 1113)
  • SOCI 10103: General Sociology (ACTS Equivalency = SOCI 1013)
  • BIOL 10103 & BIOL 10101: Principles of Biology (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 1014 Lecture) and Principles of Biology Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 1014 Lab)
  • PLSC 20003: American National Government (ACTS Equivalency = PLSC 2003)
• Spring:
  • ENGL 10203: Composition II (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 1023)
  • Fine Arts or Humanities State Minimum Core Elective
  • PBHL 11003: Personal Health and Safety
  • Choose one of the following courses with lab:
    • CHEM 14103 & CHEM 14101: University Chemistry I (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1414 Lecture) and University Chemistry I Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1414 Lab)
    • or CHEM 14203 & CHEM 14201: University Chemistry II (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lecture) and University Chemistry II Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1424 Lab)
    • or CHEM 12103 & CHEM 12101: Fundamentals of Chemistry (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1214 Lecture) and Fundamentals of Chemistry Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = CHEM 1214 Lab)
  • JOUR 10203: Media and Society
• Year Total: 16

Second Year

• Fall:
  • PBHL 12003: Prevention of Drug Abuse
  • or PBHL 13003: Introduction to Human Sexuality
  • ENGL 30503: Technical and Professional Writing (ACTS Equivalency = ENGL 2023)
  • PSYC 20003: General Psychology (ACTS Equivalency = PSYC 1103)
  • BIOL 20003 & BIOL 20001: General Microbiology (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lecture) and General Microbiology Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2004 Lab)
  • MATH 21003: Principles of Statistics (ACTS Equivalency = MATH 2103)
  • or ESRM 24003: Statistics in Nursing
  • or STAT 28233: Biostatistics
• Spring:
  • PBHL 26603: Terminology for the Health Professions
  • SPCH 10003: Public Speaking (ACTS Equivalency = SPCH 1003)
  • PBHL 34403: Introduction to Public Health
  • NUTR 12103: Fundamentals of Nutrition
  • PLSC 21003: State and Local Government (ACTS Equivalency = PLSC 2103)
• Year Total: 16

Third Year

• Fall:
  • PBHL 36403: Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation
  • PBHL 46103: Principles of Epidemiology
  • PSYC 30903: Developmental Psychology (ACTS Equivalency = PSYC 2103)
  • Fine Arts or Humanities State Minimum Core
  • PBHL 13003: Introduction to Human Sexuality
  • or PBHL 12003: Prevention of Drug Abuse
• Spring:
  • PBHL 46403: Multicultural Health
  • PBHL 30401: Undergraduate Pre-Internship
  • BIOL 24003 & BIOL 24001: Human Anatomy (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2404 Lecture) and Human Anatomy Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2404 Lab)
  • INST 20103: Introduction to International and Global Studies
  • GEOS 30403: Sustaining Earth
• Year Total: 15

Fourth Year

• Fall:
  • BIOL 24103 & BIOL 24101: Human Physiology (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2414 Lecture) and Human Physiology Laboratory (ACTS Equivalency = BIOL 2414 Lab)
  • PBHL 46003: Health Behavior: Theories and Application
  • General Elective
• Spring:
  • PBHL 32002: Health Care and Public Health Policy
  • PBHL 40403: Internship in Public Health
  • PBHL 46203: Human Diseases
  • SCWK 41803: Social Work With Elders
  • or SCWK 31603: On Death and Dying
  • General Elective
• Year Total: 14

Faculty

The faculty members for the Public Health program include:

• Buttram, Mance E., Ph.D., M.A. (Florida International University), M.A. (University of Arizona), Associate Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation
• Davis, Robert, Ph.D., M.S., B.S. (University of Mississippi), Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation
• Dobbs, Page, Ph.D., M.S., B.S., (University of Arkansas), Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation
• Hammig, Bart, Ph.D. (University of Kansas), M.P.H. (University of Kansas Medical Center), B.S. (University of Kansas), Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation
• Henry, Leah Jean, Ph.D. (Texas Woman's University), M.A. (Michigan State University), B.S. (Texas A&M University), Associate Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation
• Jones, Ches, Ph.D. (University of Alabama at Birmingham), B.S.E. (Pittsburg State University), Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation
• Russell, Alex, Ph.D. (Texas A & M University), M.A. (University of Houston), B.S. (University of Houston), Assistant Professor, Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation

Courses

The following courses are offered in the Public Health program:

• PBHL 11003: Personal Health and Safety
• PBHL 12003: Prevention of Drug Abuse
• PBHL 13003: Introduction to Human Sexuality
• PBHL 21001: Special Topics
• PBHL 26603: Terminology for the Health Professions
• PBHL 30401: Undergraduate Pre-Internship
• PBHL 3100V: Seminar in Public Health
• PBHL 32002: Health Care and Public Health Policy
• PBHL 320H2: Honors Health Care and Public Health Policy
• PBHL 3330V: Research in Public Health
• PBHL 333HV: Honors Research in Public Health
• PBHL 34403: Introduction to Public Health
• PBHL 36303: First Responder-First Aid
• PBHL 36403: Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation
• PBHL 364H3: Honors Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation
• PBHL 37103: The Environment and Human Health
• PBHL 372H3: Honors Research Methods in Public Health
• PBHL 390H1: Honors Public Health Thesis Tutorial
• PBHL 3910V: Special Topics in PBHL
• PBHL 40403: Internship in Public Health
• PBHL 4100V: Global Health: Issues, Concepts and Perspectives
• PBHL 410HV: Honors Global Health: Issues, Concepts and Perspectives
• PBHL 46003: Health Behavior: Theories and Application
• PBHL 460H3: Honors Health Behavior: Theories and Application
• PBHL 46103: Principles of Epidemiology
• PBHL 461H3: Honors Principles of Epidemiology
• PBHL 46203: Human Diseases
• PBHL 46403: Multicultural Health
• PBHL 464H3: Honors Multicultural Health
• PBHL 498HV: Honors Public Health Thesis/Project