Public Health Curriculum
The Public Health major offers a multi-disciplinary, liberal arts exploration of the scientific, social, cultural, and human dimensions of public health. Students will expand their knowledge of the complex intersecting factors that shape health, developing the ability to think critically about global and public health. A focal point of the program is an integrative approach to public health that addresses issues of health inequity and disparity across all dimensions of health and health care. Students will be prepared to work in multi-faceted environments with people of diverse backgrounds to help solve complex community, national, and global public health problems.
For course descriptions, visit the online Class Search.
NOTE: Degree requirements for incoming students may not reflect the actual degree requirements of current students.
A total of 45 credit hours (with 40 of those hours at the 300-level or above), including both required and elective courses, must be taken to complete the Public Health major. No more than one course required of the major may count towards satisfying University Core Requirements.
University Core Curriculum Requirements (30 hours)
- FYS 101
- FYS 102
- GHS 201-212
- GHS 201-212
- AR
- NW
- PCA
- PWB
- TI
- SW
- ICR
- BCR (8 required)
Liberal Art and Science Requirements (6 hours)
- Foreign Language 6 hours at 200 level or above
PHE Major Requirements (13 hours)
- PHE 101 – Intro to Public Health (LAS)
- PHE 102 – Intro to Public Health (COPHS)
- PHE 301 – Epidemiology
- PHE 351 or 352 – Internship or Research
- PHE 490 – Senior Seminar
PHE Core Science Requirement
- BI 105 – Introductory Cell Biology (3 credits) for BA
- OR
- BI 210/220 – Molecular Biology (8 credits) for premeds or BS
Health Communication (3 hours)
- BSHS 340 – Healthcare Communication
- EN 303 – Studies in Professional Writing
- ORG 357 – Health Communication
Statistics (3 hours)
- BI 250 – Biostatistics – Fundamentals (need BI 220 with a C- or better)
- BSHS 450 – Healthcare Biostatistics (need to be a junior)
- RX 427 – Biostatistics and Research Design (permission needed from RX program)
- SO 293 – Statistics for Social Research (need MA 101 or any AR)
Science Elective – Select ONE course from these or other science course
- BI 323 – Principles of Immunology
- BI 325 – Principles of Pathogenic Microbiology OR BI 438 – Microbiology
- BI 339 – Philosophy of Biology
- BI 350 – Cell Biology
- BI 357 – General Genetics
- or other Biology course as approved by Public Health Director
Social Science Electives related to Public Health (9 or 15 hours)
- AN 302 – Body and Society
- AN 306 – Reproductive Technologies
- AN 308 – Anthropology of Death and Dying
- AN 352 – Ethnographic Methods
- AN 372 – Anthropology of Africa, Medicine and Technology
- BSHS 325 – Health Systems, Policy, and Advocacy
- BSHS 350 – Health Disparities
- BSHS 360 – Healthcare Ethics
- BSHS 370 – Exploring Addictions
- BSHS 493 – Global Health
- BSHS 495 – Hot Topics in Healthcare
- CCM 330 – Representations of Race and Difference
- EC 346 – Health Care Economics
- EC 373 – Economics of Development
- ENV 300 – Environmental Science and Human Health
- ENV 310 – Global Environmental Conflicts
- ENV 390 – Topics in Environmental Studies
- JR 325 – Gender and News: Global Views
- PO 330 – Humanitarianism–The Politics of Policy and Practice
- PO 354 – Environmental Justice
- PO 374 – Poverty and Access to Justice
- PO 387 – Agriculture and Food Justice as a Social Movement (junior status)
- PS 320 – Life Span Developmental Psychology (prereq. SW250-PS or NW 220-PS)
- PS 370 – Biological Basis of Behavior (prereq. SW250-PS or NW 220-PS)
- SLHS 338 – Language and Culture
- SO 317 – Gender and Society
- SO 319 – Mental Illness, Culture, and Society (permission of instructor)
- SO 354 – Aging and the Life Course
- SO 356 – Health, Illness, and Society
- SW 216-AN – Medical Anthropology
- SW 261 – Health Disparities
- TI 223-EN – Disability in American Literature
Humanities Electives (9 or 15 hours)
- BSHS 360 – Healthcare Ethics
- BSHS 481 – Introductory Medical Spanish
- BSHS 482 – Advanced Medical Spanish
- BSHS 489 – Spanish/English Medical Interpretation
- EN 218 – Topics in Medical Humanities
- EN 370 – Lit & Public Problems: Addiction
- HST 205 – History of US Medicine
- HST 306 – Topics in the History of Science/Global Pandemics
- HST 345 – Eugenics
- HST 381 – Environmental History of Global South
- NW 265-ENV – Weather, Climate and Society
- PL 343 – Philosophy of Science
- PL 363 – Biomedical Ethics
- PL 375 – History and Philosophy of Medicine
- RGSS 201 – Intersections of Identity
- ST 200 – Introduction to STES
- TI 231-HST – Mad Women
- TI 242-PL – Marginalized in America–Gender at the Intersection of Race and Class