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Undergraduate Catalog

2009 - 2010

BS in Public Health (55–60 hours*)



The Discipline

Public health professionals work to create conditions that ensure the health and safety of individuals, families, and communities. Public health students are trained to inform, educate, and empower people about health issues; mobilize communities to take ownership for their own health; monitor health status and diagnose and investigate health problems and health hazards; develop policies and laws to protect health and ensure safety; and link people to needed health services. The public health mission is carried out through organized, interdisciplinary efforts that address the physical, mental, and environmental health concerns of communities and populations at risk for disease and injury.

Four of several disciplines within public health are represented as tracks within the major: (1) environmental/occupational health identifies and controls factors in the environment (air, water, food, toxins, etc.) or conditions at the workplace which affect health; (2) epidemiology investigates and discovers what causes disease and disability and how diseases are spread or distributed across populations; (3) health promotion facilitates behavior change among individuals and improves population health through policy, advocacy, education, and communication; and (4) health science trains students interested in working in public health after earning an advanced degree in a medical, dental, or other allied health area.

Career Opportunities

There has never been a better time to pursue a career in public health. It is an exciting and growing field of study and a diverse and dynamic profession. It is filled with rewards associated with the pursuit of serving others. The development and delivery of population-based prevention programs will be the key to major advances in health improvement in the 21st century. Public health will continue to be called upon to monitor and assess health problems, prevent and control diseases and injuries, and protect the health of communities and worksites from various environmental and occupational risks associated with man-made and natural disasters and emergencies.

Public health graduates are qualified to work in governmental health agencies on the local, state, federal, and international levels. Private-sector employment can be found in a variety of businesses, community health agencies, managed care organizations, hospitals, clinics, research institutes, voluntary health agencies, and non-governmental organizations. Opportunities for employment in public health are readily available. But recruiters will not typically come to campus to hire graduates. This means graduates must be organized and proactive in their career planning. Students can increase the likelihood of obtaining a position by balancing classroom activities with voluntary or paid service to public health agencies. Obtaining certifications related to specific tracks within the major and careful development of a professional portfolio enhance employment opportunities.

While there are many specialties or disciplines in public health, most career opportunities are found in the tracks associated with the major. Entry-level salaries with a bachelor's degree in public health will range from approximately $35,000–$60,000 but will vary significantly depending upon the specific discipline, type of organization, and geographic location.

Program Requirements

  1. Complete the following department courses:

  2. Complete one of the following tracks:



    3. Recommended GE Courses:

      ENGL 315 : Writing in the Social Sciences. (3:3:0) (Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      ENGL 315 : Writing in the Social Sciences. (3:3:0) (Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      OFFERED: F, W, Sp, Su; Honors also.
      PREREQUISITE: Engl 150 or equivalent; junior or senior status.
      DESCRIPTION: Writing characteristic of disciplines that inquire into human behavior and institutions; correspondence, proposals, library paper, empirical research, and reviews.
      NOTE: Carries GE Advanced Written and Oral Communication credit.

        Or
        ENGL 316 : Technical Communication. (3:3:0) (Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        ENGL 316 : Technical Communication. (3:3:0) (Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
        OFFERED: F, W, Sp, Su; Honors also.
        PREREQUISITE: Engl 150 or equivalent; junior or senior status.
        DESCRIPTION: Effective processes of written, oral, and visual technical communication, including collaborative processes. Writing for academic and professional audiences.
        NOTE: Carries GE Advanced Written and Oral Communication credit.

      STAT 221 : Principles of Statistics. (3:3:2) (Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      STAT 221 : Principles of Statistics. (3:3:2) (Credit Hours:Lecture Hours:Lab Hours)
      OFFERED: F, W, Sp, Su; Independent Study also; Honors also.
      PREREQUISITE: Math 110 or equivalent.
      DESCRIPTION: Stemplots, boxplots, histograms, scatterplots; central tendency, variability; confidence intervals and hypothesis testing involving one and two means and proportions; contingency tables, simple linear regression.

                : Honors Principles of Statistics.



    *Hours include courses that may fulfill university core requirements.



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