When people think about careers in health, many think about medical careers (such as doctor or nurse) that involve treating individuals who have illnesses or injuries. Public health practitioners address the health of whole populations and focus on injury and disease prevention, as well as the promotion of optimal health, rather than on treatment. The B.S. in Public Health with concentration in Community Health Education offers an integrated approach to public health that addresses local, national, and global health issues with an emphasis on social justice. It provides future community health educators with the skills and knowledge they will need to develop, implement and evaluate programs that target issues as diverse as cancer, obesity, sexuality, aging, violence, maternal and child health, substance abuse, adolescent health, mental health and many more. Students will also understand how to create programs and promote policies that eliminate disparities in health outcomes among different populations so that everyone has an equal opportunity to be healthy. Graduates of the program will work in a variety of settings (government agencies, community clinics, hospitals, nonprofit organizations, corporations) and focus on a variety of age groups, populations and health issues.
Program Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 33 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-9 | |
| Major Requirements | 66 | |
| Graduate Swing Courses | 12 | |
| Free Electives | 6-0 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Major Requirements
Requirements for the graduate portion of this dual degree program can be found here.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Core | ||
| HLTH 102 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| HLTH 202 | Public Health Foundations, Ethics, and Cultural Competency | 3 |
| HLTH 204 | Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health | 3 |
| HLTH 240 | Foundations of Environmental Health | 3 |
| HLTH 360 | Health Policy and Administration | 3 |
| HLTH 365 | Science of Public Health: Epidemiology | 3 |
| HLTH 425 | Applied Statistics for Public Health | 3 |
| Community Health Education Concentration | ||
| HLTH 328 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| HLTH 330 | Health Education Methods | 3 |
| HLTH 355 | Addressing Health Disparities Through Social Justice | 3 |
| HLTH 374 | Health Communication | 3 |
| HLTH 444 | Community Organizing and Health Advocacy | 3 |
| Public Health Required Fieldwork | ||
| HLTH 497 | Introduction to Internship and Professionalism | 3 |
| HLTH 498 | Internship and Culminating Seminar | 6 |
| Public Health Biology Requirement | ||
| HLTH 208 | Study of Human Diseases | 3 |
| HLTH 290 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select three courses from the list below. | 9 | |
| Public Health Required Collaterals | ||
| STAT 109 | Statistics | 3 |
| NUFD 182 | Nutrition: A Socioecological Perspective | 3 |
| Total Credits | 66 | |
Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Community and Health | ||
| Special Topics in Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Studies | ||
| Medical Terminology | ||
| Injury Prevention and Emergency Care | ||
| Perspectives on Drugs | ||
| Mental Health | ||
| Special Topics in Health | ||
| School Health and Community Services | ||
| Counseling Skills for Public Health Professionals | ||
| Advanced Methods in Health Education | ||
| Population Approaches to Diet and Activity | ||
| Health Aspects of Aging | ||
| Race, Racism, and Health | ||
| Gender, Sexuality, and Health Disparities | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness |
Graduate Swing Courses
A combined degree program allows students to complete 6-12 graduate credits ("graduate swing courses") while enrolled as an undergraduate. These courses count for both their bachelor and master’s degrees. Graduate swing courses will count toward undergraduate free electives, unless noted otherwise.
The Graduate Swing Courses for this program:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HLTH 501 | Public Health Seminar: Foundations, Ethics, and Cultural Competency | 3 |
| HLTH 504 | Behavioral and Social Science in Health | 3 |
| HLTH 528 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| HLTH 555 | Structures of Inequality in Public Health | 3 |
| Total Credits | 12 | |
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course. | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| 3. Communication | 3 | |
| D. Fine and Performing Arts | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course. | 3 | |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | |
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Statistics (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Complete a 4 credit Natural Science Laboratory course. | 4 | |
| J. Physical Education | ||
| Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course. | 1 | |
| K. Social Science | ||
| 1. American and European History | 3 | |
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | ||
| Human Sexuality (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Introduction to Public Health (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| Total Credits | 33 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on language placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in the same language. | 3-6 | |
| World Cultures | ||
| Requirement may be fulfilled by course selected in General Education - Social Science: Global Cultural Perspectives. | 0-3 | |
| Total Credits | 3-9 | |
This recommended five-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within five years. This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.
Fifth year courses are taken at the graduate level, after matriculation into the graduate portion of this combined degree program.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | 1 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | 3 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication | 3 | |
| HLTH 102 | Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| STAT 109 | Statistics | 3 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | 3 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (G) Computer Science | 3 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (K1) Social Science – American and European History | 3 | |
| HLTH 202 | Public Health Foundations, Ethics, and Cultural Competency | 3 |
| HLTH 204 | Social and Behavioral Aspects of Health | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (F1) Humanities – Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (I) Natural Science Laboratory | 4 | |
| World Language 1 | 3 | |
| HLTH 208 | Study of Human Diseases | 3 |
| HLTH 365 | Science of Public Health: Epidemiology | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| World Cultures | 3 | |
| World Language 2 | 3 | |
| HLTH 240 | Foundations of Environmental Health | 3 |
| HLTH 328 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| HLTH 360 | Health Policy and Administration | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (D) Fine and Performing Arts | 3 | |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (K2) Social Science – Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| HLTH 290 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
| HLTH 355 | Addressing Health Disparities Through Social Justice | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION (F2) Humanities – Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | |
| HLTH 330 | Health Education Methods | 3 |
| HLTH 374 | Health Communication | 3 |
| HLTH 425 | Applied Statistics for Public Health | 3 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (J) Physical Education | 1 | |
| HLTH 444 | Community Organizing and Health Advocacy | 3 |
| HLTH 497 | Introduction to Internship and Professionalism | 3 |
| NUFD 182 | Nutrition: A Socioecological Perspective | 3 |
| HLTH 501 | Public Health Seminar: Foundations, Ethics, and Cultural Competency | 3 |
| HLTH 504 | Behavioral and Social Science in Health | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| HLTH 498 | Internship and Culminating Seminar | 6 |
| Concentration Elective | 3 | |
| HLTH 528 | Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| HLTH 555 | Structures of Inequality in Public Health | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Summer | Credits | |
| FSHD 506 | Introductory Statistical Methods in Family Science and Human Development | 3 |
| HLTH 502 | Determinants of Environmental Health | 3 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Summer | ||
| HLTH 606 | Culminating Seminar | 3 |
| Graduate Level Elective | 3 | |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Fall | ||
| HLTH 507 | Community Health Education Methods, Application, and Practice | 3 |
| HLTH 529 | Applied Program Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| HLTH 565 | Foundations of Epidemiology | 3 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| HLTH 580 | Health Policy and Politics | 3 |
| HLTH 604 | Internship and Professional Seminar | 6 |
| Credits | 9 | |
| Total Credits | 30 | |