Public Health, B.A.

Offered by Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health .

Public health is the study of the health of the population and of how interventions for both vulnerable groups and the general public can improve health outcomes. The Public Health B.A. provides students with opportunities to develop skills and knowledge related to the organization of healthcare in the US and abroad, determinants of health and illness, health policy and law, public and private administration of health services, science and spread of disease, determinants of health, public health programs, and analysis of health data and research. Students are also exposed to public health methods and theories that provide a foundation for research and the planning, development, and implementation of interventions that promote health and well-being.

Graduates of the Public Health program go on to employment in a variety of fields related to public health, health services administration, and health policy. A highly trained public health workforce is vital to the health of the nation and the world, and graduates with a degree in public health are in demand. Many Public Health graduates go on to master’s and doctoral level education in health services administration, health policy, and public health fields. Students also have opportunities to engage in extra and co-curricular activities such as research, service learning, student leadership, and academic competition. All Public Health majors must also complete a semester-long academic internship which can lead to a full-time career after graduation.

SAPH also offers a Public Health Minor .

University Requirements

Completion of Minimum University Requirements for an Undergraduate Baccalaureate Degree .

Minimum 120 credits and minimum GPA of 2.0
Completion of 45 upper-level credits, residence requirement, Writing Intensive requirement, and General Education requirement

Major Requirements

Minimum 48 credits
Minimum grade of ‘C’ in courses applied to the major and minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA

Course Requirements

Public Health Core Requirements (30 credits)

Complete the following:

Biology Core Requirements (3-4 credits)

Complete one of the following courses:

Experiential Learning Requirements (6 credits)

Complete the following with a grade of ‘P’:

PBHL 470 - Public Health Internship (6)

Electives Credits (9 credits)

Complete 9 credits, including at least 6 credits at the 300 level or higher, from PBHL and other approved courses. A minimum of 3 credits must be from PBHL courses.

Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Programs

Qualified students may apply to an accelerated program, which allows them to share courses between a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree. Students take graduate courses as undergraduate students and later apply those courses to master’s degrees. An undergraduate may apply to participate in an accelerated program even if the desired graduate program is in a department other than the one in which the student is majoring. More information is available from the Accelerated Program page of the Graduate School website.