Public Health (B.S.)
A public health major is designed to address the health of populations locally, nationally and globally through an interdisciplinary education program. This program will ensure that the next generation of public health practitioners, researchers and leaders possess the diverse range of knowledge, skills and values necessary to advance the field of public health.
Due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic, the need for public health experts has increased in the last 12 months. Nationwide over 270,000 job postings sought graduates with a Bachelor's in Public Health. The number of people employed in public health is expected to grow by 9.3% over the next 10 years.
Public health is a field of study focused on preventing illness and promoting health in individuals, communities and society as a whole. Students can prepare for a career as a health care administrator, health and safety engineer, environmental specialist or health educator. Furthermore, it provides students with a pathway towards graduate programs in public health and epidemiology.
Students will take courses from a core program, and are suggested to select two electives which best complement their specific area of interest in public health. Additionally, a minor might be recommended for students based on their specific area of interest.
Coursework for Public Health (B.S., 50-54 hours)
Most courses are taught in-person. Online courses are noted in the course description.
| I. Public Health Core | 20 hours |
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HHP 2250-LCMC: The History of Public Health Covid-19 has thrust public health into the spotlight, but the domain of public health includes many critical issues, including mental health, obesity and gun violence. From the first quarantines to the modern movement towards universal health care, public health has fundamentally shaped societies. In this course, you’ll learn the role of the state in public health, the importance of public health, and how it’s provided and practiced.
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3 hours |
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HHP 3250-LCMC: Health Services Health services—the means by which health care is provided—is a critical concept in public health that impacts all of us. This course will introduce you to the modern history of health care in high, middle and low-income countries and explore the evolution of health services. Students will evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of particular systems and policies and examine their ideal version of a health service in the context of current events.
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3 hours |
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HHP 4350-LCMC: Public Health Studies I: Current Topics and Politics This course is intended to provide students with a means of evaluating the health impact of political decisions and a broad knowledge base about the practice of public health today. Students will explore a range of current topics in public health—including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS and the obesity epidemic. Students will also look at the impact of U.S. politics on global public health, especially in developing nations. Furthermore, this course will explore key topics such as the WHO’s Millennium Development Goals, the disastrous circumstances that can arise when public health policies fail, and the conflict between data and political will that drives so much of public health policy decision making. This course culminates in a project in which students must plan a health impact assessment of a current or proposed federal or state policy.
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3 hours |
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HHP 4450-LCMC: Public Health Studies II: Demo, Geo, Qual Research This course provides students with a variety of tools for understanding the impact that disease or other public health concerns may have on a population. Students will learn how to design effective surveys, analyze geographic data and use qualitative information with the ultimate goal of gaining a better understanding of how events may affect the health of a particular population. This course will also require students to participate in a mapathon in order to help them build understanding of how geographic data is used in the practice of public health.
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3 hours |
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HHP 3990: Professional Engagement This class is designed to prepare students who are entering the professional field of health and human performance. Real-life, hands on tools for career advancement will be examined and then applied including the creation of goals and objectives, a personal statement, a cover letter and a professional resume with references. An investigation into graduate schools (and the requirements for applying) or the job market for your intended career will be explored, as well as searching for alternative career paths. No Pass/Fail.
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1 hour |
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HHP 4970: Internship An on-the-job experience oriented toward the student's major interest. The student is to secure a position in an organization that satisfies the mutual interests of the instructor, the sponsor, and the student. May be repeated for a maximum of 8 credit hours. No Pass/Fail.
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3 hours |
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HHP 4990: Capstone This senior capstone class is the final course for a degree in the Health and Human Performance Department. In a capstone experience, students will reflect on your academic growth while finalizing a customized electronic portfolio. The ePortfolio will be used to review and reflect on previous work, carryout an assessment of their academic career, and project a future vision for an intended career in their chosen field. This ePortfolio can be used for future academic goals as well as to serve as an aid for housing acquired material. No Pass/Fail.
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1 hour |
| II. Statistics: Choose One | 3-4 hours |
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BUSAD 2100: Business Statistics |
| III. STEM Supporting Area | 15 hours |
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CHEM 1110/L: General Chemistry I A study of fundamental principles of chemistry including structures of atoms and molecules, periodicity, stoichiometry, reactions, solutions, gases and thermochemistry.
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4 hours |
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BIO 1400: Biological Inquiry This course is designed for biology majors and replaces traditional introductory biology courses. The overarching goal is to introduce students to collegiate biology by teaching them how to carry out scientific research. Across all sections of this course, students will pose scientific questions, design and critique experiments, run those experiments, evaluate experimental outcomes, and communicate those outcomes. Within this framework of investigative inquiry, students will learn introductory content that will not only be meaningful for the current course, but will allow for a smoother transition to their sophomore year. Content areas include ecology, genetics, evolution, biodiversity, reproduction, development, and cellular/molecular mechanisms.
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4 hours |
| Additional Natural Sciences | 7 hours |
| IV. Public Health Electives | 9-12 hours |
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Students are required to take 9-12 elective credit hours. A minimum of 3 credit hours must come from each area listed below in Section V.
| V. Additional Electives | 6 hours |
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An additional 6 elective credit hours are required. Courses options may Include: IDS-1500-2, HHP-1260-2, HHP-2040-2, HHP-2500-2
Area A: Policies and Systems
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ECON 1530: Macroeconomic Principles An examination of the macroeconomic theories, problems and policies of the U.S. economy. Topics include supply and demand, a description of the main sectors of the economy and the role of government in stabilizing the economy with monetary and fiscal policies.
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3 hours |
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ECON 1540: Microeconomic Principles An examination of the microeconomic theories, problems and policies of the U.S. economy. Topics include the theory of the firm, market structures and current economic issues such as income distribution, antitrust policy, poverty, the farm problem and international trade.
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3 hours |
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HHP 2020: Consumer Health Issues A course designed to develop and expand information about the environment, the informed health consumer, healthful aging and community health. The course will acquaint students with the process of aging, consumer protection, the environment, and community from a health perspective.
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3 hours |
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HHP 3350-LCMC: Health Economics The field of public health is driven by economics as much as it is by epidemiology. This course will teach you about health economics, which is the application of economic principles and techniques of analysis to health care in support of the public good. By the end of this course you will learn how to analyze the effectiveness of health policy outcomes through an economic lens, and how to use available resources to improve the quality of health care. This online class has optional live sessions.
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3 hours |
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POLSC 2090: Introduction to Public Policy This course examines the development and implementation of public policy. We will consider the actors, institutions and rules that create and influence the policy making process and the consequences these choices produce. There are many puzzles this course attempts to address, including why some laws pass and others fail, why some policy ideas move more quickly than others, and why some strategies for causing policy change are successful. We will learn methods for evaluating public policy and the ways citizens can work within, and outside of, government to affect change.
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4 hours |
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POLSC 2720: Global Environmental Politics This seminar provides an introduction to global environmental politics. Many of the environmental problems of the twenty-first century, from climate change to food insecurity to protection of biological diversity and endangered species, are global in nature, and addressing them requires international cooperation. The first part of the course provides the analytical foundation for evaluating environmental problems. The second part of the semester will apply these analytic and policy tools to an evaluation of actors and solutions. We will look at the state and non-state actors, such as transnational social movements, civil society, NGOs and IOs, businesses and multinational corporations, and nation-states.
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4 hours |
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RELIG 2250: Religion, Peace, and Social Justice This course explores religious responses to social justice issues, such as conflict, poverty, oppression,discrimination, and the environment. Particular focus is lent to the distribution of resources, gender and racial discrimination, war and other forms of violent behavior and the historical, philosophical, religious, economic, cultural influences therein. The course will also show some implications that theories and implementations of justice have that could aid in framing public policy and social justice activism around particular issues.
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3 hours |
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SOCWK 3450: Social Work in Health Care The course surveys the field of social work in the health care arena. A generalist social work perspective will be used to address the social work roles of assessment, intervention, advocacy and policy analysis in the health care environment. Social work roles at the individual, group and organizational/community levels will be addressed.
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3 hours |
Area B: Social and Environmental Health
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HHP 2030: Human Sexuality A course designed to develop and expand current information about human sexuality in a practical manner. The course will present facts and statistics about anatomy and physiology, gender, sexual orientation, reproduction, sexually transmitted infections, contraception, sexual growth and development, relationships and sexual communication, sexual health, commercialization of sex and sexual coercion.
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3 hours |
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HHP 3450-LCMC: Epidemiology Epidemiology is the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution and control of a disease. In this course, students will learn and apply key concepts of epidemiology to multiple domains of public health. Students will learn how to use epidemiology to better understand, characterize, and promote health at a population level. This online class has optional live sessions.
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3 hours |
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NURS 3040: Global Health This course explores health with an emphasis on global issues. Health will be examined using the influence of social, political, economic, cultural and geographical factors. Students will examine the basic health needs of all people and compare the availability of and types of services in different parts of the world. Cross listed with GEND-3040.
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4 hours |
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PSYCH 2350: Lifespan Development This class will provide a perspective on the changes that take place during an individual's life from infancy to old age/death. Participants will study and describe the developing person at different periods in the lifespan. The processes of growth and change taking place in early, middle and late adulthood will be considered as well as the more traditional concern with development in childhood.
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4 hours |
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SOCWK 2410: Loss, Death, and Grief This course will focus on helping participants identify the numerous losses suffered in their own lives and in the lives of others. We will address the relevant methods, theories and skill base needed to provide social work intervention to the bereaved. The assessment of grief reactions and social work roles and tasks in facilitating mourning will be presented. The concepts of companioning and hospice care will be addressed. Finally, students will increase their competency with death and demonstrate increased sensitivity, awareness, and skills in coping with grief and death.
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3 hours |
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SOC 2530: Population and Environment This course examines the demographic and social dynamics of population size, composition and distribution. It addresses the relationships among population, human health, development and the environment. Strong cross cultural emphasis. A major focus is the development of a semester research paper contrasting the status of the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, environmental status, and health in a more- and less-developed country.
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4 hours |
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BIO 4700: Pathophysiology A survey of the mechanisms of diseases and fundamental disease processes of each organ system. Special topics related to the study of diseases will be assigned.
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3 hours |
Area C: Health Promotion and Communication
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COMM 1510: Intercultural Communication The study of cultural differences that influence the exchange of meaning between individuals and groups of different cultural and/or racial backgrounds. The course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the uniqueness of cultures and the resulting variations in communication styles and preferences, and to provide strategies and skills for successfully communicating across cultural barriers. Students will spend at least 20 hours during the semester working with community agencies serving clients from different cultures.
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4 hours |
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COMM 2550: Health Communications Health communication is the study and use of communication strategies to inform and influence individual and community decisions that enhance health. We will be exploring a wide range of messages and media in the context of health maintenance and promotion, disease prevention, treatment and advocacy. Through readings, discussion, written assignments, along with shadowing and interviewing a variety of health care professionals, you will learn theories focusing on the communication patterns and practices that shape health care in the U.S. as well as in other cultures.
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4 hours |
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COMM 3300: Public Relations The course in Public Relations is a study of the nature of public relations, the persons involved, its relationship to public opinion, and the channels of communication that are used. Special attention is given to the application of public relations strategies for particular events or organizations.
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3 hours |
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HHP 3100: Worksite Health Promotion A course designed to introduce students to concepts and practices relating to worksite health promotion. Students will learn how to develop, implement and evaluate wellness promotion programs. Students will complete a 20-hour field experience in an assigned worksite in the community to provide invaluable experience.
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3 hours |
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HHP 3550: Health Methods A course designed to instruct students on how to teach health education in the school setting. This course will prepare students to teach standards-based health to all grade levels. Topics include curriculum development, planning, CSPAP, assessment and technology. Students will have numerous opportunities to create and teach health lessons to each other. For health and PE majors, a 10-hour practicum experience in a local school Health class is required. For non-majors, a final project will be required.
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3 hours |
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PSYCH 2450: Health Psychology An introduction to the field of health psychology, which is devoted to understanding how people stay healthy, why they become ill, and how they respond to illness and disease. Topics will be discussed from local, national and global perspectives, and will include the behavioral aspects of the health care system, exercise and nutrition, health-compromising behaviors, stress, AIDS and the etiology and correlates of health, disease and dysfunction.
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4 hours |
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PSYCH 3370: Adult Development and Aging This course will examine theories, research, and applications of development in the adult years, gaining perspective and appreciation for the developmental and aging processes that occur in this time period. In particular, the course will follow biopsychosocial perspectives with a strong focus on diversity in adult development, examining how factors might affect development differently for different people. These factors will include, but are not limited to, mental health status, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, cultural influences, sexual identity, gender identity, ability, and developmental history.
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4 hours |
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SOCWK 2270: Human Behavior and the Social Environment I A course to synthesize and examine the body of knowledge concerning how the individual, group, family and community systems interrelate with each other and the larger social context from the lifespan stages of birth through adolescence. Content will be drawn from the biological, psychological, sociological, eco-political and cultural-environmental systems. The importance of professional ethics in the assessment process is also examined.
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4 hours |
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SOCWK 2280: Human Behavior and the Social Environment II A course to synthesize and examine the body of knowledge concerning how the individual, group, family, and community systems interrelate with each other and the larger social context from the lifespan stages of early adulthood through aging and death. Content will be drawn from the biological, psychological, sociological, eco-political and cultural environmental systems. The importance of professional ethics in the assessment process is also examined.
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4 hours |