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B.S. in Public Health
Launching Fall 2025!
The field of Public Health protects and improves the health of people and their communities. The Public Health degree prepares bachelor-level public health professionals through curriculum that addresses health disparities and reinforces the practice of cultural competence. Students will gain community-engaged public health experience through research, service learning and internships. Our program will prepare students to be practitioners of public health in public and private agencies and organizations.
Students will be able to develop their own tailored public health expertise by taking a variety of courses across campus to satisfy the major elective requirements.
Learning Outcomes
Students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health will be able to:
- Address the basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice.
- Demonstrate Knowledge of the cultural, socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities.
- Articulate the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation.
- Apply the basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology.
Admission Requirements
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Career Opportunities
Graduates of the program are well-trained public health professionals who are culturally intelligent and who can fill important public health positions, such as infectious disease case manager, contact tracer, health intervention/research coordinator, environmental compliance inspector, health communication specialist, public health outreach specialist, data analyst, and community health educator.
Graduates are prepared to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam and have the skills to succeed in graduate programs and in a broad range of careers in the public health field. Students are invited to speak with faculty about educational and career opportunities in public health.
Accelerated Options
Interested in reaching your career goals faster? The Public Health B.S. degree has an accelerated, three-year bachelor’s program option through the Scholars in Wellness and Innovation Fast-Track (SWIFT) Health Programs. SWIFT Health Programs focus on training mental and behavioral health professionals through paid hands-on experiences and internships. To learn more about our SWIFT Health Program pathways, please visit the SWIFT Health Programs website.
Special Conditions
All courses counted toward the major, including Preparation for the Major courses, must be completed with a grade of C (2.0) or better. A maximum of six (6) units of PH 493 and/or PH 499 may be counted towards the major.
General Education (48 Units)
General Education Requirements
| Course Title | Catalog Number | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Public Health | PH 101 | 3 |
| Introduction to Health Systems and Policies | PH 202 | 3 |
| Introduction to Sociology | SOC 101 | 4 |
| Introduction to Psychology | PSYC 100 | 3 |
| Statistics in Human Development | HD 220 | 3 |
Major Requirements (45 Units)
| Course Title | Catalog Number | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Social, Behavioral, and Community Health | PH 303 | 3 |
| Applied Health Data Analysis and Data Visualization | PH 304 | 3 |
| Environmental Health, Policy, and Advocacy | PH 306 | 3 |
| Public Health Communication and Interventions | PH 333 | 3 |
| Epidemiology | PH / KINE 404 | 3 |
| Research Methods | PH 407 | 3 |
| Public Health Promotion and Education | PH 431 | 3 |
| Public Health Program Implementation and Evaluation | PH 432 | 3 |
| Community-Based Participatory Research and Leadership (Capstone) | PH 495 | 3 |
| Field Experience OR Research | PH 439 OR 499 | 3 |
Select 15 units from the following courses. Twelve (12) of the 15 units must be upper-division level courses (numbered 300- or 400-level):
| Course Title | Catalog Number | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Decolonizing Your Diet: Intro to Native Foods, Systems, and Plants | AIS 120 | 3 |
| Contemporary American Indian Health and Wellness | AIS 120 | 3 |
| Cultural Anthropology | ANTH 200 | 3 |
| Introduction to Medical Anthropology | ANTH 205 | 3 |
| Action Research in Human Development | HD 231 | 3 |
| Administration in Human Services Setting | HD 305 | 3 |
| Multiculturalism, Diversity, and Social Justice | HD 382 | 3 |
| Health and Human Development | HD 350 | 3 |
| Health Disparities in Human Development | HD 351 | 3 |
| Youth Violence | HD 381 | 3 |
| Perspectives on Children, Youth, and Families | HD 383 | 3 |
| Human Development in Global Contexts | HD 386 | 3 |
| Nutrition for Health and Exercise Performance | KINE 336 | 3 |
| Social and Emotional Health | KINE 310 | 3 |
| Health and Drug Education | KINE 405 | 3 |
| Physical Education for Diverse Populations | KINE 408 | 3 |
| Nutrition and Disordered Eating Behavior | KINE 415 | 3 |
| Exercise Physiology and Special Populations | KINE 426 | 3 |
| Assessment and Programming for Healthy Aging | KINE 427 | 3 |
| Sustainable Development Goals and Global Health Cooperation | PH 464 | 3 |
| Field Experience (Internship) | PH 493 | 3 |
| Research | PH 499 | 3 |
Students may also select any 3-4 unit upper-division SOC course from the Criminology and Justice Studies major’s Area 2: Communities, Inequalities, and Justice list of courses.
Minimum Total (120 Units)
Students must take a sufficient number of elective units to bring the total number of units to a minimum of 120.
Note: All elective options may not be offered every year. The options offered during a particular year will depend upon student demand.