PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAM

The Student Experience

Students majoring in public health complete a curriculum that incorporates the following public health domains:

1. the history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts and functions across the globe and in society
2. 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
3. the concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
4. the underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
5. the socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
6. the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment and evaluation
7. the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the US health system as well as the differences between systems in other countries
8. basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy and the roles, influences and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government
9. basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology

The public health degree has a focus in health promotion that prepares students in the field of health promotion/health education and fulfill the areas of responsibility and competencies for the health education specialists (NCHEC, 2015):

1. Assess Needs, Resources and Capacity for Health Education/Promotion
2. Plan Health Education/Promotion
3. Implement Health Education/Promotion 
4. Conduct Evaluation and Research Related to Health Education/Promotion
5. Administer and Manage Health Education/Promotion
6. Serve as a Health Education/Promotion Resource Person
7. Communicate, Promote, and Advocate for Health, Health Education/Promotion, and the Profession

Students also participate in experiential learning activities in their sophomore and senior years. The final experiential activities is the Internship in Health Careers, that is completed as a capstone experience in a student’s final semester at the University. A secondary capstone course ends with a comprehensive exam of required course content and concepts.

The program offers students 18 credit hours of flexibility, where then can complete the default cognate option and take classes for a complementary area of study and/or complete pre-requisites for graduates studies or complete Honors courses if in the University Honors Program. If students choose, they can complete a minor or a certificate program, which will waive the cognate options for students.