Public Health Program
Student Experience
Students majoring in public health complete a curriculum that incorporates the following public health domains:
- the history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts and functions across the globe and in society
- 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
- 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
- the underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
- the socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
- the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment and evaluation
- the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the US health system as well as the differences between systems in other countries
- 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
- 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 fulfil the areas of responsibility and competencies for the health education specialists (NCHEC, 2015):
- Assess Needs, Resources and Capacity for Health Education/Promotion
- Plan Health Education/Promotion
- Implement Health Education/Promotion
- Conduct Evaluation and Research Related to Health Education/Promotion
- Administer and Manage Health Education/Promotion
- Serve as a Health Education/Promotion Resource Person
- 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.