Public Health, BS
Interim Department Chair: Jeffrey Allen, DHSc
The Bachelor of Science in Public Health prepares students to immediately enter and find success in the public health environment (community health, health education, health and safety administration) or to pursue graduate studies in public health, public policy, health administration and associated fields.
As a public health major, you will explore the history and principles of public health, community health, public health leadership, health promotion, marketing, multicultural populations, global health and health policy, all within a rigorous curriculum.
All public health majors complete a 150-hour internship with a supervisor who is a public health professional. This provides you with practical learning experiences to complement your studies and prepares you for a smooth transition to employment or advanced studies.
The public health field relies heavily upon its practitioners and professionals to exercise sound judgment and reasoning, which is in keeping with St. Bonaventure's Catholic Franciscan heritage. We address questions of ethics from a health perspective as part of our commitment to developing knowledgeable, skilled, compassionate and ethical individuals who value individual dignity, community inclusiveness, and service to others.
The demand for public health professionals is high and expected to remain so for some time. The number of degrees awarded in health professions fields increased by 169% from 2004 to 2014, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. What's more, demand for bachelor's level health professionals increased 41 percent over the past three years alone, said the Educational Advisory Board.
The U.S. Census Bureau reports that approximately 12 percent of U.S. citizens live in poverty, and the percentage of Americans without health insurance is also a concern, according to a Gallup-Sharecare Well-Being Index. As a public health major, you will be prepared to address these and other challenges facing the public health industry.
The public health major prepares students to succeed in a public health environment (e.g. community health, health education, health/safety administration) and/or pursue advanced studies in public health, public policy, health administration, biostatistics and epidemiology.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Major Courses | 18 | |
| INTRO TO PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| BIOSTATISTICS IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| MARKETING & COMMUNICATION IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| HEALTH PROMOTION PROGRAMMING | ||
| DIVERSITY & INCLUSION IN PUBLIC HEALTH | ||
| Public Health Electives | 6 | |
| Select two of the following: | ||
| MACROECONOMIC PRINCIPLES | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS | ||
| NUTRITION | ||
| PRINCIPLES OF MARKETING | ||
| INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS | ||
| SOCIAL PROBLEMS | ||
| HEALTH AND ILLNESS | ||
| Health Science Courses | 12 | |
| Research Methods in Health | ||
| EPIDEMIOLOGY | ||
| SEMINAR: CURRENT TOPICS IN HEALTH SCIENCE | ||
| INTERNSHIP | ||
| Required Courses | 10 | |
| INTRO TO PSYCHOLOGY | ||
| FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY and FUNDAMENTALS OF BIOLOGY LAB | ||
| INTROD. SOCIOLOGY | ||
| Foreign Language 1 | 3 | |
| General Education Requirements | 37 | |
| General Electives 2 | 34 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
Foreign Language requirement is one course at any level.
- 2
When completing the Occupational Therapy concentration, general elective credits are reduced to 17, or enough to reach 120 overall credits.
Students wishing to continue on in a master's program for occupational therapy may take the below Public Health Occupational Therapy concentration, in addition to the courses above.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Occupational Therapy concentration for Public Health | 12-13 | |
| INTROD. SOCIOLOGY | ||
| LIFESPAN DEVELOPMENT | ||
| MALADAPTIVE BEHAVIOR | ||
| Complete 1 of the following: | ||
| GENERAL PHYSICS I and GENERAL PHYSICS I LAB | ||
| EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY | ||
| BIO-KINESIOLOGY | ||
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Health Education Specialist concentration for Public Health | 13 | |
| PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION & EVALUATION | ||
| PUBLIC HEALTH LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT | ||
| INTERPROFESSIONAL EDUCATION & PROFESSIONALISM | ||
| HEALTH CARE ETHICS | ||
| PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION & ADVOCACY | ||
This is a suggested four-year plan of study for a public health major. Changes in sequencing may be desirable. All modifications should be made in consultation with the student's academic adviser.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| BONA-101 | 3 | ENG-102 | 3 |
| ENG-101 | 3 | SOC-101 | 3 |
| PHB-101 | 3 | PHB-102 | 3 |
| BIO-101 & BIOL-101 | 4 | MATH-107 | 3 |
| PHIL-104 | 3 | THFS-101 | 3 |
| 16 | 15 | ||
| Second Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| PHB-201 | 3 | HS-201 | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | PHB-202 | 3 |
| Gen Ed Course (LVPA Distribution) | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| PSYC-101 | 3 | Gen Ed Course (Historical Studies) | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Third Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HS-301 | 3 | PHB-302 | 3 |
| PHB-301 | 3 | PHB Elective | 3 |
| Gen Ed (THFS) | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| Foreign Language | 3 | Diversity Course or General Elective | 3 |
| General Elective | 3 | General Elective | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Fourth Year | |||
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| HS-413 | 3 | HS-401 | 3 |
| PHB Elective #2 | 3 | PHIL-338 (Gen. Ed. PHIL Distribution) | 3 |
| General Electives | 9 | General Electives | 8 |
| Gen Ed Course (Writing Intensive) | |||
| 15 | 14 | ||
| Total Credits 120 | |||