Public Health - BS, Internship Track

This program provides students with hands-on job experience while developing a program they envision for themselves in health education.

Public Health professionals with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health-Internship Track (BS-PHLT-PHI) are prepared to:

  • understand the context and impact of public health history and ethics on the nation’s health.
  • determine the scope and influential factors for public health challenges and how they impact individuals and communities.
  • assess community and public health needs and develop strategies to positively impact quality of health.
  • communicate to individuals, communities, and other stakeholders about public health challenges and opportunities with cultural competence.
  • function in a variety of government and private health agencies, clinical settings, nonprofit organizations, volunteer agencies, and other community organizations as a public health advocate.

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health program is based on a philosophy of health promotion and disease prevention, to improve the quality of life of individuals, families and communities through education and program intervention. The BS in Public Health focuses on four areas:

  1. the determinants of health, including biological, environmental, sociocultural, health service, and economic factors;
  2. identification of scientific data, tools of informatics, and other information for identifying factors that both foster and hinder the health and well-being of individuals and communities;
  3. addressing major local, state, national, and global health challenges; and
  4. designing public health approaches and interventions that improve health outcomes, population health, and well-being.

The BS in Public Health-Internship Track is unique in that it offers a wide range of approved electives permitting the student to develop a program according to the student’s needs and interests. A student can complement or enrich a pre-health professions degree plan for students intending further education in nursing, occupational therapy, and some additional health professions.

The BS in Public Health-Internship Track is more than a means to produce ready public health practitioners. The curriculum for the BS-PHLT-PHI exposes a student to pre-professional training through a non-paid, full semester internship during the final semester. This experience provides the student with on-the-job training and employment opportunities. This internship track places students in a setting which best fits their professional goals.

The Internship Track is not available for students wanting to pursue a BS in Public Health combination program.

The coursework for this program will qualify students to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam and the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exams.