The 3+2 Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Masters in Public Health in Health Promotion program is more than a means to produce next-level Public Health practitioners. It will deliver a graduate who can not only immediately impact the field of Public Health, but also deliver someone with a well-rounded understanding of the role that Public Health plays in medicine, nursing, allied or other health professions.

The undergraduate component of the 3+2 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 BSPH discipline focuses on four areas:  

• the multiple determinants of health, including biological, environmental, sociocultural, health service, and economic factors,
• 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,
• addressing major local, state, national, and global health challenges, and
• designing public health approaches and interventions that improve health outcomes, population health, and well-being.

The MPH in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences teaches students how to analyze public health problems using social and behavioral sciences and how to develop, plan, and evaluate effective programs and policies to address these problems.

The MPH in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences prepares students to:

• Analyze the determinants of health at individual, community, and societal levels and the systems in which these factors operate.
• Conceptualize and implement appropriate interventions to improve health outcomes and improve quality of life.
• Apply behavioral theories, concepts, and tools in addressing health problems in different populations and at different levels.
• Judge appropriate quantitative and qualitative methods at various stages of health promotion program development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Develop and defend communication materials to inform policymakers and community members.
• Apply program management principles and tools to develop a program management plan, organize resources and work, and address frequently encountered problems.

The graduate MPH component is a non-thesis degree program with culminating experiences as part of the degree requirements. Students will participate in a practicum demonstrating overall public health problem solving skills and complete a rigorous capstone class.

The coursework for this program will qualify students to be able to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.

The following is a suggested schedule that includes the required courses for the combination BS and MPH in Public Health-Health Promotion & Community Health Sciences. It is recognized that many students will change the sequence and number of courses taken in any semester. Deviations from the prescribed course sequence, however, should be made with care to ensure that prerequisites for all courses are met.

¹

Cannot use both ENGL 103 and ENGL 104.

²

Chosen in consultation with BSPH academic advisor. Select from any 100-499 course. 

³

Must make a grade of C or better.

⁴

A list of approved courses that fulfill the directed elective hours is available below. Courses that constitute the major are those offered by the School of Public Health and those approved for public health studies electives. Additional courses may be available. Students must check with their academic advisor.

⁵

These 15 hours will be used towards both the BS and MPH degree in Public Health.

⁶

HPCH elective options include courses from HPCH or other SPH departments may be taken. For courses outside SPH, please get approval from the department advisor.

Directed Electives 

Public Health (PHLT) directed electives are courses that are specifically approved for the curriculum. A student must select 3 semester credit hours from the following list of approved courses in consultation with their academic advisor. Directed Electives must have a letter grade of C or better.

The program includes a total of 165 hours which up to 15 hours may be applied toward both the Bachelor of Science in Public Health and the Master of Public Health in Health Promotion & Community Health Sciences.

Approval of degree plan does not guarantee access to courses. Students must satisfy prerequisites, and some courses (writing intensive classes included) are available to majors only. It is the responsibility of the student to ascertain whether there are any restrictions or prerequisites for courses in their degree plan.