Public Health, BS
A Bachelor of Science in Public Health provides a foundation for students who plan to enter a profession or a graduate program whose mission is to improve health and wellbeing at the population level. Whereas biomedicine focuses primarily on the care of individuals, public health takes a broader perspective: It looks upstream at what prevents people from becoming ill in the first place and strengthens protections; it gets outside the clinic's walls to see that everyone has safe and healthy places to live, work, and play; and, it protects the well-being of whole neighborhoods, cities, nations, and the globe. The U.S. Bureau of Statistics projects a favorable outlook for public health careers and salaries, including for the occupations of epidemiologist, environmental scientist, health education specialist, and community health worker. With a firm grounding in the biological and social sciences, students in the program receive training in the fundamentals of public health, both theory and practice, and they become knowledgeable in areas that include epidemiology, health education and promotion, environmental health, health policy and advocacy, risk communication, community health assessment, and program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Graduates may work in a variety of settings:
Government health agencies (e.g., local public health departments)
Health-related non-profits (e.g., American Heart Association)
Hospitals and community health clinics
Businesses
Schools/universities
Public health graduates may also go on to in-demand careers in the health sciences, with the advantage of having a firm grasp on population health dynamics and models of successful collaboration between community and clinical health. Graduates, too, may go on to professional schools such as nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy, or pursue positions in related health fields, such as pharmacy, worksite wellness programs, continuous quality improvement, and research. Graduates may further their education by attending masters and/or doctoral programs, or law school.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Curriculum 1 | ||
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I | 3 |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II | 3 |
| or ENGL 2311 | Technical Writing | |
| MATH 1314 | College Algebra | 3 |
| BIOL 1306 | Gen Biology I-Attr Living Sys | 3 |
| CHEM 1311 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| Language, Philosophy, and Culture | 3 | |
| Creative Arts | 3 | |
| American History | 3 | |
| American History | 3 | |
| Government/Political Science | 3 | |
| Government/Political Science | 3 | |
| PSYC 2301 | General Psychology | 3 |
| UNIV 1301 | First Year Seminar | 3 |
| COMM 1315 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| or COMM 1318 | Interpersonal Communication | |
| Subtotal: | 42 | |
| Required Support Courses | ||
| BIOL 1106 | General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| BIOL 2401 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| BIOL 2402 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| CHEM 1111 | General Chemistry Lab I | 1 |
| EDKN 1322 | Nutrition | 3 |
| ENGL 4343 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| MATH 3301 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| Subtotal: | 19 | |
| Major Courses | ||
| HLTH 2110 | Health Writing | 1 |
| HLTH 2301 | Foundations of Community Health | 3 |
| HLTH 3320 | Public Health Systems | 3 |
| HLTH 3325 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| HLTH 3330 | The Science of Health Disparities | 3 |
| HLTH 3335 | Data Management and Assessment | 3 |
| HLTH 3345 | Theories and Models of Health Behavior | 3 |
| HLTH 3350 | Public Health Communication | 3 |
| HLTH 4325 | Global Health | 3 |
| HLTH 4337 | Disease Entities and Epidemiology | 3 |
| or EDHL 4337 | Disease Entities/Epidemiology | |
| HLTH 4340 | Health Policy and Advocacy | 3 |
| HLTH 4350 | Emergency Management in Health | 3 |
| HLTH 4355 | Health Program Evaluation and Research | 3 |
| HLTH 4670 | Internship in Public Health | 6 |
| Subtotal: | 43 | |
| Prescribed Electives (Choose 9 hours) | ||
| Cross-Cutting Issues | ||
| HLTH 3170 | Directed Study in Public Health | 1 |
| HLTH 3370 | Directed Study in Public Health | 3 |
| HLTH 3390 | Special Topics in Public Health | 3 |
| HLTH 4365 | Field-based Skills in Public Health and Prevention Services | 3 |
| COMM 3360 | Intercultural Communication | 3 |
| EDHS 3331 | Ethics in Human Services | 3 |
| or PHIL 3309 | Medical Ethics | |
| Emergency Management | ||
| HLTH 3355 | Society and Disaster | 3 |
| FESA 3302 | EMS Planning and Devt | 3 |
| FESA 3356 | Business Continuity: Understanding Disaster Response and Recovery | 3 |
| Environmental Health | ||
| SOCI 3340 | Environmental Sociology | 3 |
| SOCI 4341 | Water and Society | 3 |
| WATR 3320 | Pollutants in Environmental System | 3 |
| Maternal & Child Health | ||
| PSYC 3369 | Human Sexuality | 3 |
| EDHL 3383 | Women's Health | 3 |
| EDHS 4331 | Policies Programs for Children | 3 |
| Mental & Behavioral Health | ||
| EDHS 3321 | History of Behavioral Health | 3 |
| EDHS 3330 | Substance Use Prevention & Education | 3 |
| PSYC 2319 | Social Psychology | 3 |
| Life-Course Considerations | ||
| EDHL 4344 | Health and Aging | 3 |
| EDHS 3320 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| or PSYC 2314 | Lifespan Growth & Development | |
| SOCI 4372 | Death and Dying | 3 |
| Biomedical Sciences | ||
| BIOL 1307 | Gen Biology II-Biol Organisms (and) | 3 |
| General Biology II Lab | ||
| BIOL 2316 | Genetics (and) | 3 |
| Genetics Laboratory | ||
| BIOL 2321 | Introduction to Microbiology (and) | 3 |
| Introduction to Microbiology Laboratory | ||
| Subtotal: | 9 | |
| General Electives (Choose 10 hours) | ||
| Subtotal: | 10 | |
| Total | 120 | |
- 1
Other courses may satisfy core curriculum requirements. Courses listed under the core curriculum above are also specific degree requirements and are recommended in the core to expedite degree completion.
This suggested plan of study is intended to be used as a guide in conjunction with official degree requirements outlined in the catalog. While this plan demonstrates a course of study that covers eight semesters, each student’s academic path is unique and your timeline may look different. Students should regularly consult with academic advisors as they plan their course schedules as course offerings may vary.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Credits | |
| UNIV 1301 | First Year Seminar | 3 |
| MATH 1314 | College Algebra | 3 |
| MATH 1014 | College Algebra Recitation | 0 |
| BIOL 1306 | Gen Biology I-Attr Living Sys | 3 |
| BIOL 1106 | General Biology I Lab | 1 |
| HIST 1301 | US History to 1865 | 3 |
| ARTS 1301 | Art Appreciation | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| COMM 1315 | Fundamentals of Public Speaking | 3 |
| Interpersonal Communication (or) | ||
| PSYC 2301 | General Psychology | 3 |
| CHEM 1311 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 1111 | General Chemistry Lab I | 1 |
| HIST 1302 | US History from 1865 | 3 |
| EDHL 1322 | Nutrition | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| General Elective | 3 | |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I | 3 |
| GOVT 2305 | Federal Government | 3 |
| BIOL 2401 | Anatomy & Physiology I | 4 |
| HLTH 2301 | Foundations of Community Health | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| General Elective | 3 | |
| ENGL 1302 | Composition II | 3 |
| Technical Writing (or) | ||
| GOVT 2306 | Texas Government | 3 |
| BIOL 2402 | Anatomy & Physiology II | 4 |
| HLTH 2110 | Health Writing | 1 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Third Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| General Elective | 4 | |
| Prescribed Health Elective | 3 | |
| MATH 3301 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| HLTH 3335 | Data Management and Assessment | 3 |
| HLTH 3345 | Theories and Models of Health Behavior | 3 |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Language/Philosophy/Culture core course | 3 | |
| Prescribed Health Electives | 6 | |
| HLTH 3325 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| HLTH 3330 | The Science of Health Disparities | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| First Semester | ||
| HLTH 4355 | Health Program Evaluation and Research | 3 |
| HLTH 4337 | Disease Entities and Epidemiology | 3 |
| ENGL 4343 | Grant Writing | 3 |
| HLTH 3320 | Public Health Systems | 3 |
| HLTH 3350 | Public Health Communication | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| HLTH 4670 | Internship in Public Health | 3 |
| HLTH 4340 | Health Policy and Advocacy | 3 |
| HLTH 4325 | Global Health | 3 |
| HLTH 4350 | Emergency Management in Health | 3 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |