Description
This program introduces undergraduates to public health issues, such as health disparities, emerging infectious diseases, chronic diseases, access to health care and modes of health care delivery, the geography of health, and the effects of behaviors, health care, nutrition, society, genetics, and the environment on health and disease.
Likely Careers
An undergraduate degree in public health is an initial step on the path to a career or graduate studies in public health or other health related careers – often public or private agencies in the areas of health education, project management, policy, or communication.
Applying
Admission to the BA in Public Health-Global Health is capacity-constrained. Capacity-constrained majors require specific prerequisite courses and minimum grades for admission consideration. Please see How to Apply to learn more about the admission process.
Competencies
Upon satisfactory completion of the BA/BS in Public Health-Global Health, graduates will be able to meet or demonstrate:
- Meet the competencies for all SPH degrees
General Curriculum
- The foundations of scientific knowledge, including the biological and life sciences and the concepts of health and disease
- The foundations of social and behavioral sciences
- Basic statistics
- The humanities/fine arts
Foundational Domains
- Overview of Public Health: Address the history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society
- Role and Importance of Data in Public Health: Address 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
- Identifying and Addressing Population Health Challenges: Address 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
- Human Health: Address the underlying science of human health and disease including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
- Determinants of Health: Address the socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
- Project Implementation: Address the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation
- Overview of the Health System: Address the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well as to the differences in systems in other countries
- Health Policy, Law, Ethics, and Economics: Address the 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
- Health Communications: Address the basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology
Foundational Competencies
- Public Health Communication: Students should be able to communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms and through a variety of media, to diverse audiences
- Information Literacy: Students should be able to locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize public health information
Cumulative and Experiential Activities
- Students have opportunities to integrate, synthesize and apply knowledge through cumulative and experiential activities
Cross-Cutting Concepts and Experiences
- Advocacy for protection and promotion of the public’s health at all levels of society
- Community dynamics
- Critical thinking and creativity
- Cultural contexts in which public health professionals work
- Ethical decision making as related to self and society
- Independent work and a personal work ethic
- Networking
- Organizational dynamics
- Professionalism
- Research methods
- Systems thinking
- Teamwork and leadership
Read more about undergraduate public health-global health education and accreditation by visiting the Council on Education for Public Health.