Public Health Studies

Coordinator: Professor Tapler

Public Health is an interdisciplinary field of inquiry offering students the opportunity to acquire knowledge, skills and experiences in public health.  Areas of study supporting their chosen major may include national and global aspects of disease prevention and management, sanitation, pandemics, HIV/AIDS, antibiotic resistant infections, natural disasters, biological / nuclear weapons threats, disability, aging and environmental hazards.

The Public Health Studies minor introduces public health as interdisciplinary study, emphasizing a population health framework and systematic thinking.  Courses within the minor seek to strengthen liberal education by enabling students to use the lens of public health and population study within and across disciplines.  By taking courses in a number of disciplines, all focused on aspects of public health, students construct  a foundation that encourages them to take socially responsible steps and gain enduring understandings of the field of public health while enriching their career choices.  

A minor in Public Health Studies requires 20 semester hours.  The minor is comprised of 2 core courses (8 semester hours) which include: PHS 301: Introduction to Public Health and PHS 302: Introduction to Epidemiology.  Additionally, students will select three elective courses (12 semester hours) from at least two different disciplines (prefixes) to complete the minor in Public Health Studies.

Public Health Studies Requirements:
Two(2) Core Courses: 8 credit hours
PHS    301      Introduction to Public Health
PHS     302    Introduction to Epidemiology

Elective Courses
Three (3) Elective Courses from at least two (2) different disciplines: 12 credit hours
ANT     325 Culture, Health and Illness                
ESS     322    Epidemiology of Physical Activity                    
ESS     333    Exercise Psychology                        
HUS     213     Groups and Communities          
HUS    311     Poverty and Social Welfare Policy                 
HUS     381     Practicum in Human Services         
PSY     356     Health Psychology             
PEH     421     Chronic and Acute Diseases         
PEH     324    Nutrition                 
PUB     231    Public Administration                        
PUB     335     Ethics in the Public Sector                         
PUB     328     Public Policy

Some upper level GST courses may count towards electives with approval of the program coordinator.  These include but are not limited to:

GST     308    Health Care Strategies in the 21st Century             
GST     325    Substance Abuse and Human Behavior            
GST     376    Global Health Disparities                     
GST     406    Perspectives on Women’s Health