Public Health

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Westbrook College of Health Professions (WCHP)

Contact

Jennifer Morton, D.N.P., M.P.H., PHNA-BC
Program Director
jmorton@une.edu

Mission

The mission of ÐÓ°ÉÊÓÆµâ€™s Bachelor of Science in Public Health is to prepare graduates to address the complex public health problems that global populations face through the generation of new knowledge, use of scientific evidence and collaborations with diverse stakeholders.

Major Description

Public health is defined as "all organized measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole. Its activities aim to provide conditions in which people can be healthy and focus on entire populations, not on individual patients" (World Health Organization, 2016). Therefore, the field of public health focuses on the promotion of health and prevention of disease at a population level. As a student in ÐÓ°ÉÊÓÆµâ€™s Public Health program, you will develop the skills necessary to assess and understand the complexity of health issues that affect diverse populations, and identify potential solutions to address them. Benefiting from small class sizes, hands-on experiences, and one-on-one engagement with experienced faculty, you will learn how to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders and to communicate complex health concepts to diverse audiences. The coursework you complete through our program will expand on the five core areas of public health:

  1. Health Policy: Developing laws and regulations to promote and protect health (e.g. seatbelt laws).
  2. Environmental Health: Assessing how the environment affects health (e.g. air and water quality).
  3. Social and Behavioral Health: Studying how people make health decisions and how to encourage healthier decision-making (e.g. how marketing influences health behavior decisions).
  4. Epidemiology: Studying how and why diseases are distributed in a population (e.g. tracing outbreaks of infectious diseases).
  5. Biostatistics: Analyzing population-level data to identify trends (e.g. using data to associate tobacco exposure with lung cancer).

ÐÓ°ÉÊÓÆµâ€™s Public Health program offers you the flexibility to pursue a minor in Environmental Studies, Geographic Information Systems, Nutrition, Political Science, or Health, Law and Policy.

Curricular Requirements

Year 1 Credits
BIO 104/104L - General Biology/Lab 4
BIO 208/208L - Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology I/Lab 4
ENG 110 - English Composition (4 credits) or ENG 122 and ENG 123 (6 credits) 4 or 6
IHS 130 - Interprofessional Health Care First-Year Experience 3
MAT 120/150 - Statistics 3
PSY 105 - Introduction to Psychology 3
SOC 150 - Introduction to Sociology 3
One (1) Creative Arts Course 3
One (1) Explorations Course 3
Total 30–32
Year 2 Credits
BIO 209/209L - Introduction to Anatomy & Physiology II/Lab 4
BIO 242/242L - Applied Microbiology/Lab 4
PSY 250 - Lifespan Development 3
NUTR 220 - Nutrition 3
HWOS 200 -Medical Terminology and Health Literacy 3
ENV 104 - Environmental Issues 3
EXS 120 - Personal Health & Wellness 3
PUB 200 - Foundations in Public Health 3
PUB 205 - Epidemiology 3
One (1) SGA Course 3