Public Health

Go to Undergraduate Programs in Public Health | Go to Graduate Programs in Public Health | Go to Programs and Course Listings

Faculty

Melissa Galvin Lumpkin, Chair, Professor
Rachel Casiday, Associate Professor
Harold Neumeier, Associate Professor
Kimberly Davey, Assistant Professor

Undergraduate Programs and Requirements

Major

Public Health Major, B.S. 

The Department of Public Health offers a major in public health degree, leading to a bachelor of science degree.

University Core Curriculum and General Education Requirements

General Education Requirements are detailed in the degree table, with some exceptions. In those cases where a requirement is not specified, consult the University Core Curriculum and General Education Requirements  and the Physical Activity Program  for a list of applicable courses.

Graduate Programs and Requirements

Degree/Major

Master of Public Health (M.P.H.)

Public Health, M.P.H.  
Public Health with a Concentration in Global Health, M.P.H.  
Public Health with a Concentration in Nutrition, M.P.H. 

The Department of Public Health offers a master of public health degree, with a major in public health. Two optional concentrations are available in global health and nutrition.

Admission Requirements

1. Possess a baccalaureate degree or higher from an accredited college or university (degree in any field).
2. Obtain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. If the applicant’s GPA is below a 3.0, a GRE or MAT score may be submitted for possible conditional admission (Minimum scores: Verbal: 153; Quantitative: 14; Analytical: 4.0).
3. Achieve a “B” or better in all “major” courses.
4. Submit three letters of reference through the application system. The three required references should be from a) current or previous professor, b) work supervisor, and c) professional colleague.
5. International applicants or American citizens who learned English as a second language must score at least 550 (paper), 213 (computer) or 80 (internet) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
6. Submit a Likelive Interview Video: A link will be provided upon submission of the application.
7. Upon acceptance, a non-refundable fee of $500 is required to secure admission into the program. This fee is applied to the first semester’s tuition.

Academic Policies

Students in the M.P.H. program must maintain an overall 3.0 in all graduate work. Graduate students who receive a grade below a B in any required course or who cumulative GPA falls below a 3.0 will be placed on academic probation.

Time Limit

All students must complete the M.P.H. within a period of five years from the academic session of first admission.

Transfer Credit

Up to 12 semester credit hours of appropriate and approved graduate coursework completed at another accredited university may be substituted for program course requirements. Coursework requested to be transferred must have been completed with a grade of at least a B in each course.

M.P.H. Program Outcomes

Students who have completed the M.P.H. degree will be able to demonstrate broad knowledge and skills based in the core areas of public health and will be able to:

• Apply epidemiologic methods to the measurement of disease rates, prevention of infectious diseases, and the development and evaluation of health programs and policies.
• Apply statistical methods of estimation and hypothesis testing and explain the basics of correlation and regression for the purpose of analyzing the health of populations.
• Analyze how environmental contaminants (chemical, physical, and other exposures) interact with biological systems and their effect on human populations for the purpose of evaluating risk reduction strategies.
• Assess the impact on health policy options of social, political, technological, economic, and cultural forces, and apply basic management techniques to address organizational challenges to providing health care.
• Examine public health issues and responses from a social and behavioral sciences perspective and explain social, cultural, political, economic, and behavioral determinants of disparities in health status.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills for effective practice in selected field of study.

Programs

• Public Health Major, B.S.

• Public Health with a Concentration in Global Health, M.P.H.
• Public Health with a Concentration in Nutrition, M.P.H.
• Public Health, M.P.H.

Courses

• PHLT 101 - Introduction to Public Health (3)
• PHLT 201 - Disease Detectives-Overview of Epidemiology (3)
• PHLT 202 - Introduction to Global Health (3)
• PHLT 301 - Behavior Changes at the Individual, Family, and Community Level (3)
• PHLT 302 - Health Communications for Health Professionals (3)
• PHLT 309 - Cultural Competence and Spirituality in Public Health (3)
• PHLT 311 - Health Systems, Organization, and Policy (3)
• PHLT 326 - Population Health, Determinants, and Risk (3)
• PHLT 401 - Community Health Improvement and Assessment (3)
• PHLT 403 - Water, Wastewater, and Environmental Health (3)
• PHLT 407 - Management of Public Health Programs (3)
• PHLT 499 - Public Health Integrative Experience (3)

• PHLT 500 - Public Health Overview (3)
• PHLT 501 - Introduction to Epidemiology (3)
• PHLT 502 - Social and Behavioral Science in Public Health (3)
• PHLT 503 - Environmental Health (3)
• PHLT 504 - Biostatistics for Public Health Professionals (3)
• PHLT 509 - Cultural Dimensions of Health (3)
• PHLT 520 - Introduction to the Health Care Delivery System (3)
• PHLT 533 - Communication Skills for the Health Professional (3)
• PHLT 600 - Patient Safety and Quality Improvement (3)
• PHLT 601 - Global Health Systems (3)
• PHLT 602 - Management of Global Health Programs (3)
• PHLT 603 - The Burden of Disease in Developing Countries (3)
• PHLT 610 - Strategic Management of Healthcare (3)
• PHLT 638 - Public Health and Aging (3)
• PHLT 695 - Public Health Internship (3)
• PHLT 699 - Public Health Capstone (3)