2024-2025 Undergraduate Course Catalog 
    
    Oct 06, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Course Catalog

Public Health, BS


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Contact

Maureen Thompson, Undergraduate Program Director

444B White Hall
315-443-9815

Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health (BSPH) prepares students for health-related careers in government, private and non-profit organizations that address health promotion and illness prevention in individuals, families and communities.  Service learning and community engagement are key in this major - beginning freshman year and extending through the senior capstone internship, students are working with community partners to improve health in the Syracuse University and regional community.  The 30-credit public health core provides foundational public health knowledge and skills important for entry level public health practice or post-graduate study.  In addition to the public health core, a 15-credit concentration in Addiction Prevention, Health & Society, Healthcare Management, or Community Health Education provides further career-related training.  Students who complete either the Addiction Prevention concentration or Community Health Education concentration are eligible for initial professional credentialing in corresponding careers.  The public health major also provides a pathway to advanced studies in medicine, dentistry, physician assistant, nursing, occupational therapy, or physical therapy.

Intra-University Transfers

The Public Health, BS accepts transfers into the program on a rolling admissions basis who meet the following criteria:

  • Students with a cumulative GPA 2.7 or higher, in good academic standing at the university and with interest in public health are considered for transfer to the major. 
    • Students with cumulative GPAs of 2.5 - 2.69 will be considered based on factors influencing the GPA and grades of B or better earned in public health courses previously completed. 
  • Students must have completed a minimum of 12 credit hours at Syracuse University.
  • In order to complete the public health degree requirements within a 4 year plan of study, students must have a minimum of 4 remaining semesters of study.
  • An appointment must be made with the Undergraduate Program Director to discuss the major and to outline a plan for degree completion.

Transferring from the combined accelerated degree programs (BS/MS or BS/MPH):

Students may transfer from a public health dual degree program to the single degree B.S. in public health program under these conditions:

•The transfer is completed prior to the fall semester of the senior year.

•An appointment is made with the Undergraduate Program Director to outline a plan for degree completion.

To make an appointment, contact Dr. Thompson, the undergraduate program director via email:  mlthomps@syr.edu

Student Learning Outcomes


Public Health Core Learning Outcomes

1. Communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms and through a variety of media, to diverse audiences
2. Locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize public health information
3. Apply basic principles of project implementation
4. Use concepts of population health and models from social and behavioral disciplines to promote health and address health related needs and concerns of groups and communities across the life course
5. Relate biology, health behavior, social determinants, and environmental contexts to human health, disease, and the expression of health disparities
6. Outline the organizational structure, function and delivery modalities for U.S. and global healthcare systems
7. Act according to professional values and ethics in public health practice, research and education
8. Describe how community forces, economic factors, and research shape health practices and policies

Concentration Competencies

Addiction Prevention

  • State the basic theories and concepts of behavioral neuroscience
  • Identify protective & risk factors for chemical and behavioral addictions in individuals and communities
  • Apply basic principles of addiction prevention education

Community Health Education

  • Assess community level needs for health education
  • Propose health education strategies
  • Identify factors that influence health behavior

Health and Society

  • Elucidate challenges populations may face in regards to human rights, access to services, financial strain, and social stigma
  • State the basic theories and concepts of behavioral neuroscience
  • Describe nutrition-related approaches to promote health

Healthcare Management

  • Describe concepts of ethics, law, and regulation in the delivery of healthcare
  • Explain basic principles of continuous improvement processes within healthcare
  • Discuss challenges to the efficient and effective delivery of U.S. healthcare

Required Courses - Liberal Arts


Quantitative Skills (6-8 credits)


Students must complete 2 semesters of quantitative skills coursework. Students complete a FIRST Course and a different SECOND Course as outlined below:

Natural Science (9 credits)


Social Science (9 credits)


Humanities (9 credits)


See Liberal Arts Core Book

University Requirement


  • In addition to FYS 101, the BSPH requires completion of a 3 credit “IDEA” (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) course, to be chosen from an approved list and, where possible, to be taken in the first or second year of study.  IDEA courses may be a public health core course, a liberal arts course or a general elective depending on the course chosen.  For a full listing  of courses that meet the IDEA course requirement, please visit the undergraduate course catalog.

Program Requirements


Students must complete an approved Global Diversity course and an approved Health Ethics course. Approved course lists for each of these areas is available on the Public Health department web page. These courses may be a humanities, a social science or a general elective depending on the course chosen. The global diversity course requirement can also be met through an academic study abroad experience.  

Public Health Concentrations (15 credits): Students choose 1 of the following concentrations:


Community Health Education Concentration


(Community Health Education Specialists [CHES] eligible).

General Electives to reach 123 degree applicable credits


A total of 62 credits of the 123 total credits for the degree must be from the liberal arts or from the list of Falk/Arts and Sciences cross-listed courses.

Total Credits: 123


Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science


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