Bachelor of Science in Public Health

The Department of Biological Sciences will offer a program leading to a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in public health. The curriculum offers students a broad, integrated, and intentional education in science while also incorporating a well-rounded approach to developing knowledge, skills, and abilities beyond a traditional life science experience. This curriculum fosters critical thinking and scientific reasoning while expanding learning to develop other skills crucial for today’s public health experts. Such skills will include scientific and technical writing, effective communication, leadership skills, community engagement, and a focus on community health. This program uniquely emphasizes scholastic coursework relevant to the scientist preparing to work in the diverse and dynamic field of public health.

The program’s coursework focuses on foundational life science topics pertinent to public health including health and disease, food and nutrition, cells and genes, organisms and ecosystems, ecology and evolution, anatomy and physiology, and epidemiology and community health. It is supplemented with education in chemistry, statistics, psychology, and advanced coursework as well as professional development with the opportunity to work in the field of public health in a required on-site internship. This program will ensure that students are competitively prepared for careers in a variety of fields, including, but not limited to public health, scientific research, medicine, education, public policy, nonprofit community organizations, city, county, state, or other government departments or agencies, scientific writing, and law.