Public Health, BA

Program Description

The Bachelor of Arts in Public Health is an interdisciplinary degree designed for students interested in careers of public health education and advocacy. The degree also prepares students to pursue a graduate degree in public health. Graduates of the BA program are eligible to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES ^®) exam.

The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences works collaboratively with the College of Liberal Arts to provide coursework in public health foundations, communication and analytical skills, and public policy. In addition, collaborations with local public health agencies and healthcare organizations provide students numerous opportunities to engage with local public health professionals. All students complete a capstone project that demonstrates the culmination of career-focused skills. Qualified capstones can include internships, student cohort service-learning projects, senior seminars, or research projects.

Admission Requirements

Once the student has satisfied the following criteria, the student can be admitted into the Public Health degree program: completed at least 12 semester hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.25.

Program Learning Objectives:

Students will learn:

How to communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms, and through a variety of media, to diverse audiences.
How to locate, use, evaluate and synthesize public health information.
How to analyze the range of biological, behavioral, environmental and social factors that influence patterns in population health outcomes.
How to design messages and strategies that influence the behavior of various audience segments, including decision-makers.
How to implement and evaluate population health interventions.
How to influence public health policy.

Program Learning Outcomes

As a result of their program learning experiences, students who complete the program can:

Communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms, and through a variety of media, to diverse audiences.
Locate, use, evaluate and synthesize public health information.
Analyze the range of biological, behavioral, environmental and social factors that influence patterns in population health outcomes.
Design messages and strategies that influence the behavior of various audience segments, including decision-makers.
Implement and evaluate population health interventions.
Influence public health policy.

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Program Requirements

I. Wright State Core: 44 Hours

Element 1: Communication: 6 Hours

ENG 1100 - Academic Writing and Reading Credit Hour(s): 3
ENG 2120 - Research Writing and Argumentation: Health Sciences Credit Hour(s): 3

Element 2: Mathematics: 4 Hours

STT 1600 - Statistical Concepts Credit Hour(s): 4 or
STT 2640 - Elementary Statistics Credit Hour(s): 4

Element 3: Global Traditions: 6 Hours

PPH 2000 - Global Health Credit Hour(s): 3
Element 3: Global Traditions elective

Element 4: Arts and Humanities: 3 Hours

II. Public Health Foundations Requirements: 21 Hours

PPH 1080 - Introduction to Public Health Credit Hour(s): 3
PPH 2100 - Climate Change and Health Credit Hour(s): 3 or
EES 3250 - Climate Change Credit Hour(s): 3
PPH 2200 - Disease Detectives Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 3250 - Health Communication Credit Hour(s): 3
PPH - 4100 - Behavioral Change Interventions
PPH - 4980 - Public Health Capstone

III. Requirements: 34 Hours

PLS 2120 - American National Government Credit Hour(s): 3
PLS 3400 - Law and Society Credit Hour(s): 3 or
PLS 4240 - American Public Policy Analysis Credit Hour(s): 3
SOC 3600 - Social Inequality Credit Hour(s): 3 or
SOC 3620 - Race and Ethnicity Credit Hour(s): 3 or
COM 4251 - Race, Gender and Health Credit Hour(s): 3
URS 3300 - Ethics in Public Service Credit Hour(s): 3 or
PHL 2500 - Professional Ethics Credit Hour(s): 3
HED 3850 - Foundations of Teaching Health I Credit Hour(s): 3 or
HED 4850 - Foundations of Teaching Health Education II Credit Hour(s): 3 or
HED 2850 - Comprehensive School Health Education Credit Hour(s): 3
Students then select 19 credit hours from 2000, 3000, and 4000 level courses with the following prefix: ATH, COM, GEO, PLS, SOC, WGS, HED, KNH, OL, PPH.

IV. Communication and Analytical Skill Electives: 12 Hours

Students take at least 3 hours from List A (communications) and 3 hours from List B (analytical). Students then choose from either list A or B or with approved department substitution to earn a total of 12 hours.

List A: Communication Courses

BIO 4080 - Writing in the Biological Sciences Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 1010 - Essentials of Public Address Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 2560 - Basic Media Writing Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 3660 - Advanced News Writing Credit Hour(s): 3
ENG 3000 - Business Writing Credit Hour(s): 3
ENG 3610 - Technical Writing Credit Hour(s): 3
MKT 2500 - Principles of Marketing Credit Hour(s): 3

List B: Analytical Courses

ACC 2010 - Accounting Principles I Credit Hour(s): 3
ASM 1717 - Humans and Machines at Extremes Credit Hour(s): 4
CS 1180 - Computer Science I Credit Hour(s): 4
CS 1180L - Computer Science I Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
CS 1300 - Data Science for Everyone Credit Hour(s): 4
CS 1300L - Data Science for Everyone Lab Credit Hour(s): 0
GEO 4410 - Cartography Credit Hour(s): 4
GEO 4430 - Geographic Information Systems Credit Hour(s): 4
GEO 4440 - Advanced GIS Applications Credit Hour(s): 4
MS 2040 - Introduction to Business Statistics Credit Hour(s): 3
MTH 2240 - Applied Calculus Credit Hour(s): 4
MTH 2300 - Calculus I Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 1110 - Principles of Physics I Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 1110L - Principles of Physics Lab I Credit Hour(s): 1
PHY 1110R - Principles of Physics I Recitation Credit Hour(s): 0
PHY 1120 - Principles of Physics II Credit Hour(s): 4
PHY 1120L - Principles of Physics Lab II Credit Hour(s): 1
PHY 1120R - Principles of Physics II Recitation Credit Hour(s): 0
STT 2640 - Elementary Statistics Credit Hour(s): 4
STT 4300 - Biostatistics Credit Hour(s): 3

V. General Electives: 9 Hours

Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to pursue minors or certificates related to their public health interest.