2025-2026 DRAFT Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Public Health, BS (PUBHEALTH-BS)
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Program Description
The Bachelor of Science in Public Health is an interdisciplinary degree designed for students interested in the population health sciences of epidemiology, environmental health, emergency preparedness, and medicine. The degree also prepares students to pursue a graduate degree in public health and other health professions. Students interested in pre-medicine and who complete the B.S. are eligible for the Medical Scholars Program.
The program provides coursework in public health, biology, data analytics, epidemiology, and environmental health. Students will have a strong foundation in the natural sciences and can pursue specialty certificates. In addition, collaborations with local public health agencies and healthcare organizations provide students with numerous opportunities to engage with public health professionals. All students complete a research or internship capstone project that demonstrates the culmination of career-focused skills.
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 explain the basic biology, transmission, and natural history of human infectious and chronic diseases.
- How to apply analytical skills and methodologies to study the causes and impact of infectious and chronic diseases.
- How to present data in formats that educate various audiences, including decision makers.
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.
- Explain the basic biology, transmission, and natural history of human infectious and chronic diseases.
- Apply analytical skills and methodologies to study the causes and impact of infectious and chronic diseases.
- Present data in formats that educate various audiences, including decision makers.
For More Information
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I. Wright State Core: 36 Credit Hours
As a part of the requirements for a bachelor’s degree at Wright State University, all students must complete the Wright State Core, a general education curriculum. Most programs require 36 hours in the Core, some programs may require additional hours.
Specific Core classes in some of the Elements may be required by some majors. When this occurs, the specific Core courses required will be listed below. In Elements where a specific course is not required, students can choose any course from the Wright State Core Program Requirements.
First-Year Seminar: 3 Credit Hours
All students must successfully complete a First-Year Seminar during their first year. Transfer students who transfer 24 or more credit hours (post high school graduation) are exempt from this requirement and will need to satisfy three additional credit hours in the Additional Core Courses category.
- BSOM 1020 - First-Year Seminar: Boonshoft School of Medicine
Element A - English Composition: 6 Credit Hours
All students must successfully complete ENG 1100. Based on Writing Placement level, some students may be required to enroll in a corequisite course.
Second-Year Writing Course: 3 Credit Hours
Element B - Mathematics, Statistics, and Logic: 4 Credit Hours
Students will select one course from the list below. Based on Math Placement Level, students may need additional prerequisite or corequisite coursework in mathematics prior to enrollment in the required course chosen below.
Required:
Element C - Arts and Humanities: 6 Credit Hours
Students will select two Arts and Humanities courses, with different course prefixes from the approved Wright State Core Program Requirements. One course must fulfill the History requirement.
Element D - Social and Behavorial Sciences: 6-7 Credit Hours
Element E - Natural Sciences: 8 Credit Hours
Required:
Additional Core Courses: 10 Credit Hours
Required:
Additional Core Requirements
Within the 36 credit hours of the Wright State Core students must successfully complete the following:
Students who do not make choices within the 36 required hours of the Core to fulfill the GI, IE, and IW requirements will take additional Core hours beyond the minimum of 36.
II. Public Health Foundations Requirements: 24 Credit Hours
III. Related Requirements: 28-37 Credit Hours
Depending on the concentration chosen (either General Public Health or Public Health Pre-Medicine) students will complete the following 28 or 34-37 major requirements.
General Public Health Concentration (28 Credit Hours)
- BIO 2120 - Cell Biology Credit Hour(s): 3
- BIO 2310 - Evolution and Ecology Credit Hour(s): 4
- BIO 2310L - Evolution and Ecology Laboratory Credit Hour(s): 0
- PPH 4310 - Environmental Health Credit Hour(s): 3
- PPH 4770 - Epidemiology and Community Health Credit Hour(s): 3
Students will complete 15 additional credit hours from 2000, 3000, and 4000-level courses from the following prefixes: ANT, BMB, BIO, CHM, MTH, MI, NEU, PHY, PPH, PSY, and/or STT.
Public Health Pre-Medicine Concentration (34-37 Credit Hours)
IV. Communication and Analytical Skills Electives: 12-13 Credit Hours
General Public Health Concentration (12 Credit Hours)
Students in the General Public Health Concentration will 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 12 hours.
List A: Communication Courses
List B: Analytical Courses
Public Health Pre-Medicine Concentration (13 Credit Hours)
Students in the Public Health Pre-Medicine Concentration will take the following 13 credit hours:
List A: Communication Courses
List B: Analytical Courses
V. General Electives: 2-13 Credit Hours
Students must earn a minimum of 120 credit hours for a baccalaureate degree. If the total number of credit hours in the WSU Core (general education program) and the major requirements do not total at least 120 credits, students will choose additional courses (general electives) to meet the minimum required 120 credit hours. Students may choose from any undergraduate course in the Academic Catalog for which they meet the course prerequisites and for which they do not already have earned credit.
Students in the General Public Health concentration will need 12-13 general elective credits. Students in the Public Health Pre-Medicine concentration will need 2-6 general elective credits.
Students are encouraged to work with their advisor to pursue minors or certificates related to their public health interest.
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