The Bachelor of Science in Public Health prepares students to identify health needs of communities, promote health, and reduce health disparities. Students receive training in the five core competencies of public health with a solid foundation in the liberal arts and natural sciences. The program will prepare students to make a positive difference in the world by promoting health equity and is directly in line with the USJ mission and core values.
Public health emphasizes prevention of health problems before they occur and focuses on the health of populations and communities. Students will gain practical skills to be competitive in the job market, and will be well prepared for many graduate programs, including the master’s in public health.
By 2020, there is expected to be a shortage of 250,000 health care workers nationwide. Public health professionals will continue to be in high demand and the outlook for job placement is high. Given the critical shortage in the public health workforce, the need for offering an entry-level baccalaureate degree is strongly supported by the Council on Public Health Education. Public health professionals work to protect and improve the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention.
Learning objectives:
- To prepare students with the knowledge and skills necessary to assist with the prevention of disease and injury and the promotion of health from local communities to communities across the world
- To train students to advocate for public policies that improve access to quality, affordable, and culturally appropriate health care and promote health equity
- To equip students with the knowledge and skills to improve health literacy of residents in the community in which they serve
- To provide students with an integrative, undergraduate public health program, compliant with general and liberal arts education
- To prepare students to practice as public health professionals with an understanding of the interrelationships among multiple determinants and correlates of health
Grade Requirements for Public Health Majors:
Students in Public Health must earn a minimum grade of C or better in each core required public health course to continue in the major.
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