Undergraduate Program in Public Health

College of Social Sciences and Public Policy

Website: https://coss.fsu.edu/publichealth/

Director: Dr. Amy Burdette Undergraduate Program Director: Dr. Benjamin Dowd-Arrow Faculty: Homan, Mahony, Roach, Taylor, Ramírez-Surmeier, Barath, Peek, Rowan

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) is designed to educate and prepare students in the policy, practice, and methods of public health. The program of study includes training in each of the fundamental areas of public health: epidemiology, environmental health sciences, health policy and management, social and behavioral sciences, and biostatistics. In addition to the core curriculum composed of 21 hours, students will select 12 additional credit hours of public health electives from at least two academic departments. These courses will complement the training provided by core courses by focusing on specific aspects of population health and the healthcare system. The BSPH provides the training required for entry-level public health careers found in non-profit organizations, government agencies, health corporations, and health care facilities.

Digital Literacy Requirement

Students must complete at least one course designated as meeting the Digital Literacy Requirement with a grade of “C–” or higher. Courses fulfilling the Digital Literacy Requirement must accomplish at least three of the following outcomes:

  • Evaluate and interpret the accuracy, credibility, and relevance of digital information
  • Evaluate and interpret digital data and their implications
  • Discuss the ways in which society and/or culture interact with digital technology
  • Discuss digital technology trends and their professional implications
  • Demonstrate the ability to use digital technology effectively
  • Demonstrate the knowledge to use digital technology safely and ethically

Each academic major has determined the courses that fulfill the Digital Literacy requirement for that major. Students should contact their major department(s) to determine which courses will fulfill their Digital Literacy requirement.

Undergraduate majors in Public Health satisfy this requirement by earning a grade of “C–” or higher in any course at FSU which meets the CoreFSU Curriculum computer competency designation, though it is strongly recommended that students take CGS 2060 (3), CGS 2100 (3), or BSC 2010L (1) to satisfy this requirement.

State of Florida Common Program Prerequisites

The state of Florida has not identified common program prerequisites for this University degree program; however, the faculty in this program strongly recommends that students pursuing a major in Public Health take a 2000-level Statistics (STA) course as part of their lower-division or general education coursework.

At the time this document was published, some common program prerequisites were being reviewed by the state of Florida and may have been revised. Please visit https://dlss.flvc.org/admin-tools/common-prerequisites-manuals for a current list of state-approved prerequisites.

Study Abroad

Students majoring in Public Health are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities which further their understanding of global and regional health issues. FSU International Programs (https://international.fsu.edu/) offers programs through the London Study Center which include coursework that will satisfy major Core requirements. Students should consult with their academic advisor about any study abroad programs they wish to pursue. Coursework taken abroad must be approved in advance for credit toward the major.

Internship

Although not a major requirement, the Public Health program encourages students to take advantage of internships at the local, state, national, or international level related to public health issues and careers. Information and application materials are available through the Public Health program office. Applications must be submitted and all internship credit must be approved prior to the start of the semester in which the internship takes place. Students approved for academic credit in a Public Health internship will be enrolled in and must satisfactorily complete PHC 4944 Public Health Internship, which may satisfy up to three elective hours in the major. For further information, contact the BSPH Internship Coordinator Dr. Annette Schwabe by emailing aschwabe@fsu.edu.

Honors in the Major

The Public Health program offers honors in the major (PHC 4918) to encourage students to undertake independent research. Up to six hours of Honors in the Major coursework either may be used to satisfy elective hours in the major or with approval from the Program Director may substitute for the student's core Methods requirement.

Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Public Health (BS/MPH) Pathway

For the Combined Bachelor of Science/Master of Public Health (BS/MPH) Pathway, Florida State University undergraduate students may apply up to 12 credits of MPH courses taken while enrolled as undergraduates toward the MPH if they enroll in the Public Health degree program. The combined bachelor's/master's pathway allows academically talented students the opportunity to acquire their MPH degree in a shorter time. Undergraduate students may take up to 12 hours of graduate-level work while completing their bachelor's degree. These hours will count towards both the 120 credit hours needed for the bachelor's and the overall 43 credits hours needed for the MPH degree.

This pathway is designed to allow FSU undergraduate students to take graduate level coursework, however, admission into the Combined Pathway does not grant admission into the MPH program. Students must still apply to the MPH program by the appropriate deadlines. In addition, admission into the Combined Pathway forgoes any opportunity to apply or enroll in the Joint Pathway between Urban Regional Planning and Public Health. Any courses taken under the Combined Pathway are subject to approval for transfer to a program outside of the FSU MPH program. Any course with a grade lower than a “B” will be ineligible to transfer for MPH credit.

Eligibility Requirements:

Major: Any undergraduate major is eligible

Minimum Criteria:

  • 3.5 FSU GPA
  • 90 credit hours of completed coursework (60 credit hours if the student is an honors student)
  • Minimum two semesters and 24 credit hours completed at FSU
  • One-page paper showing intent and interest in the program

You can find the course equivalencies and the application for the pathway at https://coss.fsu.edu/publichealth/combined-bs-mph.

Requirements for a Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Major Requirements

The major in Public Health requires 33 hours beyond General Education requirements or the articulated AA degree. Coursework in the major requires a grade of “C” or better in each course; at least 21 credit hours in the major must be above the 2999-level. At least 18 hours of major coursework must be completed through FSU. An audit of articulated A.A. requirements completed through the Office of Academic Affairs may be used to certify A.A. coursework beyond the statewide General Education requirement of 36 hours for use in the major.

Public Health majors are required to have a minor or second major and to meet the requirements stipulated by that department or program.

Public Health Core Requirements

All Public Health majors must complete 21 hours of core coursework including 18 hours of specific PHC coursework listed below and at least 3 hours of approved methods coursework. A grade of “C” or better must be earned in all Core coursework.

PHC Core Coursework

PHC 4030 Introduction to Epidemiology (3)

PHC 4069 Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health (3)

PHC 4101 Introduction to Public Health (3)

PHC 4157 Health Policy and Society (3)

PHC 4047 Introduction to Environmental Epidemiology (3)

PHC 4470 Health Behavior and Health Promotion (3)

Methods Core Coursework

At least three credit hours in an approved methods course for the major must be completed with a grade of C or better. While completing additional Methods courses may be recommended, only one of the below may be credited towards hours in the major.

GIS 4030/L Geographic Information Systems and Lab (4)

GIS 4330 Florida GIS Applications (3)

GIS 4421 GIS and Health (3)

PHC 4721 Qualitative Research Methods (3)

Elective Course Requirements

Twelve (12) hours of coursework from at least two separate departments as listed below must be selected from the approved course list. Elective courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better. Approved elective courses may be subject to additional enrollment caps or requirements set by their respective academic departments and are not guaranteed availability. Supplemental or semester available lists may be accessed through the undergraduate program page at https://coss.fsu.edu/publichealth/ or by speaking with a College academic advisor.

Anthropology

ANT 2301 Evolution of Human Sexuality

ANT 3451 Race: Biology and Culture

ANT 4465 Foodways Archaeology

ANT 4468 Bones, Bodies, and Disease

Biology

BSC 2010 Biological Science I

BSC 2011 Biological Science II

IDS 2132 Busting Common Biology Myths

IDS 2134 Evolution, Medicine, and Evidence

IDS 2135 Genetics in Society

Classics

CLT 2049 Medical Terminology

Communication

COM 3120 Communication for Organizing

MMC 4300 Diffusion of Innovations

SPC 4710 Interracial/Intercultural Communication

Communication Science and Disorders

ASL 2510 Deaf Culture

Criminology

CCJ 3651 Drugs and Crime

CCJ 3678 Policing Diversity

CCJ 4667 Crime Victimization and Victim Services

Economics

ECP 3302 Econ of Nat Resources, Energy, & Envirnmnt

ECP 4530 Economics of Health

Educational Leadership

LDR 2162 Leadership in Groups and Communities

LDR 2218 Leadership and Well-Being

LDR 2231 Global Leadership

LDR 2241 Black Male Leadership

LDR 2242 Gender and Leadership

LDR 2290 Leadership and Sustainability in Action

LDR 3215 Leadership and Change

Educational Psychology and Learning Systems

APK 4401 Intro to Exercise Psychology

EDF 4210 Ed Psych: Developing Learners

IDH 3702 Becoming & Being Leaders

Geography

GEO 4330 Environmental Perception

GEO 4340 Living in a Hazardous Environment

GEO 4450 Medical Geography

IDS 2227 Sustainable Society

History

AMH 4930 ST: Environmental Policy

HIS 3464 History of Science

HIS 3491 Medicine and Society

IDS 2419 Cultures of Medicine

Human Development and Family Science

CHD 2220 Child Growth and Development

CHD 3243 Contexts of Adolescent Development

FAD 2230 Family Relationships

FAD 3220 Individual & Family Life Span Dev.

FAD 3343 Contexts of Adult Development & Aging

FAD 4451 Human Sexuality Education

Information

IDS 3493 Empower Health Consumers E-Health Era

LIS 4785 Intro to Health Informatics

Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences

BMS 4401 Principles of Pharmacology and Toxicology

IHS 4123 Narrative Medicine: Patient-Centered Care

IHS 4210 Future Healthcare Challenges

Management

MAN 3240 Organizational Behavior

Nursing

NSP 3185 Multicultural Factors and Health

NUR 3076 Communication in Healthcare

Nutrition and Integrative Physiology

HSC 4711 Wellness/Health Risk Reduction

HUN 1201 The Science of Nutrition

HUN 2125 Food and Society

Philosophy

PHI 2630 Ethical Issues and Life Choices

PHI 2635 Bioethics

PHI 3400 History and Philosophy of Science

PHM 2121 Philosophy of Race, Class, and Gender

PHM 2300 Introduction to Political Philosophy

PHM 3020 Philosophy of Sex

PHM 3123 Philosophy of Feminism

PHM 3331 Modern Political Thought

PHM 3400 Philosophy of Law

PHM 4340 Contemporary Political Thought

Psychology

CLP 3314 Health Psychology

CLP 4134 Abnormal Child Psychology

CLP 4143 Abnormal Psychology

DEP 3103 Child Psychology

DEP 3305 Psych of Adolescent Behavior

DEP 4404 Psych of Adult Development and Aging

EAB 3703 Applied Behavior Analysis

SOP 3742 Psych of Women

SOP 3782 Psych of African Americans

Public Administration

PAD 3003 Public Admin in American Society

PAD 4372 Leadership & Comm. in Emer Mgmnt

PAD 4833 Internat'l Comparative Disaster Mgmt

PAD 4844 Public Health & Emer. Management

Public Health

PHC 4918 Honors

PHC 4935 Special Topics (topics vary)

PHC 4944 Public Health Internship

PHC **** other Public Health department PHC courses

Religion

REL 3142 Self and Society

REL 3160 Religion and Science

REL 3180 Religion and Bioethics

Sociology

IDS 2322 Sexual Health in the Modern World

SYA 3741 Sociology of Death & Dying

SYA 4940 Maternal and Child Health

SYD 3020 Population and Society

SYG 3245 Sociology of Food

SYO 4402 Medical Sociology

SYP 3730 Aging and the Life Course

SYP 4062 Sexual and Reproductive Health

SYP 4550 Alcohol and Drug Problems

Urban & Regional Planning

URP 4408 Food Systems Planning

URP 4423 Environmental Planning

URP 4715 Bike and Pedestrian Planning

Definition of Prefixes

GIS—Geography: Information Science

HSC—Health Sciences

PHC—Public Health Concentration

Undergraduate Courses

GIS 4043. Geographic Information Systems (3). This course is a survey of GIS topics, including locational control, spatial data structures, modeling and analysis, and future trends in decision support, sensors, and geographic methods.

GIS 4421. GIS and Health (3). In this course, students use a suite of computer-based tools called geographic information systems to apply geographic theory to public health questions, such as where diseases are located, how places affect our well-being, and what geographic tools can be used to understand global health epidemics. The course is held in a GIS computer lab, where data on health is analyzed and applications in health and medicine are discussed as ongoing challenges in data collection related to issues of surveillance and privacy.

PHC 3417. Alcohol and Other Drugs in Society (3). This course uses an interdisciplinary framework to explore the health and societal impacts of various substances conventionally referred to as “drugs.” Topics of discussion will include the history of drug use in the U.S., the social construction of epidemics and drug scares, the social costs of the drug war, the epidemiology of drug use, and policy alternatives to prohibition.

PHC 4030. Introduction to Epidemiology (3). This course is an introduction to epidemiology, i.e., to the study of the description and determinants of disease frequency in human populations. The course focuses on “how we know what we know” about the causes of disease in human populations.

PHC 4047. Introduction to Environmental Epidemiology (3). This course explores the relationship people have with their environment, the risk management choices made, and the resulting associations that affect health and physical well-being for the individual, communities, and susceptible populations. Students learn the role that the environment plays on our health and the research and practical methods that we use to control environmental hazards.

PHC 4069. Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health (3). Prerequisites: STA 2122, and major status or department permission. This course introduces students to basic concepts of data analysis and statistical inference in medical and health sciences. This course covers key areas of biostatistics, including probability, hypothesis testing, and design and analysis of medical and health studies.

PHC 4101. Introduction to Public Health (3). This course introduces students to key public health concepts, the history of public health, and how the core areas of public health can be integrated to promote health at a population level. The course covers principal areas of public health, including analytic methods, epidemiology, social and behavioral factors, environmental issues, and medical care.

PHC 4157. Health Policy and Society (3). This course introduces students to the major public health concerns currently facing the U.S. population and a variety of policies intended to address them. This course begins with an overview of how the American health care system works and how it compares to other health care systems across the world. Students also examine how issues of race, class, gender, sexuality, and age influence the availability, cost and quality of the health care individuals receive.

PHC 4470. Health Behavior and Health Promotion (3). This course introduces students to theoretical perspectives regarding health behavior, health promotion and public health, as well as relevant and contemporary health research. Students are challenged to think critically about health behaviors as well as health policies and politics. Students are encouraged to engage in critical thinking, reading, writing, and discussion regarding all facets of health behavior, health promotion, and public health.

PHC 4604. Guns, Society, and Public Health (3). This course explores the multifaceted role guns play in the United States from a sociological, criminological, and public health perspective. As guns are an important as well as controversial subject in U.S. cultural discourse, and as Americans own nearly half of the world's civilian firearms, students will examine issues related to guns through theoretical models pertaining to race, gender, politics, and public health.

PHC 4620. Legal and Ethical Issues in Public Health and Health Professions (3). This course provides an overview of legal issues facing the health care industry, and provides students with a basic knowledge of health law and ethics. Students are provided with realistic knowledge of health law and how it is applied to the real world.

PHC 4721. Qualitative Research Methods in Public Health Practice (3). This course is an introduction to the fundamentals of research study design, the relevant methods, and data collection. Topics covered include paradigms of qualitative research and inquiry; selected data collection, management, and analysis methods for qualitative research in public health; and the standards for reporting qualitative findings.

PHC 4904r. Directed Individual Study (13). This is a directed independent study for public health majors. The content of the course varies depending on the agreement between the faculty member and student.

PHC 4918r. Honors in the Major Research (16). Prerequisite: Completion of sixty credit hours and a minimum 3.5 GPA. In this course, students accepted into the Honors in the Major program complete an original research or creative project in their major area of study. This course must be repeated at least twice to complete a minimum of six (6) credit hours total, but may be repeated up to a maximum of twelve credit hours in total.

PHC 4935r. Special Topics in Public Health (3). This course focuses on various topics within public health. The purpose of the course is to examine health patterns in the US population and focus on key public health issues. This course may also focus on the health behaviors or issues related to key subpopulations.

PHC 4944r. Public Health Internship (3). Prerequisite: PHC 4101. The public health internship course provides students with the opportunity to develop skills and a knowledge base that will facilitate a successful transition from coursework to the professional workplace. The internship course provides an opportunity for deep and focused reflection on the internship experience to enhance learning and professional development. May be repeated to a maximum of six credit hours.

For listings relating to graduate coursework, consult the Graduate Bulletin.