
The School of Public Health is proud to offer a bachelor of science (B.S.) degree program that puts a special emphasis on urban and global health issues.
Our bachelor of science curriculum includes elements of the life and biological sciences, social sciences and humanities to provide students with an understanding of public health from a broad spectrum of approaches. Students will build the knowledge and skills needed to excel in a wide array of public health professions, or to continue on to graduate school in any number of medical, science, social science or public health fields.
Area A – Essential Skills (9 credit hours)
To be eligible for the public health major, students must complete each of their Area A courses with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher.
A1: Communication Skills
- ENGL 1101: English Comp I (3) and
- ENGL 1102: English Comp II (3)
A2: Quantitative Skills
- MATH 1111: College Algebra or higher is recommended (3)
Area B—Institutional Options (4 credit hours)
Select two courses from the following:
- PHIL 1010: Critical Thinking (2)
- SCOM 1000 Human Communication (2)
- PERS 2001: Cultural Perspectives (2)
- PERS 2002: Scientific Perspectives (2)
- PERS 2003: Perspectives on Human Expression (2)
Area C—Humanities & Fine Arts (6 credit hours)
Select two courses from groups 1, 2 and 3 below. The two courses may not come from the same group.
- Humanities. Select one course from the GSU list. (3)
- Fine Arts. Select one course from the GSU list. (3)
- Foreign Language (recommended). Select one course from the GSU list. (3)
Area D—Science, Math and Technology (11 credit hours)
To be eligible for the public health major, students must successfully complete the first course of their two-course science sequence in Area D1.
D1. Select one two-course sequence. (8 credit hours)
- BIOL 1103K: Introductory Biology I (4) and BIOL 1104K: Introductory Biology II (4)
- CHEM 1151K: Survey of Chemistry I (4) and CHEM 1152K: Survey of Chemistry II (4)
D2. MATH 1401: Elementary Statistics (3)
Area E—Social Sciences (12 credit hours)
No students may take more than six hours in Area E from any one department.
-
- United States Politics and History—Legislative Requirement (satisfied by:
- HIST 2110: Survey of United States History (3)
- POLS 1101 American Government (3)
- Global Economics, Global Politics, and World History Requirement: Select one course from GSU list. (3)
- Social Science Foundations: Select one course from GSU list. (3)
- United States Politics and History—Legislative Requirement (satisfied by:
Area F—Courses Appropriate to the Major (18 credit hours)
To be eligible for the public health major, students must achieve an overall Area F GPA of 2.8 or higher. Students must also complete each of the following Area F courses with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher in the first attempt. Transfer students who transfer these Area F courses into Georgia State University (GSU) may use their grades from their first attempted transfer courses or they may attempt the courses at GSU. A WF counts as an attempt.
- PHPB 2000: Introduction to Public Health
- PHPH 2001: Fundamentals Epidemiology
- PHPB 2020: Determinants of Public Health
- SCOM 1500: Public Speaking
Students must also complete an additional Mathematics course (0-3 credit hours) from the list below with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher. If Area A2 is satisfied with MATH 1111 College Algebra or higher, students may complete an additional Mathematics, Science or Social Science course from the Area F list below with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher, instead. If Area A2 is not satisfied with MATH 1111 or higher, students must select one Mathematics course from the following list:
- Select additional Mathematics course from the approved list if MATH 1111 or higher is not taken for Area A2.
- Select additional Science and Social Science course (not taken for Area D or E) from the approved list.
(To see the list of approved courses, go to the Course Catalog under Section 8010.20 Program Degree Requirements for the Public Health Major.)
Area G—Major Curriculum (33 credit hours)
Up to three courses within Area G may be completed by pre-public health major students with approval from the advisor; eligible courses are denoted with an asterisk (*) below. An overall GPA of 2.5 or higher AND completion of Area A, the first course of the science sequence in D1, and Area F with the grades and GPA noted in those areas is required to be eligible for the public health major and to complete the remaining courses within Area G. A grade of “C” (2.0) or higher is required for each course in Area G.
- PHPH 3010 Introduction to Research Methods in Public Health (CTW) (3)
- PHPH 3020 Statistical Reasoning in Public Health (3)
- PHPH 3030 Fundamentals of Environmental Health (3)*
- PHPB 3040 Public Health Careers and Profession (3)*
- PHPB 4010 Fundamentals of Health Policy (3)*
- PHPB 4020 Introduction to Public Health Program Implementation and Evaluation (3)
- PHPB 4030 Social and Behavioral Dimensions of Public Health (3)*
- PHPB 4040 Public Health Communication (3)
- PHPH 4050 Health Equity and Disparities: Urban and Global Health Challenges (3)
- PHPB 4060 Introduction to Public Health Informatics (3)
- PHPH 4070 Introduction to Chronic and Infectious Diseases (3)
Area H: Public Health Signature Experience(s) (6 credit hours)
Completion of PHPB 2000, PHPH 2001, PHPB 2020, PHPH 3010, PHPH 3020, PHPH 3030, PHPB 3040, PHPB 4010, PHPB 4020, and PHPB 4030 with a grade of “C-” or higher in each course is prerequisite to this Area H.
A grade of “C-” or higher is required for each course in Area H.
- PHPB 4991 or PHPH 4991 Signature Experience Prospectus (3)
- PHPB 4992 or PHPH 4992 Signature Experience Capstone (3)
Area I: Approved Public Health Related Electives (15 credit hours)
Select courses from the following:
- PHPH 3004 Chronic Disease Epidemiology (3)
- PHPH 3035 Introduction to Maternal and Child Health (3)
- PHPB 4130 Introduction to Public Mental Health (3)
- PHPB 4135 Introduction to Disability and Public Health (3)
- PHPB 4230 Global Perspectives on Injury and Violence Prevention (3)
- PHPH 4250 Introduction to Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (3)
- PHPH 4300 Introduction to Controversies in Public Health (3)
- PHPH 4350 Introduction to Workplace Safety and Health (3)
- PHPB 4400 Introduction to Health Management and Administration (3)
- PHPB 4880 or PHPH 4880 Public Health Study Abroad (3)
- BIOL 3021 Infectious Disease and Society (3)
- CPS 3200 Diversity and Human Relations (3)
- ECON 4210 Health Economics (3)
- ECON 4350 Economics of Poverty & Public Policy (3)
- GEOG 4538 Urban Health Geographic Information Systems (4)
- GERO 4110 Aging Policy and Services (3)
- GERO 4119 Global Aging and Families (3)
- GERO 4122 Death, Dying and Loss (3)
- GERO 4200 Health and the Older Adult (3)
- JOUR 4460 Health Communication (3)
- NUTR 3100 Nutrition and Health (3)
- NUTR 3800 International Nutrition (3)
- NUTR 4000 Food and Culture (3)
- NUTR 4955 Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Wellness (3)
- NUTR 4960 Nutrition and Physical Fitness (3)
- PMAP 3210 Introduction to Nonprofits (3)
- PSYC 3450 Health Psychology (3)
- PSYC 3570 Multicultural Issues in Psychology (3)
- SOCI 4050 Global Perspectives on Violence Against Women (3)
- SW 4440 Global Social Work Practice (3)
- SW 4450 Child Maltreatment Practice Policy and Research (3)
- Other appropriate course(s) approved by SPH-based advisor (1-15)
Area J – Advanced Electives (6 credit hours)
Select any 1000-, 2000-, 3000-, or 4000-level courses (6 credit hours)
Total Semester Hours for Degree: 120
Can I take undergrad public health courses this semester even if I'm not sure that's the major I'm pursuing?
What classes are being offered this semester?
How many credits will be required for the BS degree?
Can I double-major in public health?
Can I minor in public health?
Will graduate level and undergrad public health classes be cross-listed?
Will this be on online program?
When can I apply for the program?
Students can apply for the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program through the office of Undergraduate Admissions. Please visit the website at http://admissions.gsu.edu/how-do-i-apply/ for more information on how to apply.
What student clubs, extracurricular activities or organizations are available for undergrads in the School of Public Health?
- Medical and health service managers
- Natural science managers
- Social and community service managers
- Environmental scientists, specialists
- Environmental protection technicians
- Social scientists and related workers
- Social science research assistants
- Health educators
- Occupational health and safety specialists
Undergraduate Petition
This form is to request a deviation from academic regulations or degree requirements in the School of Public Health.
Evaluation of Transfer Credit
This form is to be used when the university has not equated a Public Health course taken at another university to a course offered at Georgia State University.
Area A – Essential Skills (9 credit hours)
To be eligible for the public health major, students must complete each of their Area A courses with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher.
A1: Communication Skills
- ENGL 1101: English Comp I (3) and
- ENGL 1102: English Comp II (3)
A2: Quantitative Skills
- MATH 1111: College Algebra or higher is recommended (3)
Area B—Institutional Options (4 credit hours)
Select two courses from the following:
- PHIL 1010: Critical Thinking (2)
- SCOM 1000 Human Communication (2)
- PERS 2001: Cultural Perspectives (2)
- PERS 2002: Scientific Perspectives (2)
- PERS 2003: Perspectives on Human Expression (2)
Area C—Humanities & Fine Arts (6 credit hours)
Select two courses from groups 1, 2 and 3 below. The two courses may not come from the same group.
- Humanities. Select one course from the GSU list. (3)
- Fine Arts. Select one course from the GSU list. (3)
- Foreign Language (recommended). Select one course from the GSU list. (3)
Area D—Science, Math and Technology (11 credit hours)
To be eligible for the public health major, students must successfully complete the first course of their two-course science sequence in Area D1.
D1. Select one two-course sequence. (8 credit hours)
- BIOL 1103K: Introductory Biology I (4) and BIOL 1104K: Introductory Biology II (4)
- CHEM 1151K: Survey of Chemistry I (4) and CHEM 1152K: Survey of Chemistry II (4)
D2. MATH 1070: Elementary Statistics (3)
Area E—Social Sciences (12 credit hours)
No students may take more than six hours in Area E from any one department.
-
- United States Politics and History—Legislative Requirement (satisfied by:
- HIST 2110: Survey of United States History (3)
- POLS 1101 American Government (3)
- Global Economics, Global Politics, and World History Requirement: Select one course from GSU list. (3)
- Social Science Foundations: Select one course from GSU list. (3)
- United States Politics and History—Legislative Requirement (satisfied by:
Area F—Courses Appropriate to the Major (18 credit hours)
To be eligible for the public health major, students must achieve an overall Area F GPA of 2.8 or higher. Students must also complete each of the following Area F courses with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher in the first attempt. Transfer students who transfer these Area F courses into Georgia State University (GSU) may use their grades from their first attempted transfer courses or they may attempt the courses at GSU. A WF counts as an attempt.
- PH 2000: Introduction to Public Health
- PH 2001: Fundamentals of Epidemiology
- PH 2020: Determinants of Public Health
- SCOM 1500: Public Speaking
Students must also complete an additional Mathematics course (0-3 credit hours) from the list below with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher. If Area A2 is satisfied with MATH 1111 College Algebra or higher, students may complete an additional Mathematics, Science or Social Science course from the Area F list below with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher, instead. If Area A2 is not satisfied with MATH 1111 or higher, students must select one Mathematics course from the following list:
- Select additional Mathematics course from the approved list if MATH 1111 or higher is not taken for Area A2.
- Select additional Science and Social Science course (not taken for Area D or E) from the approved list.
(To see the list of approved courses, go to the Course Catalog under Section 8010.20 Program Degree Requirements for the Public Health Major.)
Area G—Major Curriculum (33 credit hours)
Up to three courses within Area G may be completed by pre-public health major students with approval from the advisor; eligible courses are denoted with an asterisk (*) below. An overall GPA of 2.5 or higher AND completion of Area A, the first course of the science sequence in D1, and Area F with the grades and GPA noted in those areas is required to be eligible for the public health major and to complete the remaining courses within Area G. A grade of “C” (2.0) or higher is required for each course in Area G.
- PH 3010: Introduction to Research Methods in Public Health (CTW)
- PH 3020: Statistical Reasoning in Public Health
- PH 3030: Fundamentals of Environmental Health*
- PH 3040: Public Health Careers and Profession*
- PH 4010: Fundamentals of Health Policy*
- PH 4020: Introduction to Public Health Program Implementation and Evaluation
- PH 4030: Social and Behavioral Dimensions in Public Health*
- PH 4040: Public Health Communication
- PH 4050: Health Equity and Disparities: Urban and Global Health Challenges*
- PH 4060: Introduction to Public Health Informatics*
- PH 4070: Introduction to Chronic and Infectious Diseases*
Area H—Public Health Signature Experiences (6 credit hours)
Completion of PH 2000, PH 2001, PH 2020, PH 3010, PH 3020, PH 3030, PH 3040, PH 4010, PH 4020, and PH 4030 with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher in each course is prerequisite to this Area H. A grade of “C” (2.0) or higher is required for each course in Area H.
Complete 6 credit hours (repeatable):
- PH 4991 Signature Experience Prospectus (3)
- PH 4992 Signature Experience Capstone (3)
Area I—Approved Public Health Related Electives (15 credit hours)
Any 3000/4000 level courses from the approved list below:
- PH 3004: Chronic Disease Epidemiology (3)
- PH 3035: Introduction to Maternal and Child Health (3)
- PH 4130: Introduction to Public Mental Health (3)
- PH 4135: Introduction to Disability and Public Health (3)
- PH 4230: Global Perspectives on Injury and Violence Prevention (3)
- PH 4250: Introduction to Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response (3)
- PH 4300: Introduction to Controversies in Public Health (3)
- PH 4350: Introduction to Workplace Safety and Health (3)
- PH 4400: Introduction to Health Management and Administration (3)
- PH 4880: Public Health Study Abroad (3)
- BIOL 3021: Infectious Disease and Society (3)
- CPS 3200: Diversity and Human Relations (3)
- ECON 4210: Health Economics (3)
- ECON 4350: Economics of Poverty & Public Policy (3)
- GEOG 4538: Urban Health Geographic Information Systems (4)
- GERO 4110: Aging Policy and Services (3)
- GERO 4119: Global Aging and Families (3)
- GERO 4122: Dying, Death and Loss (3)
- GERO 4200: Health and the Older Adult (3)
- JOUR 4460: Health Communication (3)
- NUTR 3100: Nutrition and Health (3)
- NUTR 3800: International Nutrition (3)
- NUTR 4000: Food and Culture (3)
- NUTR 4955: Nutrition and Food Policy (3)
- NUTR 4960: Nutrition and Physical Fitness (3)
- PMAP 3210: Introduction to Nonprofits (3)
- PSYC 3450: Health Psychology (3)
- PSYC 3570: Multicultural Issues in Psychology (3)
- SOCI 4050: Global Perspectives on Violence Against Women (3)
- SW 4440: Global Social Work Practice (3)
- SW 4450: Child Maltreatment Practice Policy and Research (3)
- other appropriate course(s) approved by advisor (1-15)
Area J—Advanced Electives (6 credit hours)
Any 1000/2000/3000/4000 level courses
Can I take undergrad public health courses this semester even if I'm not sure that's the major I'm pursuing?
What classes are being offered this semester?
How many credits will be required for the BS degree?
Can I double-major in public health?
Can I minor in public health?
Will graduate level and undergrad public health classes be cross-listed?
Will this be on online program?
When can I apply for the program?
Students can apply for the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program through the office of Undergraduate Admissions. Please visit the website at http://admissions.gsu.edu/how-do-i-apply/ for more information on how to apply.
What student clubs, extracurricular activities or organizations are available for undergrads in the School of Public Health?
- Medical and health service managers
- Natural science managers
- Social and community service managers
- Environmental scientists, specialists
- Environmental protection technicians
- Social scientists and related workers
- Social science research assistants
- Health educators
- Occupational health and safety specialists
Undergraduate Petition
This form is to request a deviation from academic regulations or degree requirements in the School of Public Health.
Evaluation of Transfer Credit
This form is to be used when the university has not equated a Public Health course taken at another university to a course offered at Georgia State University.