Social and Behavioral Sciences, Public Health Concentration, B.A.

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The Public Health Concentration is available to SBS majors.

A concentration is simply a way for SBS majors to organize their six required SBS electives at the 300-level or above. The Public Health concentration addresses a need for awareness of public health issues not only in Maine, but globally. Evolutionary and multicultural aspects of diseases and their interface with human populations are daily headlines in the media: for instance, health care systems; food utilization and governmental policies; epidemics of flu, HIV/AIDS, COVID, and other emerging infectious diseases; as well as the threat of bioterrorism, are all concerns of the discipline of Public Health. Professions that utilize knowledge of public health include medical and allied health and human services, mental health, gerontology, and child and family support. Public health approaches address the full spectrum of services, planning, and evaluation.

The Public Health concentration is intended to prepare SBS majors to become decision makers and policy advocates by shaping their ability to understand myriad public health concerns, and developing their facility in applying pertinent theoretical and practical knowledge to create a safe and functioning society. The concentration also prepares students for the pursuit of graduate study in Public Health and Policy.

IMPORTANT: This page describes the Public Health Concentration. Public Health (offered through the Social and Behavioral Sciences program) is also available as a Minor for students in any USM degree program, and as a Certificate, which is open to anyone. Students pursuing the Public Health Concentration may also be interested in USM’s Bachelor in Public Health.

**Students should complete the necessary paperwork so that the Public Health Concentration appears on their MaineStreet academic plan.**

Graduate Study in Public Health:

Students pursuing the Public Health Concentration may also be interested in USM’s Master of Public Health (MPH) program. Please visit the Office of Admission for application information.

Program Requirements

To complete the Public Health Concentration, students select their six SBS electives by taking the five required courses, plus one chosen from the Public Health electives below. Any substitutions must be approved by a faculty adviser. A minimum grade of C- in each of the SBS courses is required to earn the Public Health concentration.

In addition to the requirements listed in the BA (see BA Page), the following requirements apply to the Public Health Concentration:

Required courses

SBS 304 - Food and Culture Credits: 3
ANT 233 - Food and Culture Credits: 3
SBS 308 - Medical Anthropology Credits: 3
ANT 302 - Medical Anthropology Credits: 3
SBS 335 - Legal Issues in Health and Human Services Credits: 3
SBS 336 - Fundamentals of Public Health Credits: 3
SCI 336 - Fundamentals of Public Health Credits: 3
BPH 201 - Fundamentals of Public Health Credits: 3
SBS 337 - Introduction to Epidemiology Credits: 3
SCI 337 - Introduction to Epidemiology Credits: 3
BPH 337 - Introduction to Epidemiology Credits: 3

Public Health elective

Students select one of the following or, with advisor approval, a course equivalent in substance and intent:

SBS 303 - Abnormal Psychology Credits: 3
SBS 339 - Immigration, Ethnicity, and Identity Credits: 3
SBS 341 - The Family Credits: 3
SBS 343 - Substance Use Disorders Credits: 3
SBS 344 - Violence: Causes and Control Credits: 3
SBS 345 - Diversity: Many Voices Credits: 3
SBS 350 - Psychosocial Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence Credits: 3
SBS 436 - Risk, Public Policy, and Society Credits: 3
LOS 436 - Risk, Public Policy, and Society Credits: 3
SCI 315 - Environmental Health Credits: 3
PSY 368 - Health Psychology Credits: 3
NUR 356 - Concepts in Community Health Credits: 3

USM Core Requirements

The USM Core Curriculum is a coherent, integrative, and rigorous liberal education that enables our graduates to be world-minded, intentional, life-long learners and captures your general education degree requirements.

Please Note: Core requirements may be part of your major and/or minor, and Core may have been fufilled with transfer credit. Please consult your MaineStreet Degree Progress Report (DPR) and review your degree progress with your Advisor. For additional information, access the USM Core webpage.