Public Health, B.S.

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Public health is defined as the science of protecting and improving the health and well-being of diverse populations. Public health draws upon theory and evidence from multiple disciplines to identify the causes of poor health and address those causes through organized community efforts. It includes a strong emphasis on preventing illness, addressing health disparities, and using health data. Studying public health will provide you with an understanding of the individual, social, organizational, and structural determinants of health, and give you tools to intervene at different system levels to help people and communities become healthier.

The BSPH introduces students to the history and core concepts of public health and its role in U.S. and international health systems. Students will gain knowledge of public health theory and approaches, as well as the skills necessary to apply this knowledge in entry-level professional public health roles across Maine. Through the culminating 120-hour field experience, students will work on public health projects within their communities that integrate their learning and provide valuable experience in public health planning and program delivery.

The BS in public health will prepare you for early career, entry-level positions at local health departments, businesses, social service agencies, health systems, nonprofit community organizations, hospitals and more. The degree also provides a strong foundation for graduate programs in multiple fields, including USM’s Master of Public Health (MPH), other graduate health training programs, public policy, and law.

Program Requirements

Credit Hours: The BS in public health requires 35 credits in public health courses plus 9 credits in approved electives, and a required introductory statistics course for a total of 48 credits (exclusive of USM Core Curriculum requirements). Several required public health courses, the required courses from other departments, and some of the approved electives may also be used to satisfy the Core curriculum requirements as appropriate.

Required Courses:

Public Health Courses (35 credits):

BPH 101 - Introduction to the U.S. Health System Credits: 3
BPH 160 - Biology of Human Health Credits: 3
BPH 161 - Biology of Human Health Lab Credits: 1
BPH 201 - Fundamentals of Public Health Credits: 3
BPH 205 - Health Communication and Marketing Credits: 3
BPH 210 - Health Disparities and Social Justice Credits: 3
BPH 315 - Population Health Improvement Credits: 3
BPH 320 - Methods of Public Health Research Credits: 3
BPH 337 - Introduction to Epidemiology Credits: 3 (SBS 337 /SCI 337 )
BPH 339 - Topics in Public Health (MPH 539) Credits: 3 (MPH 539)
BPH 450 - Analysis of Public Health Data with Lab (MPH 550) Credits: 4 (4 credits, MPH 550)
BPH 499 - Field Experience Credits: 3

Required Course (pick one) from Other Departments (4 credits):

MAT 120 - Introduction to Statistics Credits: 4
LOS 120 - Statistics for Informed Decision Making Credits: 3

Approved Electives (select three for 9 credits):

Additional three credit electives relevant to public health and offered at the 200-level or higher will be considered based on student request.

ANT 232 - The Anthropology of Sex and Gender Credits: 3
ANT 233 - Food and Culture Credits: 3 or TAH 263 Food and Culture
ANT 302 - Medical Anthropology Credits: 3 or
SBS 308 - Medical Anthropology Credits: 3
ANT 315 - Ethnography: Methods, Ethics, and Practice Credits: 3
ESP 220 - Introduction to Environmental Policy Credits: 3
ESP 212 - Environmental Ethics
or PHI 212 - Environmental Ethics Credits: 3
ESP 375 - Environmental Risk Assessment and Management Credits: 3
FSP 210 - Food and the Environment
FSP 320 - Poverty and Hunger Credits: 3
GEO 308 - GIS Applications I Credits: 3-4
PSY 368 - Health Psychology Credits: 3
REC 314 - Wellness Education and Counseling Credits: 3
SBS 351 - Emerging Infectious Diseases: From AIDS to Zika
or SCI 351 - Emerging Infectious Diseases: From AIDS to Zika Credits: 3
SBS 304 - Food and Culture Credits: 3
SCI 209 - Human Genetics Credits: 3 or
SBS 209 - Human Genetics
SCI 315 - Environmental Health Credits: 3
TAH 222 - Food and Beverage Management Credits: 3
TAH 299 - Topics in Tourism & Hospitality Credits: 3

Grade Policy:

Students must achieve a 2.0 grade point average and grades of C- or better in all courses that count toward fulfillment of the major requirements. Students will be placed on academic probation for failure to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0. Students failing to rectify the GPA deficiency within a one-year probation period will be removed from the BS in public health major and from their status as a student within the Department. Upon rectifying the GPA deficiency, students can reapply for admission into a Departmental major.

Graduation Requirements:

Students will graduate with a bachelor of science in public health when following requirements are satisfied:

Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0
Completion of all University Core curriculum requirements
Completion of all BSPH required coursework with minimum grades of C-
Completion of 120 credits

Transfer Policy:

Please check with the chair of Public Health regarding transfer policies and accepted courses.

For all baccalaureate degrees at the University of Southern Maine, a minimum of 30 credits hours, including at least nine hours in the major, must be completed while matriculated in the school or college from which the degree is sought. A student may earn no more than six of these 30 credit hours at another campus of the University of Maine System. In addition, 30 of the final 45 credits of a student’s degree program must normally be completed at USM.

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 fulfilled 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.