Dual Enrollment in Public Health

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The Public Health Dual Enrollment program is ideal for high school students who want to explore college education and learn foundational concepts of population health, public health, healthcare, the role of environmental and social factors and develop skills in health data analytics and communication through group experiential learning activities. Students who later attend the University of Memphis may transfer credits earned from these courses towards their bachelor's degree.

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Taking LOCAL Impact to GLOBAL Change

Start the path to a college degree early and unleash your passion for making a real difference! Our dual enrollment program provides the opportunity for students to jumpstart their Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health by taking college courses during the 11th and 12th grades. Students who later attend the University of Memphis and declare Public Health as their major will have the option to transfer credits earned from these courses toward their degree.

The field of Public Health is important to educate the next generation of interdisciplinary public health leaders who can impact population health locally and around the globe through disease prevention, health education and the reduction of health inequities.

Common Employment Organizations: Government Agencies | Non-profit Organizations | Educational Institutions | Hospitals and Healthcare Providers | Medical/Community centers

Credit Hours: 3+

High School Students in grades 11 and 12 are eligible. The following courses are offered for students enrolled in the dual enrollment program:

PUBH 2181 | POPULATION HEALTH AND SOCIETY
This course offers an overview of the study of population health and will introduce students to the major social variables — social class, race, gender, poverty, income distribution, social networks/support, community cohesion, the work and neighborhood environment — that affect population health. Students will identify and critique population-based approaches to address health disparities and bring about social justice in health.
PUBH 3120 | CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
This course introduces the framework, methodologies and applications of environmental health and public health impacts from and adaption to climate change. Students will learn methods to study the associations between environmental exposure and health outcomes; and regional and local environmental health topics, including air pollution, water quality, food safety, solid waste, radiation and healthy communities and buildings. They will also study adverse health consequences of climate change, specific preventive measures and policies and actions to address climate change to promote public health.
PUBH 3130 | SOCIAL DETERMINANTS AND HEALTH DISPARITIES
This course introduces students to the socioeconomic conditions that affect individual and population health. Students will explore social influences (e.g., income, race, gender, education, employment, neighborhood, food security, healthcare) that affect well-being and lead to health disparities. Students will also examine the role of public health practitioners in improving health outcomes through their influence on policy, procedure and programmatic changes.
PUBH 3150 | HEALTH DATA ANALYTICS AND INFORMATICS
This course provides an overview of the management and analysis of health data, focuses on describing, presenting, and interpreting the empirical evidence in public health, and introduces the key elements of a data-driven approach for evaluating health programs and health policies. The course content will cover essential knowledge of epidemiology, biostatistics and health informatics.
PUBH 3160 | PUBLIC HEALTH IN ACTION
In this course, students will work on a health project that applies research methods, experiential learning and public health practice to produce feasible solutions for a specific public health issue.
PUBH 3170 | HEALTH CRISES AND MILESTONES IN GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH
This course introduces students to significant milestones in the field of public health, taking a global perspective when analyzing and exploring major public health events that have affected the health and well-being of people around the world.