Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH)

About the Program

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree is more than a means to produce public health practitioners. It can complement or enrich a traditional biology-based, pre-health degree plan for students intending professional education in medicine, nursing, allied health or other health professions.

What will you learn?

Programs consist of core public health courses in Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Health Policy, Public Health Practice, Social and Behavioral Health and interdisciplinary courses in the fields of Anthropology, Communications, Health Sciences, and Sociology. Faculty and students collaborate with local health and community agencies to help prevent chronic disease, inform public policy, and reduce health disparities.

Where to after graduation?

Public health is a rapidly growing field. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that almost half of all new jobs (2.1 million) will be in the healthcare and social assistance sector between now and 2032. A BSPH will prepare you to engage in this expanding field and build a rewarding career. According to ziprecruiter.com, the average annual pay for a Bachelors Public Health in the United States is $79,657 a year, with starting salaries ranging from $55K to $75K.

Common career paths with a BSPH include:

• Community Health Educator
• Preventative Specialist
• Program Coordinator
• Research Assistant/Associate
• Community Health Outreach Specialist
• Population Health Coordinator

A Public Health degree is valued by many employers, including:

• Government agencies nbsp;
• Non-profit organizations nbsp;
• Educational Institutions nbsp;
• Hospitals nbsp;
• Healthcare Providers nbsp;
• Medical/Community Centers nbsp;

Is this degree right for you?

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health is ideal for anyone who is interested in learning about health, likes to solve problems and has a passion for making a difference. To help you succeed, you’ll get:

• Support from faculty with diverse public health expertise
• Undergraduate research and faculty mentorship
• Practical fieldwork experience to prepare you for your career
• Opportunities for professional development and networking

BSPH as a Path to Pre-Health professional degrees

Public health is a natural foundation for the study of medicine and many other health-related programs. One can complete most of the pre-health courses as part of the General Education and elective courses for the BSPH degree. Moreover, public health knowledge is highly valued in a clinical setting. The University of Memphis School of Public Health BSPH is very flexible and can be tailored to prepare you to pursue graduate degrees in many health and medical fields. Some examples are:

Request Information

Connect with our Admissions Team

Becky Kronenberg, MPH
Undergraduate Advisor, SPH
rkrnnbrg@memphis.edu
Phone: (901) 678-8243

Rajesh Melaram, PhD
Assistant Professor of Teaching & Undergraduate Coordinator
rtmlaram@memphis.edu
Phone: (901) 678-1687

Briana McNeil, M.Ed. 
Coordinator, Recruitment and Admissions
sphadmissions@memphis.edu
Phone: (901) 678-3740

Admission Information

Requirements:

To be eligible for the public health major, you should have a GPA of 2. 5 0 or higher, and be in good academic standing. There are no prerequisites to declare a major in Public Health.

Deadlines

Students are advised to declare their intentions for Public Health major no later than the end of their last semester of sophomore year to ensure completion of the major by their anticipated graduation date.

Curriculum

General Education (13 courses - 41 credit hours)

Integrated Public Health Core (12 required courses - 36 hours)

• PUBH 3104: Developing Public Health Messages & Strategies
• PUBH 3105: Health Behavior Theory and Practice
• PUBH 3120: Climate and Environmental Health
• PUBH 3130: Social Determinants and Health Disparities
• PUBH 3150: Health Data Analytics and Informatics
• PUBH 3160: Public Health in Action
• PUBH 3170: Health Crises & Milestones in Global Public Health
• PUBH 3180: Population Health Program Design and Intervention
• PUBH 4011: Population Health Program Evaluation
• PUBH 4012: Public Health Management and Policy
• PUBH 4013: Biological and Behavioral Basis of Disease
• PUBH 4151: Public Health Research Methods

Field Experience and Capstone (4 hours)

• PUBH 4010: Fieldwork (2) - Required
• PUBH 4985: Capstone Experience (2) - Required

Guided Electives (13 courses - 39 credit hours)

Students may choose pre-health courses, interdisciplinary courses, or a combination of both with the help of an advisor.

A few of our department's public health electives are:

• PUBH 3101: Environmental Health in the Media
• PUBH 3102: Epidemics and Pandemics
• PUBH 4014: Ethical Considerations in Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Management
• PUBH 4015: Health Disparities in Chronic Disease
• PUBH 4131: Public Health & Social Justice
• PUBH 4868: Global Refugee Crises as a Public Health Concern

Other departments with guided electives included in the BSPH degree: Anthropology, Communications, Healthcare Leadership, Health Sciences, Social Work, Sociology and many more.

Competencies

• Public Health Communication: Students should be able to communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms and through a variety of media, to diverse audiences
• Information Literacy: Students should be able to locate, use, evaluate and synthesize public health information
• Foundational Domains
• The concepts and applications of basic statistics
• The foundations of biological and life sciences
• The history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society
• The basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice
• The concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
• The underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
• The socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
• The fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation
• The fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well as the differences between systems in other countries
• Basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy and the roles, influences, and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government
• Basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology