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Impact the Health of Entire Communities With a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from West Chester University

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree at West Chester University will prepare you for a career as a public health practitioner in a variety of settings.

By combining classroom study, field trips, and work experience, our public health major will give you the knowledge and skills needed to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate public health programs. You'll make a career helping individuals take responsibility for their health and well-being.

Put your classroom knowledge into practice through hands-on experience in a full-semester internship with placements in a variety of settings, including county health departments, hospitals, and voluntary health agencies.

Graduates of our program are in demand, with skills that are needed for health promotion and disease prevention. They are also eligible to take the national examination for certification as health education specialists (CHES).

 

Benefits of Earning Your Public Health Degree at WCU

Experiential Learning Opportunities

At WCU, you'll have hands-on learning opportunities through service-learning projects in community health and a full-semester capstone internship. We offer diverse internship opportunities tailored to your specific public health interests, as well as support in finding the best site match for your needs—even coordinating and establishing contracts with individual sites. Interested in what public health looks like in other nations? WCU also offers 670+ study abroad options, including program-specific trips.

Research Opportunities With Expert Faculty

Our experienced faculty offer innovative teaching methods to facilitate your critical and creative thinking skills. You can also participate in research opportunities in state-of-the-art labs and facilities alongside our faculty that will influence public health policies. You may even have the opportunity to present your findings at local, regional, and national conferences.

Affordability

WCU's tuition and fees are among the lowest in the region, and the University offers departmental and college-level scholarships, as well as financial aid and other funding opportunities from outside entities. Our accelerated B.S./M.S. in public health offers additional savings by condensing the two programs into five years rather than six, charging undergraduate tuition for initial graduate courses and applying undergraduate financial aid to some graduate courses.

 

Jobs With a Public Health Major

Careers in healthcare and social assistance are expected to grow by nearly 10 percent through 2032, with some areas seeing growth of more than 44 percent. Our public health degree graduates can be found across private and public healthcare sectors, in positions including:

  • Associate professor
  • Disease intervention specialist
  • Public health consultant
  • Public health planner
  • Public health advocate
  • Public health educator
  • Quality improvement researcher
  • Resource manager
  • Spokesperson
  • Clinical research coordinator
  • Client services supervisor

Where are our graduates?

 

What Will You Study as a Public Health Major?

As a public health major, you will learn how to enhance the quality of life for individuals and communities by influencing public health policies, research, and clinical education. You will also learn how to address public health challenges creatively and effectively by applying your classroom knowledge with innovative applications.

B.S. in Public Health

Code Title Credits
GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS 1
Academic Foundations
First Year Experience requirement4
English Composition requirement 26-7
Mathematics requirement3-4
MAT 121
Introduction to Statistics I 3
Interdisciplinary requirement3
ENV 102
Humans and the Environment
Diverse Communities requirement3
HEA 110
Transcultural Health: Principles and Practice
Ethics requirement3
HEA 300
Profession/Ethics & Health Professions
or PHI 180
Introduction to Ethics
or HEA 210
Introduction to Allied Health
Distributed Disciplinary Foundations
Science requirement6-8
1 BIO and 1 CHE general education distributive course
Behavioral & Social Science requirement6
Humanities requirement6
PHI 150
Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Arts requirement3
ADDITIONAL BACCALAUREATE REQUIREMENTS
University Requirements
Writing Emphasis requirements9
HEA 244
Communicating Public Health
HEA 342
Program Planning and Evaluation
HEA 420
Health Marketing and Communications
Speaking Emphasis requirement9
SPK 208
Public Speaking
or SPK 230
Business and Professional Speech Communication
Degree Requirements
Capstone requirement1-15
MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Major Courses
HEA 100Dimensions of Wellness3
HEA 140Health Care Delivery - Trends; Challenges3
HEA 242Introduction to Public and Community Health3
HEA 276Achieving Health Equity 43
HEA 330Health Behavior3
HEA 341Chronic and Communicable Diseases3
HEA 348Population Health: Analysis, Surveillance, and Intervention3
HEA 419Research Methods in Health3
HEA 434Health Law, Economics, Ethics, and Policy3
HEA 418Preparation for Internship and for Professional Practice Seminar 53
Public Health Electives
Four approved health electives selected from the following under advisement, with no more than six credits at the 100 level and no more than six credits of HEA 435:12
HEA 103
Drugs and Society
HEA 104
Human Sexuality
HEA 106
Death and Dying
HEA 109
Health Issues of Women
HEA 200
Introduction to Global Health
HEA 206
Human Development
HEA 210
Introduction to Allied Health
HEA 230
Health Issues of School-Aged Youth
HEA 240
Foundations of Health Education 7
HEA 300
Profession/Ethics & Health Professions 8
HEA 306
Curriculum and Instruction 7
HEA 310
Love and Marriage
HEA 315
Mind, Body, and Health
HEA 325
Stress Management
HEA 333
Alternative and Complementary Medicine
HEA 345
Public Health and the Apocalypse
HEA 346
Perspectives on Maternal Child Health
HEA 435
Health Workshop
HEA 438
Understanding AIDS/HIV Infection
EXS 180
Lifetime Fitness Concepts
NSG 225
Health and Heredity in Human Caring
NSG 234
Gender and Sexual Minority Health
NTD 303
Introductory Principles Human Nutrition
Capstone Requirement
HEA 421Public Health Internship 66
Grade Requirements
A cumulative GPA of 2.5 is needed before the start of the internship, HEA 421. Public health core, public health elective classes, and MAT 121 require a minimum grade of C.
Total Minimum Credits Required120
1

Transfer students whose academic passports waive university General Education requirements must still take those General Education courses specific to the major: BIO, CHE, SPK, PHI, MAT 121 or equivalent, and all Writing Emphasis courses that are also Public Health core courses.

2

Students who place out of English/writing courses may need to take additional public health and/or free electives to attain 120 credits.

3

MAT 121 or equivalent requires a minimum grade of C.

4

HEA 276 cannot double count towards the Behavioral and Social Sciences requirement.

5

HEA 418 must be taken immediately before HEA 421.

6

This course fulfills the Capstone requirement. As a capstone, HEA 421 cannot be taken until all HEA Major Requirements and all HEA Writing Emphasis courses are completed. Only free electives, HEA electives, or General Education courses can be taken concurrently with HEA 421.

7

Students who wish to take the CHES exam to become Certified Health Education Specialists must take these two courses to sit for the exam.

8

If not used for the Ethics requirement

Accelerated B.S. in Public Health to Master of Public Health Program

Current undergraduate students are eligible for provisional admission with junior standing (60 credits) and a cumulative grade point average of 3.00. Students will substitute up to 13 credits of graduate Public Health courses for undergraduate requirements, subject to the following guidelines: 

Code Title Credits
Public Health Electives
Up to 12 credits of public health electives will be replaced by the following:
HEA 520Public Health Epidemiology3
or HEA 526 Biostatistics for Public Health
ENV 530General Environmental Health3
HEA 516Health Care Management3
HEA 632Social and Behavior Aspects of Public Health3
Free Electives
1 credit of free electives can be replaced with the following:
HEA 503Foundations of Public Health1

Get Started on YourPublic Health Degree

Now is the time to begin your journey towards a fulfilling career in public health. Start your application today.

Apply Now

 

 

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