Program: B.S., Public Health
Program Description
The B.S. in Public Health program serves students who are interested in pursuing careers in public health. The program prepares students to plan, implement and evaluate health and human service programs and to work in the field of public health. Graduates of this program are employed by public and private health and human service agencies (city, county, state and national), hospitals, schools, corporations, and nonprofit and professional consulting organizations.
Program Mission
The mission of the CSUN Public Health program is to prepare professionals to:
- Identify and assess needs and assets of diverse communities.
- Plan, implement and evaluate programs.
- Apply analytic and research methodologies to public health practice.
- Serve as leaders and advocates in their community and profession.
- Provide solutions for current and future public health challenges.
- Collaborate across interdisciplinary and community sectors.
Program Requirements
1. Lower Division Required Courses (20 units)
BIOL 101L General Biology Lab (1)
CHEM 100 Principles of Chemistry (3)
or CHEM 103 Introductory Chemistry I (3)
MATH 140 Introductory Statistics (4)
2. Upper Division Health Sciences Department Core (7 units)
HSCI 390/L Biostatistics and Lab (3/1)
HSCI 488 Epidemiology (3)
3. Required Public Health Core Courses (36 units)
ENGL 306 Report Writing (3)
EOH 353 Global Perspectives of Environmental Health (3)
HSCI 314 Organization and Delivery of Health Services (3)
HSCI 331 Principles and Foundations of Health Education (3)
HSCI 345 Public Health Issues (3)
HSCI 391 Computer Applications in Health Sciences (3)
HSCI 431 Health Behavior Theory (3)
HSCI 437 Effective Strategies and Methods for Public Health Practice (3)
HSCI 439 Community Health Action (3)
HSCI 441 Public Health Program Planning (3)
HSCI 445 Program Evaluation for Health Education (3)
HSCI 494PH Academic Internship for Public Health (2)
HSCI 494IPH Academic Internship Evaluation in Public Health (1)
4. Health Sciences Electives (12 units)
Select up to 12 units from the following, with Public Health advisor approval:
HSCI 231 Women and Health (3)
HSCI 335 Holistic Health (3)
HSCI 336 Health Aspects of Drug Use (3)
HSCI 337 Nutrition and Health (3)
HSCI 433 Counseling of Health Problems (3)
HSCI 434 Lactation Education: Prenatal and Perinatal Period (3)
HSCI 435 Health Science for Children and Youth (3)
HSCI 436 Health Concerns of Adolescents (3)
HSCI 438 International Health (3)
HSCI 440 Family Health (3)
HSCI 442 Health, Culture, and Diversity (3)
HSCI 446 Lactation Education: Postpartum Period (3)
5. General Education (48 units)
Undergraduate students must complete 48 units of General Education as described in this Catalog, including 3 units of coursework meeting the Ethnic Studies (ES) graduation requirement.
21 units are satisfied by the following courses in the major: CHEM 100 or CHEM 103 satisfies B1 Physical Science; BIOL 101 satisfies B2 Life Science; BIOL 101L satisfies B3 Science Laboratory Activity; MATH 140 satisfies Basic Skills B4 Mathematics/Quantitative Reasoning; EOH 353 satisfies B5 Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning; PSY 150 and HSCI 345 satisfy D1 Social Sciences; and ENGL 306 satisfies E Lifelong Learning.
Total Units in the Major: 75
General Education Units: 27
Additional Units: 18
Total Units Required for the B.S. Degree: 120
Contact
Department of Health Sciences
Chair: Salvador Esparza
Jacaranda Hall (JD) 2500
(818) 677-4081
hsci@csun.edu
Program Director: Bethany Rainisch
Jacaranda Hall (JD) 2542
(818) 677-2341
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon degree completion, BSPH graduates will have the knowledge and skills to address the following nine Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH) Bachelor’s Public Health Domains:
- Overview of Public Health: Address the history and philosophy of public health, as well as its core values, concepts and functions across the globe and in society.
- Role and Importance of Data in Public Health: Address 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.
- Identifying and Addressing Population Health Challenges: Address 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.
- Human Health: Address the underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course.
- Determinants of Health: Address the socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities.
- Project Implementation: Address the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment and evaluation.
- Overview of the Health System: Address the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system, as well as the differences in systems in other countries.
- Health Policy, Law, Ethics and Economics: Address the 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.
- Health Communications: Address the basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology.