The Public Health Science program includes a strong curriculum in science and public health courses, such as biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental health, and health policy. Students will have the opportunity for individual exploration in public health through electives, laboratory experiences, optional internships, and a culminating interdisciplinary capstone course. As a collaborative degree involving multiple scholarly disciplines, courses offered by this program may be found under the following acronyms: PHSC, SPHL, HLTH, KNES, EPIB, MIEH and HLSA.
The degree effectively prepares students to pursue exciting careers in allied health, medical, and public health fields as well as post-baccalaureate professional and academic degrees.
The degree is offered at both the College Park and Shady Grove campuses.
The Public Health Science Bachelor of Science degree is an interdisciplinary program designed to provide students with the educational foundation required to effectively address local, national and global issues within the public health arena.
To view the coursework described below, please visit our PHSC curriculum page.
In order to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Science, students must complete 120 credits, 74 of which are specific to the Public Health Science degree. Students must earn a minimum grade of C- or higher in all Public Health Science major-required coursework.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Foundation Courses | ||
| MATH120 | Elementary Calculus I | 3 |
| BSCI170 & BSCI171 | Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology and Principles of Molecular & Cellular Biology Laboratory | 4 |
| BSCI201 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BSCI202 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| CHEM131 & CHEM132 | Chemistry I - Fundamentals of General Chemistry and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM231 & CHEM232 | Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry Laboratory I | 4 |
| BSCI222 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| BSCI223 | General Microbiology | 4 |
| Public Health Science Foundation Courses | ||
| SPHL100 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| HLTH366 | Behavioral and Community Issues in Public Health | 3 |
| EPIB301 | Epidemiology for Public Health Practice | 3 |
| EPIB315 | Biostatistics for Public Health Practice | 3 |
| HLSA300 | Introduction to Health Policy and Services | 3 |
| MIEH300 | A Public Health Perspective: Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHSC450 | Addressing Social and Structural Inequities Through Public Health | 3 |
| KNES320 | Physiological Basis of Physical Activity and Human Health | 4 |
| PHSC415 | Essentials of Public Health Biology: The Cell, The Individual, and Disease | 3 |
| PHSC497 | Public Health Science Capstone | 3 |
| Public Health Science Options Courses 1 | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 74 | |
The Public Health Science option courses build upon the Scientific and Public Health Science Foundation courses. The option courses are 300 and 400 level courses primarily offered within the School of Public Health. By choosing from these courses, students have an opportunity to customize their program. Students are encouraged to choose courses that best align with a particular career goal. Please visit the PHSC website for the current list of approved options. https://sph.umd.edu/department/phs/college-park-curriculum-post-spring-2018
Click here for roadmaps for graduation plans in the School of Public Health.
Additional information on developing a graduation plan can be found on the following pages:
The Flagship Institution of the University System of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742, USA · 301.405.1000