Public Health - B.S.P.H.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree in Public Health broadly prepares students to enter the workforce as a public health professional or to enter an advanced program of study. Students explore the five disciplines of public health: biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management and the social and behavioral sciences through general coursework.

The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Allied Health concentration seeks to augment the career portfolio of the allied health professional or aspiring student. Students who are interested in a generalist focus in public health or interested in moving to a professional degree (accelerated nursing) or technical allied health degree (respiratory care, radiologic technology, occupational/physical therapy assisting, etc.) are encouraged to pursue this path.  Students may currently hold or may be actively pursuing a state licensure in an allied health field and may be eligible to receive a maximum 12 credit hours of upper-division credit for their prior experience and demonstrated competency in select areas. Students without a state licensure may still pursue this concentration but will complete 12 hours of coursework in allied health-specific areas. Students in this concentration will be exposed to broad areas of public health including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, global health and health policy; thus, preparing students to meet the increased demands for a trained and educated public health workforce.
• The Clinical Trials Research concentration focuses on training students in the epidemiology methods used in clinical research. The curriculum provides students a thorough understanding of the management of research studies; the scientific literature related to drugs, medical devices and other new therapies; and the federal regulations related to conducting clinical trials. Students are prepared to design and answer research questions, collect and manage data and communicate research findings to both scientific and lay audiences. An internship experience provides necessary experience in a clinical research setting. Potential places of employment for graduates include hospitals, contract research organizations, medical schools and pharmaceutical companies where graduates assist with and manage clinical research studies.
• The Community Health Outreach and Development concentration focuses on identifying and exploring ways to influence the multi-level determinants of population health and health behaviors, from a perspective that prioritizes health equity and social justice. Approaches focus on community- and system-level strategies to promote health and healthy behaviors among populations and eliminate health disparities through media, policy and education initiatives. Career options include the public sector, social services, non-profit agencies and other community-based health promotion and advocacy efforts. Graduates are prepared to assist with developing, implementing and coordinating public health interventions that promote community health and organize diverse communities around issues related to health and health behavior.
• The Global Health concentration educates students in identifying and working to address the critical public health and human needs of diverse, underserved and vulnerable populations locally and globally. Students learn the need for multidisciplinary (biological and social sciences) approaches and cooperation to address the major global public health problems. In addition, they have the opportunity to focus on a specific aspect of global health, e.g. HIV/AIDS, health policy, health disparities, health education, environmental health, nutrition. Graduates are prepared to work at entry-level positions in public health with local, regional, national or international public health agencies in both public and private sectors. Students who pursue this concentration are required to participate in a study abroad experience and complete four courses (at the elementary and intermediate levels) of either Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish
• The Health Services Administration concentration establishes a foundation for graduate work in health policy and management. Students analyze national and local public health infrastructure, evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of health care delivery and explore the legal and ethical issues of health care administration. Graduates enter the health care workforce as finance managers, compliance officers, patient navigators, insurance specialists and other health care managers. Students are encouraged to pair this concentration with a minor.
• The Pre-Medicine, Dentistry, Osteopathy concentration includes preparatory courses for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), the Dental Admissions Test (DAT) and admission entry into other professional schools including pharmacy, podiatry, occupational/physical therapy and physicians assistant programs. The overall curriculum—focusing on biological, social and economic determinants of health; prevention and control of diseases; introduction to biostatistics; and public health research—makes this program highly desirable for admission to professional schools. The unique features of the program open new opportunities and offer competitive advantages for students seeking to enter into clinical medicine.

Combined Degree Programs

• Master of Public Health degree. Students in any B.S.P.H. concentration may seek early admission to the M.P.H. degree in Biostatistics, Epidemiology or Public Health. Coursework for the Biostatistics and Epidemiology programs begin in the fall semester.
• Master of Science degree in Clinical Epidemiology. Students in any B.S.P.H. concentration may seek early admission to the M.S. degree (fall start only).

Students must consult with their undergraduate and faculty advisors each semester to create a plan substituting selected master's courses for selected undergraduate courses based on approved courses. Following graduation, students' applications to the M.P.H. or M.S. degree may be activated for admission.

Please refer to the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program policy in the Academic Policies section of the University Catalog for eligibility criteria for combined degree programs.

Admissions

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students who graduated from high school three or more years ago.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions) by earning a minimum 525 TOEFL score (71 on the Internet-based version), minimum 75 MELAB score, minimum 6.0 IELTS score or minimum 48 PTE Academic score, or by completing the ELS level 112 Intensive Program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Transfer Students: Students who have attended any other educational institution after graduating from high school must apply as undergraduate transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students or graduates who have not attended another college or university since Kent State may complete the reenrollment or reinstatement form on the University Registrar’s website.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Some programs may require that students meet certain requirements before progressing through the program. For programs with progression requirements, the information is shown on the program's Coursework tab.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Human Health: Address the underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course.
5. Determinants of Health: Address the socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities.
6. Project Implementation: Address the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment and evaluation.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.

Roadmaps

Roadmaps

Allied Health Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Clinical Trials Research Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Community Health Outreach and Development Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Global Health Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Health Services Administration Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Pre Medicine, Dental, Osteopathy Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this major. However, courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • Fully online (Allied Health, Clinical Trials Research, Community Health Outreach and Development, Health Services Administration concentrations only)
  • Mostly online
  • In person (full program)
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Accreditation

The B.S.P.H. degree in Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).