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Advisor: Colleen Payton, Program Director of Public Health

Students majoring in public health can pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health (BAPH) or a Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH).

In both the BAPH and BSPH tracks students will gain skills in 9 core HLTP courses that cover the key elements of the discipline. Additionally, all students majoring in public health will complete a minimum of 2 additional public health (HLTP) units beyond the 9 core public health courses.

The BAPH and BSPH degrees are distinguished by the multidisciplinary electives chosen by students. Students majoring in the BSPH select 5 units from specified courses in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental Science, Health Science, Mathematics, and/or Physics. Students majoring in the BAPH focus on 5 specified course units in Accounting, Economics, History, Management, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Sociology, and/or Spanish.

Public Health BA and BS Requirements

* Note that the two units for this requirement cannot double dip across the core or interdisciplinary requirements of the applicable public health curriculum.

**Courses should be one of those already approved to meet the BA or BS interdisciplinary requirements, unless approved by the public health program director

***Note that HLTR/HLTP 310 (Health Research Methods) or Biostatistics and Epidemiology need to be completed prior to course enrollment.

Public Health Minor Requirements

Required Public Health Courses of All Public Health Minors (2 units)

• HLTP 110 Introduction to Public Health (M4*)
• HLTP 230 Epidemiology 

Elective Public Health Courses for Public Health Minors (choose 3 units)

• HLTP 185 Service in Public Health
• HLTP 189 Biostatistics (F2*)
• HLTP 218 Writing 91pornԭ�� Health 
• HLTP 231 Nutrition for Health
• HLTP 240 Essentials of Health Behaviors
• HLTP 289 Social Determinants of Health
• HLTP 311 Professionalism in Public Health
• HLTP 315 Health Policy
• HLTP 321 Global Health (M5*) or HLTH 322 Populations at High Risk for Health Problems (M5)
• HLTP 330 Environmental Health
• HLTP 340 Health Program Planning and Evaluation (WI)
• Other HLTP classes as approved by the public health program director

Courses in Public Health

HLTP 110. Introduction to Public Health. This course explores the multidimensional aspects of public health in the United States, with a particular emphasis on social and economic factors that affect morbidity and mortality. Current practices and policies designed to improve population health will be discussed. Public health professional practice is diverse due to multiple cultures, environments, and health care delivery systems in the 21st century United States. Students will gain an understanding of the many fields, disciplines and issues that are public health. Prerequisite: none.

HLTP 125.  Introduction to Health Humanities. (Also ENGL/HHUM 125)Health humanities is the study of wellness and illness as shared human experiences arising from, and influenced by, culture, politics, art, technology, and the environment. This interdisciplinary course explores the methods of the Health Humanities (close reading, contextualization, intervention) in the arts (literature, theater, film, and visual arts) and humanities (literature, philosophy, religion, history) using texts that explore the themes of health and illness. Prerequisites: None. (M2)

HLTP 185. Service in Public Health. Partnering with the 91pornԭ�� Center for Career and Civic Engagement, students will contribute to the health and well-being of individuals and populations by serving community-based organizations and initiatives. As an integral part of service learning, students will reflect and present on their experiences and share ideas for capacity building and service improvements. Prerequisite: Approval of the public health program director.

HLTP 186. Health Without Borders. This course introduces students to key public health concepts related to immigrant and refugee health. The curriculum focuses on the following global health topics: definitions for immigrant populations, causes of conflict, surveillance of communicable and noncommunicable diseases, mental health, vaccination and food aid programs, cultural humility, health policy and advocacy, and coordination of social services. The course examines important health challenges for immigrants and refugees as well as potential strategies towards improving health outcomes. Prerequisite: none.

HLTP 189 Biostatistics. This course introduces students to the key statistical concepts and methods used in public health and health sciences. The curriculum focuses on the following biostatistical topics: measurement, descriptive and graphical analysis, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, correlation, analysis of variance, regression analysis, and writing and interpreting statistics. A major component of the course includes learning how to manage, analyze, interpret, and communicate quantitative health findings. Another major component of the course includes learning how to utilize SPSS, which is one of the leading statistical software packages for public health. This course prepares students to be a good consumer of health research. Students will apply ethical principles to data collection and recognize the importance of limitations based on study design. Prerequisite: none.

HLTP 218. Writing 91pornԭ�� Health. This workshop-based course introduces students to the practice of writing about complex medical topics with a focus on defining the purpose, identifying the audience and developing the appropriate tone for selected documents. Students will read and discuss representative works and will draft and revise a number of their own health-related documents.  Prerequisite: LINC 101 or equivalent.

HLTP 230. Epidemiology. This course introduces students to the key concepts and methods used in epidemiology, the study of the distribution and determinants of health and disease within a defined population. The curriculum focuses on the following epidemiological topics: historical and contemporary applications; measures of morbidity and mortality; descriptive epidemiology; study design; interpreting and visualizing data; surveillance and outbreak investigation. This course examines the biological, behavioral, sociocultural and environmental factors associated with the etiology and distribution of health and disease. Prerequisites: none.

HLTP 231. Nutrition for Health. (Also HLTR/NURS 231) Is an introduction to the science of nutrition with emphasis on applications for the allied health professions. As such, focus will be on the nutrient needs of the body, the processes by which nutrients are obtained and processed, and the foods that meet these needs in selected social, environmental, cultural, and performance contexts. The course is designed for students entering professional fields such as nursing, physical or occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, athletic training, and public health which require a functional understanding of the relationship between nutrition and health or performance. Students will be introduced to tools and techniques of the field by completing an individual dietary assessment and consulting robust scientific literature to answer discipline-specific questions. (U1)

HLTP 240. Essentials of Health Behavior. This course is an introduction to the philosophies, settings, theories, and models of health promotion and behavior. The course explores how behaviors are influenced by individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, policy, and societal factors. Health promotion integrates theories and models from diverse disciplines to improve our understanding of health behaviors and conditions. Applicable health promotion theories and models are applied to predict, explain, and transform health behavior, and examples of health behavior/promotion projects and initiatives will be reviewed and analyzed.

HLTP 252.  Literature and Health: Perspectives of Illness and Healing.  (Also HHUM 252, ENGL 252) Lucille Clifton states, “I don’t write because I have a mission to heal the world. My mission is to heal Lucille if I can, as much as I can.” Writing offers Clifton a medium through which she can enact a form of healing and self-preservation. Similarly, illness narratives communicate the embodied and disembodied experiences of people living with sickness, disease, and illness in an effort to make sense of their changing bodies, lives, and identities. This reading intensive course explores health, wellness, and illness narratives through a sustained engagement with non-fiction and imaginary literature.  Prerequisite: LinC 101 or equivalent plus junior or senior class standing.  (U1)

HLTP 253. Storytelling in Health and Medicine. Graphic narrative, fotonovela, podcasts and digital storytelling are ways that students, health professionals, patients, and the community can develop an understanding of complex health and social issues.  Graphic medicine, a form of graphic narrative, is an emerging strategy in medical education that enables students to reflect upon the challenges faced in encountering patients and colleagues during difficult situations.  This strategy can also be used in other professions tackling challenging personal, interpersonal, and social issues.  Fotonovelas and digital storytelling are strategies that have been used to communicate health messages as well as stories of social injustice. Podcasts have become a standard medium to convey information and raise awareness about issues of interest to their listeners.  Through this course students will develop skills in using these media to not only communicate complex health messages, but also to examine social issues in a very complex world. Prerequisites: None

HLTP 260. Moral Injury. (also REL/NURS 260) Moral Injury has been defined as “the inevitable outcome of moral engagement with the reality of war and killing,” (Antal and Winings: 2015) and as “the result of participation in the moral distortion of the world created by war” (Denton-Borhaug: 2021). In this course participants will explore and analyze moral injury through multidisciplinary methods including public “whole” health, spiritual, philosophical and theological frameworks, the arts and humanities, as well as through diverse social and physical scientific paradigms/methods. Our aim will be to illuminate increased understanding of the individual experience of moral injury; analyze the relationship between moral injury and U.S. War-culture; and engage in reflective moral deliberation regarding what the phenomenon of moral injury requires of us as individuals, citizens, people with religious (or no-religious) identities, and members of diverse moral communities. (U2) 

HLTP 289. Social Determinants of Health. This course reviews the association between social factors and health from an individual, community, and systems perspectives. Key social determinants of health covered during the course include income, wealth, education, food insecurity, housing, empowerment, and social exclusion. Social and economic conditions are the best predictors of health outcomes. Students will learn why a person’s zip code is a better predictor of health than genetic code. Students are introduced to emerging research on the social determinants of health. Prerequisite: none.

HLTP 311. Professionalism in Public Health. Becoming a health professional requires building a base of knowledge, skills, and experiences. During the course, students reflect on and develop their knowledge, skills, and experience related to public health professionalism. Based on reflection, fitting internship, graduate school, and/or career opportunities are identified. Professional skills, such as elevator pitches, job talks, research presentations, understanding public health associations/societies and credentialing, public speaking, community engagement/organizing, advocacy, resume writing, and interviewing, are practiced, evaluated, and improved. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 and 218.

HLTP 315. Health Policy. This course explores health policy from the perspectives of health care delivery and public health. It provides students with an overview of policy making and law, the United States healthcare system, and the role of law in optimizing health. Individual rights, paternalism, health economics, health care reform, health quality, and social justice issues will be discussed. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 or Instructor's permission.

HLTP 321. Global Health. (also NURS 321) This course introduces students to key global health concepts and the critical links between health, disease, and socio-economic development. The curriculum focuses on the following global health topics: goals, measurements, and health disparities; maternal and child health; communicable and noncommunicable diseases; refugee health; environmental health; complex humanitarian emergencies; political and cultural influences on health; and careers in global health. The course examines important global health challenges and potential strategies towards improving health outcomes. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 or Instructor's permission.

HLTP 330. Environmental Health. (also Environmental Studies 330) This course addresses key areas of environmental health. Environmental epidemiology, environmental toxicology, and environmental policy and regulation are discussed as tools necessary to understand and promote environmental health. Specific agents of environmental diseases are analyzed. Applications of environmental health are explored, including water and air quality, food safety, waste disposal, occupational health, and unintentional injuries and death. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 or ENVR 110 or 112.

HLTP 340. Health Program Planning and Evaluation. (also Nursing 340) This course introduces students to the theory and application of public health program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The curriculum focuses on community needs assessment, partnership building, designing clear objectives, developing a strategic plan, implementing culturally competent interventions, formative and summative evaluation, and sustainability of programs. Students will design their own public health program and evaluation plan using a logic model and public health planning models. Prerequisites: HLTP 110 or Nursing 115.

HLTP 190-199, 290-299, 390-399. Special Topics.
HLTP 286, 381-383. Independent Study.
HLTP 384. Independent Research.

HLTP 386/387. Internship in Public Health. During the course, students apply their public health skills by completing an internship. This seminar consists of weekly discussions and assignments developed for students to think about their internship, career goals, and professional development. Fitting internship, graduate school, and/or career opportunities are identified. Elevator pitch, public speaking, community engagement, resume writing, and interview skills are developed and evaluated. Prerequisites: HLTP 110, 218, 230, 240, or instructor’s approval.

HLTP 400-401. Honors.