Skip to content Skip to main navigation Report an accessibility issue

Undergraduate Minor in Public Health

Program Director: Julie Grubaugh, MPH, MCHES®

How to Declare or Drop the Minor

To declare a public health minor, students should complete the CEHHS Minor Add/Drop form on the CEHHS Advising and Student Services website.  This same form can also be used to drop the minor should you later change your mind.

There are advantages to declaring the minor early as opposed to later:

  • The Degree Audit System (DARS) tracks your progress on the minor to confirm you are progressing as you wish
  • Once minor coursework is completed, the DARS confirms that it will be reflected in your graduation documents
  • Allows the Department of Public Health to gauge student interest in public health courses and assure that enough course offerings are available

The undergraduate minor in public health offers a broad exposure to the concepts of public health and the role of public health in assuring health, improving health, and protecting against health threats. The professional field of public health is made up of careers that are important in the health of the community, nation, and world. As a field of scientific inquiry, public health offers opportunities to engage in research from many disciplinary perspectives.

This 15-credit hour* minor provides students with an understanding of the connections between public health and every aspect of life as well as the analytic approaches to understanding these connections. The minor can be an asset to students in determining their interest in graduate studies as well as entering public health careers or other health-oriented careers after graduation.

What is Public Health?

Girl's hands holding globe“Public health is prevention. [It] is the practice of preventing disease and promoting good health within groups of people, from small communities to entire countries.
-American Public Health Association

Be sure to check out the Top PSA Videos created by students in Introduction to Public Health class while you visiting our site.


*Ask your major advisor to confirm your Catalog Year because the PUBH minor requirements are specific to you Catalog Year.  Students following the 2019 catalog year or earlier will complete 18-credit hours to include the above courses as well as PUBH 401- Global Health and a third elective. Students following the 2020 and 2021 catalogs will complete 12-credit hours for the minor.



Useful for students pursuing careers in:

  • Healthcare/nursing
  • Epidemiology
  • Health education
  • Policy/management
  • Biostatistics
  • International/global health
  • Public health law
  • Public health veterinary medicine
  • Behavioral science
  • Environmental health
  • Emergency preparedness/response
  • Health communications/journalism
  • Science/research
  • Nutrition/dietetics
  • Disease prevention
  • Consumer safety
  • Community planning
  • Social Work
  • Health inspection
  • And many more



Public Health Undergraduate Course Schedule1

15-credit hour public health minor, Catalog Year 2022 and later2


Required Courses

Title
Schedule
PUBH 201 – Introduction to Public Health (3) Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 202 – Introductory Epidemiology (3)
Prerequisite: PUBH 201
Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 320 – Social and Behavioral Theories in Public Health3 (3)
Prerequisite: PUBH 201
Fall, Spring, Summer


 

Elective Courses

Title
Schedule
PUBH 215 – VOLS 2 VOLS Peer Health Education (3) Spring
PUBH 315 – Health of Adolescents (3) Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 330 – Preparedness and Emergency Management (3) Fall, Spring
PUBH 336 – Research Methods (3) Spring
PUBH 340 – Data Management (3)
Prerequisite: PUBH 201
Fall
PUBH 350 – Public Health Aspects of Aging (3) Fall, Spring, Summer
PUBH 400 – Healthcare Systems (3) Fall
PUBH 401 – Global Public Health (3)
Prerequisite: PUBH 201
Fall
PUBH 420 – Environmental Public Health (3) Spring
PUBH 430 – Suicide and Crisis Intervention (3) Fall, Spring
PUBH 440 – Population Health (3) Spring

1Course Schedule is Subject to Change. Please refer to the undergraduate catalog for course descriptions.

2Students who follow the Undergraduate Catalog 2021 or earlier will have different requirements for the PUBH minor. Please ask your Major Advisor to confirm your Catalog Year, and then consult the appropriate catalog to determine the requirements for the PUBH minor.

3 PUBH 320 has replaced PUBH 220 as an equivalent course. If you follow the 2022-23 catalog, you will take PUBH 320 instead of PUBH 220. PUBH 220 is no longer offered.


Get involved!

Student Quote

I chose the public health minor, because of its ever-increasing role in medicine. Also, the minor gives you a great perspective into how health policy is debated and implemented on a large scale.

-Travis Baity
Microbiology major



Course Substitutions

At times scheduling and other conflicts may not allow students to complete the minor as outlined or transfer students may have taken comparable courses at their initial institution. In such cases students can petition to have alternate courses serve in lieu of the required course. Students who are challenged in completing the coursework as prescribed are encouraged to complete the CEHHS Petition Form prior to taking the alternate course, however the form can also be used in relation to a completed course.

Request a course substitution for the Public Health minor

  • Step 1 – Submit the following three documents to the director of the Public Health minor (Julie Grubaugh):
    • CEHHS Petition Form (Note: do not submit the form to the CEHHS Advising Office in Bailey. It needs to be approved by Public Health before it goes to CEHHS);
    • Copy of the syllabus for the suggested course option; and
    • Paragraph stating why the proposed course should be accepted in lieu of the prescribed course.
  • Step 2 – The director will notify you of the decision or request additional materials to help inform a decision.
  • Step 3 – If approved, the director will forward the materials to the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences Office of Advising.



More Information

If you have questions about the Public Health minor, please contact Undergraduate Program Director Julie Grubaugh.