What Are the Courses in a Public Health Bachelor's Degree Program?

<h3 id="section---ImportantInformationAboutThisFieldOfStudy">Important Information About This Field of Study</h3><p></p><table border="1"><tr><td>
Specializations
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Global health, health economics, epidemiology, nutrition, maternal and child health, health promotion, health services research</td></tr> <tr><td>
Possible Careers
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Public health educator, environmental specialist, communicable disease investigator, program coordinator</td></tr> <tr><td>
Online Availability
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Many schools offer fully online programs.</td></tr> <tr><td>
Prerequisites
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Some schools require successful completion of introductory public health courses before being admitted to the program.</td></tr> <tr><td> Median Salary (2021) </td><td> $48,860 (<i>for all health educators and community health workers</i>) </td></tr> <tr><td> Job Outlook (2021-2031)</td><td> 12% growth (<i>for all health educators and community health workers</i>) </td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics</i> </p><h3 id="section---CoreCourses">Core Courses</h3><p>Below are some of the major topics that bachelor's degree programs in public health usually cover: </p><h4 id="section---Biostatistics">Biostatistics</h4><p>Biostatistics is the study of statistics as applied to biology. Topics in an introductory biostatistics class might include probability, sampling distributions, hypothesis testing and data analysis. Public health students also learn to use statistical software to manage data. </p><h4 id="section---Epidemiology">Epidemiology</h4><p>In an epidemiology course, public health majors study how illness affects whole populations or segments of populations, as opposed to individual patients. Students learn to apply statistics to resolve community health problems, while exploring prevention and control of chronic conditions and communicable diseases. Topics may include biological and environmental factors in disease emergence and the history of various diseases. </p><h4 id="section---SocialAndBehavioralSciences">Social and Behavioral Sciences</h4><p>Social and behavioral sciences coursework may include the studies of anthropology, psychology and related disciplines to explore people's attitudes and behavior regarding health. Students observe trends in public health that are social, rather than communicable, in nature, such as smoking. They also learn to apply theories of behavior change for the purpose of intervention. </p><h4 id="section---HealthServicesAdministration">Health Services Administration</h4><p>Health services administration involves assessing a population's health needs, formulating policies and interventions, and implementing appropriate services and programs. Aspiring public health administrators study program planning and evaluation, media relations, financing, human resources, marketing and quality control. </p><h4 id="section---EnvironmentalHealthSciences">Environmental Health Sciences</h4><p>A class in environmental health sciences introduces public health students to environmental factors that can adversely impact human health or development. These factors might include air and water quality, disease and food safety. Students also examine environmental practices, policies and laws aimed at improving public health.</p>