Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health

Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play. Public health professionals engage in a variety of jobs working to prevent illness and injuries, promote wellness, encourage healthy behaviors, track disease outbreaks, and determine why some populations are more likely to suffer from poor health than others.

Students who enroll in the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program want to make a difference in their communities and improve the health and well-being of the people around them.

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health program requires completing 120 credit hours, including coursework for WVU general education foundations, the public health major (including an area of emphasis) and a self-selected minor.

Undergraduate students engage in core public health disciplines:

• Biostatistics and epidemiology
• Occupational and environmental health sciences
• Health policy, management and leadership
• Social and behavioral sciences

Early in the program, students build a strong foundation of knowledge in the natural and social sciences and become familiar with cultural and socioeconomic differences among populations. Further study provides students with the knowledge and skills needed to identify evidence-based techniques for disease prevention and promotion of health, both at home and from a global perspective.

Areas of Emphasis

In addition to the core requirements for the major, students also focus their education by selecting an area of emphasis.

In the Public Health Sciences area of emphasis, students learn to recognize how environmental and occupational factors impact the health status of individuals and populations and to apply skills in biostatistical and epidemiologic methods in public health practice and research.

In the Community and Population Health area of emphasis, students learn to recognize how social and behavioral factors impact the health status of individuals and populations and to identify appropriate theories, methods, strategies and policies to address the public health needs of communities and populations. This also prepares students to sit for the Community Health Education Certification (CHES) exam.

The Patient Navigation area of emphasis prepares students to become members of healthcare teams that help individuals overcome barriers to quality care, including access, literacy, transportation and more. Patient Navigators (PNs) assist individuals in reducing and eliminating barriers to health care access and in negotiating complex health delivery systems.

Field Placement and Community Service

All students complete field placement and capstone experiences as their culminating coursework. During their senior year, every undergraduate student is required to complete 75 hours of applied field placement experience in a local or regional agency or institution where they can put their classroom lessons to work. Students in the Patient Navigation area of emphasis will work with health-related agencies experiencing care coordination with patients and providers. All students engage with community partners, gain experience in the workplace and demonstrate acquisition of competencies.

In addition to the field placements, all undergraduate students are required to complete a minimum 25 hours of community service before the start of their senior year, documented through iServe in the WVU Office of Service and Learning. Getting involved in the Student Association of Public Health is also a great way to get connected to service opportunities.

Learning Goals

• Demonstrate a strong foundation of knowledge about the history, philosophy, core values, concepts and functions of public health in the US and globally. (overview)
• Determine appropriate public health processes, approaches and interventions needed to address health-related needs and concerns of specific populations. (population health)
• Illustrate how socio-economic, behavioral, biological and environmental factors impact human health, contribute to health disparities and can be affected by promotion and protection programs. (determinants of health)
• Communicate public health information to diverse audiences through a variety of mediums. (communication)
• Apply evidence-based and ethical approaches to identifying, collecting, using, analyzing and disseminating public health data and information. (information)
• Differentiate the basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic and regulatory dimensions of health and how they influence the US health system and public health policy. (policy and US government)

Required Courses

Each student will have a Plan of Study (or course sequence) that he or she will develop with a faculty adviser, update every semester during the student’s advising appointment and follow to complete all degree requirements. It is important to follow this plan to graduate on time.

Admissions Guidelines

The WVU School of Public Health admits undergraduate students in both fall and spring semesters. Interested students must apply and be accepted to West Virginia University. The School offers first-time freshmen direct admission to the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program for those who meet the admission standards. Students who do not meet direct admit minimum standards, but are interested in pursuing a degree in Public Health, may elect to be admitted into the Pre-Public Health program, if qualified.

WVU students who are undeclared or in other majors may apply to transfer into the Public Health program via a WVU Academic Status Update form once the student meets the transfer guidelines and have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average. External transfer students who have completed undergraduate coursework at another institution of higher education prior to applying to the Public Health major are eligible if they meet the minimum guidelines.