BA in Public Health Practice
Degree Requirements
To earn the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Practice degree from UIC, students need to complete the university and school degree requirements. University and school degree requirements for all Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Practice students are outlined below. Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for more information on completing the General Education requirements.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Summary of Requirements | ||
| University and General Education Requirements | 30 | |
| Public Health Practice Major Requirements | 44-47 | |
| Free Electives | 43-46 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
University and General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts | 3 |
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| PUBH 100 | Health and the Public a,b,e | 3 |
| PUBH 110 | Public Health and Global Societies a,c,e | 3 |
| PUBH 120 | Public Health and the Study of Disease and Epidemics d,e | 3 |
| Analyzing the Natural World - Life Science course with a lab. Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Human Evolution | ||
| Biology for Non-majors | ||
| Biology of Cells and Organisms | ||
| Biology of Populations and Communities | ||
| Understanding the Past course | 3 | |
| Understanding the Creative Arts course | 3 | |
| Select additional General Education credits to complete the minimum 24 semester hours of General Education coursework. PUBH 100, PUBH 110, and PUBH 120 may be applied toward General Education Requirements; PUBH 130 and PUBH 200 are major selectives and are also approved for General Education. f | 5 | |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- a
This course is required for public health majors and also approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category. Courses approved for more than one General Education category may only be applied to one General Education category.
- b
This course is required for public health majors and also approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category. Courses approved for more than one General Education category may only be applied to one General Education category.
- c
This course is required for public health majors and also approved for the Exploring World Cultures General Education category. Courses approved for more than one General Education category may only be applied to one General Education category.
- d
This course is required for public health majors and also approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category (nonlaboratory course).
- e
A grade of C or better in PUBH 100, PUBH 110, and PUBH 120 is required for progression to upper-level public health major coursework.
- f
Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses within each General Education category. All students must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of General Education coursework with at least one course from each of the six General Education categories.
Public Health Practice Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Major Courses | ||
| Quantitative Reasoning Course. Select one of the following (PUBH 130 is preferred): | 4 | |
| Introductory Public Health Statistics for Public Health Decision-Making a | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| PUBH 105 | Public Health Seminar I | 1 |
| PUBH 205 | Public Health Seminar II | 1 |
| PUBH 310 | Public Health and Global Citizenship | 3 |
| PUBH 330 | Health Equity and Health Disparities | 3 |
| PUBH 345 | Critical Thinking and Public Health Communication | 3 |
| PUBH 350 | Health Systems, Policy, and Advocacy | 3 |
| PUBH 360 | Local Citizenship and Community Health Initiatives | 4 |
| PUBH 370 | Applied Public Health Methods | 3 |
| PUBH 395 | Public Health Seminar III | 1 |
| PUBH 397 | Baccalaureate Project in Public Health | 3 |
| PUBH 415 | Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges | 3 |
| Public Health Sciences course. Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Exploring Connections between Human Health and the Environment b | ||
| Epidemiology | ||
| Public Health Biology | ||
| Experiential Learning c | 0-3 | |
| Focus Area d | 9 | |
| Total Hours | 44-47 | |
- a
This course is required for public health majors and also approved for Analyzing the Natural World General Education category (non-laboratory course).
- b
This course is approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category.
- c
This requirement can be met either through coursework such as PUBH 393 or non-credit-bearing experiences. Students should consult their Advisor for more information.
- d
Credits in the focus area should fulfill one of the following objectives: coursework toward a minor; foreign language or language area courses; pre-medical/pre-professional studies; a specific public health disciplinary focus; progression into the joint BA-MPH program; or other focus area in consultation with the student’s Advisor. Courses in the Focus Area are required to be upper-level courses.
Free Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Courses | ||
| Free Electives a | 43-46 | |
| Total Hours | 43-46 | |
- a
Students can use these electives for minors, foreign language or language area courses, prerequisites for professional programs (medical school, dental school, etc.), baccalaureate certificates, and other free electives. If any of the focus area courses have prerequisites that are not already satisfied by the University and General Education Requirements, students are advised to choose free electives that will work toward satisfying these prerequisite requirements.
Sample Course Schedule
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| ENGL 160 | Academic Writing I: Writing in Academic and Public Contexts a | 3 |
| PUBH 105 | Public Health Seminar I | 1 |
| PUBH 110 | Public Health and Global Societies b | 3 |
| Understanding the Past course | 3 | |
| Understanding the Individual and Society course | 3 | |
| Free Elective | 1 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| ENGL 161 | Academic Writing II: Writing for Inquiry and Research | 3 |
| PUBH 100 | Health and the Public c | 3 |
| PUBH 120 | Public Health and the Study of Disease and Epidemics | 3 |
| Select one of the following Analyzing the Natural World - Life Science with Lab courses: | 4 | |
| Human Evolution | ||
| Biology for Non-majors | ||
| Biology of Cells and Organisms | ||
| Biology of Populations and Communities | ||
| Understanding the Creative Arts course | 3 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PUBH 130 |
Introductory Public Health Statistics for Public Health Decision-Making or Introduction to Statistics or Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences |
4 |
| PUBH 205 | Public Health Seminar II | 1 |
| PUBH 330 | Health Equity and Health Disparities | 3 |
| Free Electives | 7 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Select one of the following Public Health Sciences courses: | 3 | |
| Exploring Connections between Human Health and the Environment | ||
| Epidemiology | ||
| Public Health Biology | ||
| PUBH 345 | Critical Thinking and Public Health Communication | 3 |
| Free Electives | 9 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PUBH 310 | Public Health and Global Citizenship | 3 |
| PUBH 350 | Health Systems, Policy, and Advocacy | 3 |
| PUBH 395 | Public Health Seminar III | 1 |
| Free Electives | 8 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PUBH 360 | Local Citizenship and Community Health Initiatives | 4 |
| PUBH 415 | Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges | 3 |
| Additional General Education course in any category | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 5 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PUBH 370 | Applied Public Health Methods | 3 |
| PUBH 393 | Public Health Fieldwork d | 3 |
| Public Health Focus Area course e | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PUBH 397 | Baccalaureate Project in Public Health | 3 |
| Public Health Focus Area course e | 3 | |
| Public Health Focus Area course e | 3 | |
| Free Electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
- a
Additional prerequisite course(s) may be required depending on placement level.
- b
This course satisfies the Exploring World Cultures General Education requirement.
- c
This course satisfies the Understanding U.S. Society General Education requirement.
- d
The Experiential Learning Requirement can be met either through coursework such as PUBH 393, or noncredit bearing experiences. Students should consult their advisor for more information.
- e
Students select 9 hours of approved Focus Area courses in consultation with their advisor. Credits in the focus area should fulfill one of the following objectives: coursework toward a minor; advanced foreign language or language area courses; pre-medical/preprofessional studies; a specific public health disciplinary focus; progression into the joint BA-MPH program; or other focus area in consultation with the student’s Advisor. Courses in the Focus Area are required to be upper-level courses.