BS in Public Health
Degree Requirements
To earn the Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree from UIC, students need to complete the university and school degree requirements. University and school degree requirements for all Bachelor of Science in Public Health 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 | ||
| Prerequisite Courses | 25-26 | |
| Additional General Education Requirements | 11 | |
| Major Course Requirements in Public Health | 35 | |
| Selectives and Electives | 48-49 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
Prerequisite Courses
| 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 |
| Quantitative Reasoning course a | 4-5 | |
| PUBH 100 | Health and the Public b,c | 3 |
| PUBH 105 | Foundations for Public Health d | 2 |
| PUBH 110 | Public Health and Global Societies b,e | 3 |
| PUBH 120 | Public Health and the Study of Disease and Epidemics f | 3 |
| Analyzing the Natural World - Life Science course with a lab. Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Biology of Cells and Organisms | ||
or BIOS 120 | Biology of Populations and Communities | |
| Total Hours | 25-26 | |
- a
See Quantitative Reasoning in the School of Public Health section. STAT 101 or STAT 130 is recommended to fulfill this requirement.
- b
This course is approved for the Understanding the Individual and Society General Education category.
- c
This course is approved for the Understanding U.S. Society General Education category.
- d
Required for first year students in the School of Public Health as well as transfer students who enter the School of Public Health with less than 24 semester hours. Other students may enroll with permission of the instructor if space permits.
- e
This course is approved for the Exploring World Cultures General Education category.
- f
This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category (non laboratory course).
Additional General Education Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Understanding the Past course | 3 | |
| Understanding the Creative Arts course | 3 | |
| Select an additional course in at least one of these General Education categories (depending on how PUBH 100and PUBH 110 are used to satisfy General Education Requirements) a | 3 | |
Exploring World Cultures | ||
Understanding U.S. Society | ||
Understanding the Individual and Society | ||
| Additional General Education course(s) from any category, as necessary to total 24 hours of General Education credit | 2 | |
| Total Hours | 11 | |
Major Course Requirements in Public Health
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| PUBH 300 | Critical Thinking in Public Health | 4 |
| PUBH 301 | Critical Thinking in Public Health II | 2 |
| PUBH 310 | Public Health and Global Citizenship | 3 |
| PUBH 320 | Ecologies of Health and Modern Life | 3 |
| PUBH 330 | Health Equity and Health Disparities | 3 |
| PUBH 340 | Health Literacy | 3 |
| PUBH 350 | Health Systems, Health Policy | 3 |
| PUBH 360 | Local Citizenship and Community Health Initiatives | 4 |
| PUBH 370 | Using the Public Health Toolbox | 3 |
| PUBH 395 | Professional Topics Seminar | 0 |
| PUBH 397 | Baccalaureate Project in Public Health | 3 |
| PUBH 410 | Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges I | 2 |
| PUBH 411 | Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges II | 2 |
| Total Hours | 35 | |
Selectives and Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health Selectives and Electives a | 18 | |
| Free Electives b | 30-31 | |
| Total Hours | 48-49 | |
- a
In consultation with their Advisor, students must develop an area of focus and choose 18 hours of courses from the list on the following pages representing an array of bench, lab, and applied sciences within the School of Public Health and across campus. The list of courses includes PUBH electives and graduate-level PUBH courses. Students can use these electives for minors, prerequisites for professional programs (Medical School, Dental School, etc.) and baccalaureate certificates. Students are highly encouraged to consider PUBH 393 and PUBH 420 for their selective options.
- b
Students can use these electives for minors, prerequisites for professional programs (Medical School, Dental School, etc.), baccalaureate certificates, and other free electives.
Sample Major Course Schedule
| Junior Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| PUBH 300 | Critical Thinking in Public Health | 4 |
| PUBH 330 | Health Equity and Health Disparities | 3 |
| PUBH 350 | Health Systems, Health Policy | 3 |
| PUBH 395 | Professional Topics Seminar | 0 |
| Free electives | 6 | |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PUBH 301 | Critical Thinking in Public Health II | 2 |
| PUBH 320 | Ecologies of Health and Modern Life | 3 |
| PUBH 340 | Health Literacy | 3 |
| PUBH 360 | Local Citizenship and Community Health Initiatives | 4 |
| PUBH 395 | Professional Topics Seminar | 0 |
| Public Health elective | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| PUBH 370 | Using the Public Health Toolbox | 3 |
| PUBH 410 | Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges I | 2 |
| Public Health selective a | 3 | |
| Public Health selective a | 3 | |
| Public Health selective a | 3 | |
| Free elective | 1 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| PUBH 310 | Public Health and Global Citizenship | 3 |
| PUBH 397 | Baccalaureate Project in Public Health | 3 |
| PUBH 411 | Historical and Contemporary Public Health Challenges II | 2 |
| Public Health selective a | 3 | |
| Public Health selective a | 3 | |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- a
PUBH 393 is strongly recommended as one of the selective options.