Preprofessional Studies
Pre-Public Health
The School of Public Health offers two baccalaureate degree programs: the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and the Bachelor of Science in Public Health. The Bachelor of Arts in Public Health is geared toward students with an interest in the socio-cultural determinants of health and aims to prepare students for public health practice, community engaged work, and careers and graduate education focused on social justice in health and well-being. The associated selective course options for the Bachelor of Arts largely align with social sciences and humanities. The Bachelor of Science in Public Health is geared toward students seeking a deeper understanding of basic and applied sciences and aims to prepare students for graduate and professional degrees and career trajectories in fields such as epidemiology and biostatistics, dentistry, environmental and occupational health sciences, medicine, and pharmacy. The associated selective course options for the Bachelor of Science include an array of bench, lab, and applied sciences.
Direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health or the Bachelor of Science in Public Health requires completion of 60 semester hours of specified General Education coursework. However, students who have not yet completed the specified General Education coursework necessary for direct admission are eligible to apply to the Public Health–Undecided (Pre-Public Health) program within the School of Public Health.
Please see below for information on the 60 semester hours of Pre-Public Health coursework required for direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health or the Bachelor of Science in Public Health as well as an overview of admission requirements.
Pre-Public Health Requirements for the BA in Public Health
| 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 |
| Foreign language (16 hours in a single language or equivalent) a | 16 | |
| Quantitative Reasoning course b | 3-5 | |
| PUBH 100 | Health and the Public c, d | 3 |
| PUBH 105 | Foundations for Public Health e | 2 |
| PUBH 110 | Public Health and Global Societies c, f | 3 |
| PUBH 120 | Public Health and the Study of Disease and Epidemics g | 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 | ||
| Exploring World Cultures course h, j | 3 | |
| Understanding U.S. Society course i, j | 3 | |
| Understanding the Individual and Society course h, i, j | 3 | |
| Understanding the Past course j | 3 | |
| Understanding the Creative Arts course j | 3 | |
| Additional General Education course(s) from any category, as necessary to total 24 hours of General Education credit. j | 1-3 | |
| Free electives to total 60 hours | 0-10 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- a
If a student has a background in a foreign language, proficiency in that language will be determined by testing. Should a student be deemed proficient, other coursework is chosen for this requirement. See the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement for further explanation.
- b
See Quantitative Reasoning in the School of Public Health section. STAT 101 or STAT 130 is recommended to fulfill this requirement.
- c
This course is 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.
- d
This course is 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.
- e
Required for new 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 earned. Others may enroll with permission of instructor if space permits.
- f
This course is 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.
- g
This course is approved for the Analyzing the Natural World General Education category (nonlaboratory course).
- h
Students must take a course approved for this General Education category if not fulfilled by PUBH 110.
- i
Students must take a course approved for this General Education category if not fulfilled by PUBH 100.
- j
Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this category. All students must complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of General Education course work with at least one course from each of the six General Education categories.
Pre-Public Health Requirements for the BS in Public Health
| 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 | |
Select one of the following: | ||
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
| Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences | ||
| Precalculus Mathematics | ||
| Calculus for the Life Sciences | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| 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 | |
| Exploring World Cultures course g,i | 3 | |
| Understanding U.S. Society course h,i | 3 | |
| Understanding the Individual and Society course g,h,i | 3 | |
| Understanding the Past course i | 3 | |
| Understanding the Creative Arts course i | 3 | |
| Additional General Education course(s) from any category, as necessary, to total 24 hours of General Education | 0-2 | |
| Free electives to total 60 hours j | 19-24 | |
| Total Hours | 60 | |
- 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).
- g
Students must take a course approved for this General Education category if not fulfilled by PUBH 110.
- h
Students must take a course approved for this General Education category if not fulfilled by PUBH 100.
- i
Students should consult the General Education section of the catalog for a list of approved courses in this 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. Courses approved for more than one General Education category may only be applied to one General Education category.
- j
If any future selective courses have prerequisites that are not already satisfied by the University and General Education requirements, students are advised to choose free electives that work towards satisfying these requirements.
Admission Requirements
Admission to Public Health–Undecided (Pre-Public Health)
New first year applicants interested in pursuing the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Public Health are eligible to apply to the Public Health–Undecided (Pre-Public Health) program within the School of Public Health. See the Admissions section of the Undergraduate Catalog for additional information.
New transfer applicants who have completed a minimum of 24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours of transferable college coursework at the time of application but have not yet completed the specified General Education coursework necessary for direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Public Health are eligible to apply to the Public Health–Undecided (Pre-Public Health) program within the School of Public Health. See the Admissions section of the Undergraduate Catalog for additional information.
Current UIC students who have not yet completed the specified General Education coursework necessary for direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Public Health are eligible to apply as intercollege transfer applicants to the Public Health–Undecided (Pre-Public Health) program within the School of Public Health.
Admission to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Students apply for admission through the School of Public Health. Admission into the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Public Health programs is selective and dependent on the availability of space. Students seeking direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health or Bachelor of Science in Public Health programs must meet these minimum requirements:
- Junior standing - completion of 60 semester hours of specified General Education coursework at UIC or from any accredited community college or four-year college or university. Note: Students who have not yet completed the specified General Education coursework necessary for direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health or Bachelor of Science in Public Health programs are eligible to apply to the Public Health–Undecided (Pre-Public Health) program within the School of Public Health.
- Specified General Education coursework includes completion of 9 semester hours of introductory public health coursework with a grade of B or better in each course (PUBH 100, PUBH 110, and PUBH 120). Special consideration will be given to students who have taken comparable prerequisites at community colleges or other four-year colleges or universities.
- Minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.50/4.00. A 2.75/4.00 or above is recommended for priority consideration.
- Personal statement of educational goals including reasons for selecting a public health degree.
- One letter of recommendation from a professional or academic reference.
Early Admission to the Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Public Health
While most students will follow the traditional pathway of entering the major upon completion of 60 hours of specified coursework, early admission to the major is possible for high-achieving students. Students who have successfully completed at least 30 semester hours including at least one of the three 100-level public health prerequisite courses (PUBH 100, PUBH 110, or PUBH 120) with a minimum cumulative GPA of at least 3.25/4.00, may apply to be admitted to the full major at the beginning of the sophomore year. Students qualifying for early admission will typically spread their core public health major coursework over three years rather than two.