Preprofessional Studies
Pre-Public Health
Students apply for admission through the School of Public Health. Admission into the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health program is selective and dependent on the availability of space. Students seeking direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health program must meet these minimum requirements:
- Junior standing - completion of 60 semester hours of specified General Education course work 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 course work necessary for direct admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health program are eligible to apply to the Public Health–Undecided (Pre-Public Health) program within the School of Public Health.
- Specified General Education course work includes completion of 9 semester hours of introductory public health course work 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.
The 60 semester hours required for admission to the Bachelor of Arts in Public Health should include the following 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 |
| Foreign language (16 hours in a single language or equivalent) a | 16 | |
| Select one of the following Quantitative Reasoning courses: b | 3-5 | |
| Introduction to Statistics | ||
or STAT 130 | Introduction to Statistics for the Life Sciences | |
| College Algebra | ||
or MATH 118 | Mathematical Reasoning | |
or MATH 121 | Precalculus Mathematics | |
or MATH 125 | Elementary Linear Algebra | |
or MATH 160 | Finite Mathematics for Business | |
or MATH 165 | Calculus for Business | |
or MATH 170 | Calculus for the Life Sciences | |
or MATH 180 | Calculus I | |
| Statistics in Communication Research | ||
| Research Methods II | ||
| Political Data Analysis | ||
| Statistical Methods in Behavioral Science | ||
| Introductory Sociological Statistics | ||
| Introductory Logic | ||
or PHIL 210 | Symbolic Logic | |
| 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 |
| Additional Analyzing the Natural World course. Select from one of the following life science courses with a lab: | 4 | |
| Human Evolution | ||
| Biology of Cells and Organisms | ||
| Biology of Populations and Communities | ||
| Biology for Non-majors | ||
| Understanding the Individual and Society course h, i, j | 3 | |
| Understanding U.S. Society course i, j | 3 | |
| Exploring World Cultures course h, 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 course work is chosen for this credit hour requirement. See the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences foreign language requirement for further explanation. |
| b | Fulfillment of the quantitative reasoning requirement may be satisfied through placement exam. 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 credit 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. 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. |