Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Program Description

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health offers two professional areas of study: Community Health Education and Occupational Health and Safety. Each concentration are designed to give students a well-rounded education in public health, while providing strong preparation in one of these areas.

Students can expect to be involved, both in class and field experiences, in areas that deal with significant issues within general Public Health practice and within each concentration, such as health care costs and quality, consumer health issues, alcohol and other drugs, human sexuality, health promotion, health management and administration, unintentional injury causes and prevention, and other personal, occupational, and community health and safety issues.

The Public Health BS program is a highly sought-after degree. Due to the large number of applications, the program has a pre-major status. Students wishing to become Public Health majors must complete a series of required lower division courses in order to be eligible to declare the major. Students should check the requirements and speak with the Public Health academic advisors to help with their academic plans.

Concentration Options

Students must research each option and select ONE based on their interests, skills and values:

Note: Students graduating with a BS in Public Health (all concentrations) will not be subject to the University's Foreign Language Graduation Requirement. Students who change their major may be subject to the University's Foreign Language Graduation Requirement.

Pre-Major Requirements

Pre-major is a designation for undergraduate students pursuing a non-impacted major. These students may declare or be assigned major status upon admission to the university or by the department/program of their intended major after completing specified pre-requisites as defined by their academic department/program.

The pre-major requirements must be completed before submitting the Public Health Eligibility Form. Eligibility Forms will be reviewed on a continuous basis (see Declare Public Health as Your Major section below). Everyone who meets the pre-major requirements will be able to declare the major.

Planning is key to making timely progress toward degree completion. We highly encourage prospective students to research the major and create an academic plan that aligns with their academic and career goals.

Note: New transfer students who select Public Health in their University application will be given the designation of Pre-Major.

To be considered for the major, students must meet Pre-Major requirements:

Be admitted to the University
Have a 2.5 minimum in overall GPA
Complete 45 units of overall coursework
Earn a course grade of "C" or above in the following prerequisite courses or their equivalents as listed on ASSIST.org:

CSUS Course	Subject Area	Units
BIO 25	Human Anatomy & Physiology I	4
BIO 26	Human Anatomy & Physiology II	4
CHEM 6A	Introduction to General Chemistry	5
STAT 1	Introduction to Statistics	3

Declare Public Health as Your Major

Identify a semester that fits with your academic plan to declare Public Health. Review the Academic Calendar for important dates.
Complete ALL prerequisites! Prerequisite courses in-progress will not be accepted.
Submit final, official transcripts from all colleges you have attended. See Transcript section. Do not submit multiple copies of your transcripts.
Submit the Public Health Major Eligibility Form. All fields must be filled out on the Eligibility Form and all official transcripts must be submitted in order for the Department of Public Health to consider your file complete. Eligibility Forms are reviewed on a continuous basis, however, please keep in mind the processing time of your eligibility form in time for registration.
*You must submit your Intent to Enroll (ITE) PRIOR to submitting the Public Health Major Eligibility Form. If you submit your Eligibility Form without your ITE, we cannot process your change of major. Visit the Admissions & Outreach website for transcript deadlines & other important dates.
Once you have submitted the Eligibility Form, it will take 2-4 weeks to review and process your eligibility form. You will not be able to enroll in "Major Only" courses until your major change form has been processed. It is important that you plan accordingly.
For eligible students, the Public Health Department will submit the Change of Major form to the Office of University Registrar on the student's behalf. Please allow a minimum of 14 business days for the form to be processed.

Eligibility Form Important Dates

Program Requirements

Students must be a Public Health Major to enroll. All other courses do not have a major prerequisite/restriction.

Total Units required for BS degree: 120
Total Units required for Major: 53-63

Students must select ONE concentration from the following two options; this area is to be completed in addition to the required lower division and upper division courses.

Notes:

ALL courses in the major require a grade of "C" of better.
Writing Placement for Junior (WPJ) is a prerequisite to enroll in a Writing Intensive Course.

Required Pre-Major Courses (16 units)	Units	Course Prerequisites?
BIO 25 Human Anatomy & Physiology I	4	No
BIO 26 Human Anatomy & Physiology II	4	BIO 25
CHEM 6A Intro. to General Chemistry	5	No
STAT 1 Intro. to Statistics	3	Math Placement Exam (see Catalog)
Required Upper Division Courses (16 units)	Units	Course Prerequisites?
PUBH 118 Intro. to Public Health	3	No
PUBH 147 Health Data Analysis	3	STAT 1
PUBH 148 Epidemiology	3	STAT 1
PUBH 151 Intro. to the US Healthcare System	3	No
PUBH 195 Fieldwork	3	Permission of Faculty Advisor
Plus additional required courses (view your Concentration advising sheet/roadmap)

PUBH Majors Advising Sheet (PDF) CHE 4 Year Plan (PDF) OHS 4 Year Plan (PDF)

Academic Advising

Faculty Advisor

Students who are declared in the Public Health major are assigned a specific faculty advisor by their concentration. Students can find their faculty advisor on their Student Center and are encouraged to see their advisor for academic advising, career exploratation, specific mentoring, and professional resources. Students should see their advisor during their office hours. The list of our faculty office hours is located on the department main page under student resources.

Note: Pre-major Public Health students have an advising coordinator (Joanna Sampanis, College Advisor & Retention Specialist) for general questions, GE, academic planning, and registration from pre-major to graduation. If you're a Pre-major student and need advising, please see Joanna or an academic advisor at the HHS Student Success Center. More information is listed below.

HHS Student Success Center

The Health & Human Services Student Success Center advises all Pre-major and prospective students interested in Public Health. Please visit their website for in-person or virtual drop-in hours. If you have questions, please email them directly at: chhs_success_center@xinglongmaofang.com

Pre-Major and Prospective Students

When you email the Student Success Center be sure to provide the following information (if applicable):

Full Name
Sac State Student ID
Major
Request/Inquiry/Question(s)

Please Note: Emails are reviewed in the order received; please allow 1-3 business days for a response.

Undeclared/Expressed Interest Advising

The Academic Advising Center offers one-on-one advising to help current Sacramento State students explore major/minor opportunities. The Center engages students in a developmental process that helps clarify and implement individual educational plans consistent with their skills, interests, and values.

Career Possibilities

Public Health comprises an enormous range of possible career pathways and areas of application. Below is a sample of the common Areas of Expertise and related job titles that program graduates could pursue:

Chronic Disease: Health Educator, Health Program Director, Behavioral Scientist, Public Health Dentist
Disaster Response: Emergency Preparedness Specialist, U.S. Public Health Service Member
Drug Safety: Clinical Researcher, Pharmacist, Biostatistician, Regulatory Affairs Specialist
Environmental Health: Toxicologist, Hydrologist, Environmental Engineer, Hazardous Waste Inspector
Food Safety & Nutrition: Consumer Safety Officer, Food Scientist, Nutrition Consultant
Global Health: Peace Crops Volunteer, Genetics Researcher, Entomologist, Translator, Ethnographer
Infectious Disease: Epidemiologist, Medical Officer, Public Health Nurse, Public Health Veterinarian
Maternal & Child Health: Health Administrator, Home Visit Nurse, Community Health Worker, Nutritionist
Mental Health: Mental Health Researcher, Public Health Social Worker, Behavioral Health Coordinator
Nonprofit Management: Grant Writer, Development Director, Program Officer, Volunteer Coordinator
Occupational Safety: Industrial Hygienist, Occupational Safety Specialist, Sanitarian/Safety Inspector
Public Health Policy & Law: Policy Analyst, Health Economist, Public Health Attorney, Consumer Advocate
Public Safety: Injury Prevention Specialist, Emergency Medical Services Director, Forensic Pathologist
Quality Improvement: Program Evaluator, Informatics Specialist, Patient Safety Specialist, Health Facility Surveyor

Note: some options listed may require training additional training, coupled with a degree in Public Health.

Submitting Official Transcripts to Sac State

Official transcripts must be in their sealed envelopes from the source. Opened transcripts or transcripts in personal envelopes will be considered unofficial.

Current Sacramento State students: You are required to submit official transcripts from ALL colleges you have attended AFTER enrolling at Sacramento State. Transcripts must show ALL college coursework completed and courses currently in progress. Sacramento State Transcripts are not required.
New Transfers: Visit the Admissions & Outreach website for transcript deadlines & other important dates.
Returning Sac State students: Only send transcripts from colleges attended since leaving Sac State.

Electronic

Transcripts may be sent electronically directly from the college/university you attended. Inquire at the college/university to check if the service is available. Official electronic transcripts can be sent from college/university to incomingtranscripts@xinglongmaofang.com