Curriculum

General Education Requirements   (30)

Students are required to complete 30 hours as part of the General Education Program

Public Health Major

Public Health Major Requirements (57 credits)

Public Health Major Electives (18 credits required)

BPH 2010                   Human Genomics (3 credits) 

HONR 2020E             Grant Writing for Human Subjects Research (3 credits) 

BPH 2060                   Introduction to School Health (3 credits)  

BPH 2070                   Public Health Research Methods (3 credits) 

BPH 2080                   Dimensions of Wellness (3 credits) 

BPH 3040                   Public Health Issues in Disasters (3 credits)  

BPH 3970                   Disparities and Health (3 credits) 

BPH 3990                   Understanding Mental Health as Public Health (3 credits) 

BPH 3990                   Inside Out: Exploring Mental Health and Well-Being (3 credits, Honors course) 

BPH 4900                   Global Outreach and Applied Learning (3 credits) 

BPH 4901                   Domestic Outreach and Applied Learning (3 credits)  

BPH 4901B                 Local Outreach and Applied Learning (3 credits) 

BPH 4920                   Population Health Outcomes and Analysis (3 credits)  

BPH 4980                   Ethical Issues in Population Health (3 credits) 

BPH 4990                   Independent Study in Public Health (1, 2, 3 credits; varies based on student project) 

 

Students are permitted to take 9 of the required 18 major elective credits from the BSHN (Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition) or HAWC (Bachelor of Science in Health and Wellness Coaching).

View degree curriculum sheet

Public Health Minor

KPCOM’s Public Health Minor provides curriculum in areas relevant to public health, social and behavioral health sciences, and community health. The interprofessional experiences of KPCOM faculty offer students a realistic look into the benefits, rewards, and challenges of public health.

Public Health Minor Requirements (9)

BPH 1010 Foundations of Public Health (3 credits)
BPH 1020 Principles of Health Behavior (3 credits)
BPH 2050 Community Health (3 credits)

BPH Open Major Elective
BPH Open Major Elective
BPH Open Major Elective

Students may select up to 9 credits with the HAWC (Health and Wellness Coaching) or BSNH (Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition)

The BSPH addresses the following Foundational Domains (Council on Education for Public Health):

• History and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts and functions across the globe and in society;
• Basic concepts, methods and tools of public health data collection, use and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice;
• Concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations;
• Underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course;
• Socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities;
• Fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment and evaluation;
• Fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the US health system as well as the differences between systems in other countries;
• Basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy and the roles, influences and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government; and
• Basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology

The BSPH also addresses the following Foundational Competencies (Council on Education for Public Health):

• Ability to communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms, through a variety of media and to diverse audiences, and
• Ability to locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize public health information.

1. Demonstrate a working knowledge of the core areas of public health education (i.e., epidemiology; biostatistics; environmental health; social and behavioral sciences)
2. Demonstrate essential knowledge of the core functions of public health: assessment, policy development and assurance
3. Demonstrate an understanding of the ecological model of health behavior and the logic model of public health practice
4. Apply evidence-based principles to public health practice
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of research design and analysis
6. Describe the scientific foundation for understanding health and disease, as well as chronic, infectious and emerging diseases
7. Demonstrate essential knowledge of population health and vulnerable population groups
8. Explain the impact of health behaviors, ethics, diversity and culture
9. Identify emerging topics in public health, including nutrition, disaster preparedness, and infectious diseases

B.S.P.H. students will participate in community based public health projects to further develop skills in program development, research, and program evaluation.

The Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine places a strong emphasis on experiential learning and practice-based education. The experiential learning approach “learning by doing” is a vital aspect of these courses. The public health local, domestic and global outreach courses are practice-based field experiences that expose students to public health issues both domestically and globally. All outreach trips involve participating with underserved populations in a public health capacity. Trips have included India, New Orleans, Mississippi and Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico Outreach Trip