Public Health Program

Nursing Program Director
Cassandra Marshall, DNP, RN Capella University

Undergraduate Public Health Program Director
Beth Feingold, Ph.D., John Hopkins University

Professors
Erin Bell, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
David Carpenter, M.D., Harvard University
Janine Jurkowski, Ph.D., MPH, University of Illinois at Chicago
Shao Lin, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Jennifer Manganello, Ph.D., MPH, Johns Hopkins University
JoEllen Welsh, Ph.D., Cornell University
Igor Zurbenko, Ph.D., Moscow State University

Clinical Faculty
Catherine M. Bohn, MPH, University of California, Berkeley
Rachel deLong, M.D., MPH, University of Wisconsin
Annette Johnson, Ed.D., Columbia University
John Justino, MS, Georgetown University
Ursula Lauper, MPH, University at Albany
Cassandra Marshall, DNP, RN Capella University
Mary O'Reilly, Ph.D., University of Michigan
James Tesoriero, Ph.D., University at Albany
Dwight C. Williams, MSW, Rutgers University

Associate Professors
Allison Appleton, Sc.D., Harvard University
Christine Bozlak, Ph.D., MPH, University of Illinois at Chicago
Douglas Conklin, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison  
Diane Dewar, Ph.D., University at Albany
Beth Feingold, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
Julia Hastings, Ph.D., University of California, Los Angeles
Jason Herschkowitz, Ph.D., University of North Carolina
Akiko Hosler, Ph.D., University at Albany
Mark H. Kuniholm, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
Igor B. Kuznetsov, Ph.D., New York University
Ricky C. Leung, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin-Madison
Roxana Moslehi, Ph.D., University of British Columbia
Ramune Reliene, Ph.D., Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Melissa Tracy, Ph.D., University of Michigan
Tomoko Udo, Ph.D., Rutgers University 
Elizabeth Vasquez, DrPH, New York Medical College
Wendy Weller, Ph.D., Johns Hopkins University
Xiaobo Xue, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh   
Yuchi Young, DrPH, Johns Hopkins University
Kai Zhang, Ph.D., University of Michigan

Assistant Professors
S M Ashiqul Islam, Ph.D., Baylor University
Chanup Jeung, Ph.D., University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Bum-Kyu Lee, Ph.D., University of Texas, Austin
Muntasir Masum, Ph.D., University of Texas, San Antonio
Eric Rose, Ph.D., North Carolina State University
Edward Valachovic, Ph.D., University at Albany
Melonie Walcott, DrPH, University of Alabama
Xin Wang, Ph.D., University at Albany

Bachelor of Science in Public Health

This degree sequence includes the educational objectives of nurturing critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis of information, and recognizing the historical and societal context of current trends in public health and health care delivery. It also provides an introduction to disease control and health promotion interventions, and determinants of health from a global perspective.

Admission Requirements

There are no admission requirements for the major.

Course Progression Restriction

Students must complete AMAT 108 with a grade of B or better to register for HSPH 332.

Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science in Public Health

General Program B.S.:  A minimum of 39 credits distributed as follows:

Prerequisite Core (6 credits)

  • ABIO 130 General Biology: Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics
  • AMAT 108 Elementary Statistics

Public Health Core (24 credits)

  • HSPH 201 Introduction to Public Health
  • HSPH 231 Concepts in Epidemiology
  • HSPH 305 Biological Basis of Personal and Public Health
  • HSPH 321 Global Environmental Issues and their Effect on Human Health
  • HSPH 332 Introduction to Biostatistics
  • HSPH 341Z Promoting Healthy People and Communities
  • HSPH 342 How U.S. Health Care Works: Myths and Realities
  • HSPH 460 Capstone: Evidence-Based Public Health

Electives (select 9 credits from the following, at least 6 of which must be 300 level or higher)

  • AAFS 333 The Black Community: Continuity and Change
  • AANT 119 The City and Human Health
  • AANT 211 Human Population Biology
  • AANT 418 Culture, Environment, and Health
  • ACOM 340 Health Communication
  • AHIS 277 Culture and History of Food in the United States
  • APHI 338 Moral Problems in Medicine
  • APHI 417 Bioethics
  • APSY 329 Health Psychology
  • ASOC 359 Medical Sociology
  • HBMS 505 Biological Basis of Public Health
  • HBMS 622 Cancer Biology
  • HEHS 590 Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences
  • HEPI 501 Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
  • HEPI 503 Principles of Public Health
  • HEPI 514 Computer Programming for Data Management and Analysis in Public Health
  • HHPM 469 Topics in Health Policy, Management and Behavior
  • HHPM 500 Health Care Organizations, Delivery, and Finance
  • HHPM 525 Social Behavior Aspects of Public Health
  • HHPM 531 Childhood Obesity from a Public Health Perspective
  • HHPM 550/BBUS 681 Financial Management of Health Care Institutions
  • HSPH 202 From Cholera to Cancer: History, Challenges, and Achievements in Public Health
  • HSPH 203 Integrative Care in Public Health
  • HSPH 259 Topics in Public Health
  • HSPH 270 Issues in Global Health
  • HSPH 323 Environmental Lab Perspectives of Public Health
  • HSPH 330 Maternal and Child Health
  • HSPH 343 Mass Media and Health Behavior
  • HSPH/AECO/HHPM 381 Economics of Health Care
  • HSPH 397 Independent Study in Public Health
  • HSPH 421/HHPM 521 Preventing Disease, Disability, and Death
  • HSPH 430 Health Literacy
  • HSPH 435 Social Determinants of Health: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Applications
  • HSPH 459 Advanced Topics in Public Health
  • HSPH 469 Topics in Health Policy, Management and Behavior
  • HSPH 475 Universal Health Care in Costa Rica
  • HSPH 490 Public Health Field Placement
  • HSPH 491/HEHS 591 Occupational Health: Achievements, Continuing Challenges and Evolving Issues
  • HSPH 499 Research Placement in Public Health

Combined Public Health Bachelor of Science / Master of Public Health

The 4+1 combined degree program of a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Health and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) provides a strong foundation in primary public health fields and advanced public health training in an area of interest chosen from concentrations in biomedical sciences, biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management, and social behavior and community health. This program, accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, allows undergraduate students majoring in Public Health to graduate with both a B.S. and M.P.H. in Public Health in five years.

Students apply to the program at the beginning of their junior year or after successfully completing 56 credits.  An overall GPA of 3.20 is required along with 2 letters of recommendation and a personal statement of interest in public health. Additionally, the following are concentration specific admission requirements:

  • All concentrations: one semester of social sciences, one college level course in mathematics or statistics with B or higher
  • Biomedical Sciences: Calculus I, two semesters of Biology, two semesters of Chemistry
  • Biostatistics: Calculus I, Calculus II, Linear Algebra
  • Epidemiology: Calculus I, one semester of Biology
  • Environmental Health Sciences: Calculus I, two semesters of Biology, two semesters of Chemistry

Accepted students complete 24 credits of graduate coursework during their senior year that count toward both the Public Health B.S. and M.P.H. degrees. The first of two professional internships are completed during the summer after senior year and all remaining program requirements are completed by the end of spring of year five.

Undergraduate Program Minors

See the minors section of the bulletin for information on undergraduate minors in Social Welfare Studies and Social Justice Studies.