Welcome to the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health!
Undergraduate
Degree Programs
BSPH-CH
Bachelor of Science in Public Health - Community Health
Many groups of people face significant challenges to living healthy lives. These challenges are influenced not only by individual choices but also by where we live, work and play. Through the BSPH in Community Health, students gain knowledge, skills and hands-on experience that prepares them to tackle these real world problems.
It is an exciting time to be part of the Social and Behavioral Sciences department at the IU Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health. Join us and be part of our efforts to address the social determinants of health and advocate for better health, while also advancing research to understand and solve emerging issues.
Competencies
The BSPH major in Community Health will prepare students to work in entry-level positions in public health agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), hospitals and health care centers, and other organizations focused on the health and well-being of groups of individuals. It also provides excellent preparation for the Master's in Public Health degree program. Students will have opportunities to develop research skills, cultivate team work and leadership skills, and have international health experiences through additional coursework and practical opportunities. Specific program outcomes (numbered for reference, not to communicate importance) include:
- Recognize the social determinants of health that impact individuals and communities.
- Explain and apply the principles of epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health care systems, and health policy in public and community health.
- Describe the historical role of public health nationally and globally, and identify and understand current and future public health challenges faced by the U.S. and the world.
- Select, collect, correctly interpret, and apply quality data for assessment and planning in individual and public health.
- Plan, administer, manage, and evaluate community health promotion interventions and programs.
- Implement community health promotion interventions and programs.
- Conduct evaluation and research related to community health promotion.
- Communicate effectively while serving as a resource person to individuals, communities and stakeholders.
- Based on evidence and data, advocate for practices, programming, and policies that address health issues.
- Demonstrate an understanding of cultural competency and ethical decision making.
- Communicate the role of fairness and justice in health equity.
Curriculum
To complete this degree, you will take a minimum of 35 credit hours of general education courses, 69 credit hours of coursework in the major, and 16 credit hours of general electives that together total at least 120 credits. Major requirements can be mapped to fulfill requirements for pre-med and other pre-professional plans.
Students who are interested in this degree are encouraged to contact the Office of Student Services at (317) 274-2000. Our advisors can answer questions about degree requirements, eligible classes, course substitutions, and course waivers. We’re here to help you.
Community Health Curriculum
To complete this degree, you will take a minimum of 35 credit hours of General Education courses, 69 credit hours of coursework in the major, and 16 credit hours of general electives that together total at least 120 credits. The specific distribution of classes is as follows:
Academic Requirements
Bachelor of Science in Public Health - Community Health majors must fulfill the IUPUI General education requirements corresponding the IUPUI's Statewide Transferrable General Education Core.
Social and Behavioral Sciences Core (pick 3 Courses) - Minimum 9 Credit Hours
- PSY-B 110 Introduction to Psycology (3 credits)
- SOC-R 100 Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)
- GEOG-G 110 Human Geography in a Changing World (3 credits)
- ANTH-A 104 Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)
Public Health Core Courses (5 Courses) - Minimum 15 Credit Hours
Each of the Following five course:
- PBHL-A 316 Environmental Health Science (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 120 Health Care Delivery in the US (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 305 Careers in Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 322 Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 330 Evidence-Based Writing in Public Health (3 credits)
Community Health Courses
Each of the following 12 Community Health core courses:
- PBHL-S 220 Navigating the Maze to Healthy Living (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 315 Community Organizing for Health Promotion (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 330 Theories of Health Behavior Change (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 337 Health Equity and Social Determinants of Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 340 Cultural Competency in the Promotion of Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 349 Research Methods in Community Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 360 Assessment and Planning for Community Health Promotion P: S120, S330 (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 361 Implementation and Evaluation for Community Health Promotion P: S360 (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 416 Health Promotion Application P: S361 (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 460 Biosocial Approach to Global Health P: S361, S315 (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 479 Internship in Community Health P: Senior Standing, 2.5 GPA S361 (6 credits)
- PBHL-S 499 Applied Capstone Seminar (3 credits) P: Must Be Last Semester; 2.5 GPA (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 469* Practicum in Community Health
* Students can opt to complete PBHL-S 469 and an additional general elective with permission
Required Health Electives (5 Course) - 15 Credit Hours.
Required health electives are organized into groups. Select once course from each group from the options listed below.
Choose 1 course from each group for a total of 15 credit hours
Global Health Electives
Choose 1 course for a total of 3 credits
- PBHL-P 450 Healthcare Systems around the World - Any FSPH Public Health Study Abroad Program (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 330 Global Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 415 Explosions, Collapses, and Toxic Spills: Prevention and Response (3 credits)
- HLSC-H 250 Health and Rehabilitation Systems Across the World (3 credits)
- NTRD-D 460 Global Perspectives in Nutrition, Health, Disease, and Disability (3 credits)
Mental Health Electives
Choose 1 course for a total of 3 credits
- PBHL-S 222 This Stress is Killing Me: Stress and its Effects on You (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 325 Urban Angst and Suburban Blues: Public Mental Health (3 credits)
- SOC-R 485 Sociology of Mental Illness (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 315 High Risk Health Behaviors and Harm Reduction (3 credits)
- SOC-R 410 Alcohol, Drugs, and Society (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 333 Buzzed and Stoned: Epidemiology of Substance Abuse (3 credits)
Contemporary Issues Electives
Choose 1 course for a total of 3 credits
- PBHL-S 105 Public Health & Film (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 210 Zombie Apocalypse and Other Doomsday Infections (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 335 Pandemics Lurking in the Shadows: Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 395 Sores, Drips: Epidemiology of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (3 credits)
- SOC-R 385 AIDS and Society (3 credits)
- HPER-H 305 Women's Health (3 credits)
- HLSC-H 220 Aging and the Older Person (3 credits)
- SOC-R 315 Sociology of Disability (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 325 Injury Prevention (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 330 Humans in Extreme Environments (3 credits)
Leadership and Management Electives
Choose 1 course for a total of 3 credits
- PBHL-H 361 Leadership in Health Management: Resolving Disputes and Difficult Conversations (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 375 Management of Health Service Organizations (3 credits)
- SPEA-V 263 Public Management (3 credits)
- SPEA-V 362 Nonprofit Management and Leadership (3 credits)
- SPEA-V 366 Manageing Behaviors in Public Organizations (3 credits)
Skill Development Electives
Choose 1 course for a total of 3 credits
- PBHL-S 240 Peer Health Education & Leadership (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 422 Coaching for Health and Wellness (3 credits)
- PBHL-A 441 Public Health Applications of Geographic Information Systems (3 credits)
General Electives
- Additional courses beyond the IUPUI Common Core, General Education, and Major requirements to total 120 credit hours.
Grade Point Average Requirement
In order to be admitted to this degree program a student must have earned a 2.5 undergraduate cumulative and previous semester GPA. In addition, students must maintain at least a 2.5 semester and cumulative grade point average (GPA) to remain in good academic standing and graduate from this program.
Accelerated 4 + 1 BSPH - MPH Curriculum
Academic Requirements
Bachelor of Science in Public Health - Community Health majors must fulfill the IUPUI general education requirements corresponding the IUPUI's Statewide Transferrable General Education Core.
Community Health Major Courses:
Take 13 courses for a total of 39 credits
Each of the following four courses:
- PBHL-A 316 Environmental Health Science (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 322 Principles of Epidemiology (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 220 Policy and Management for Population Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 315 Community Health (3 credits)
Each of the following nine Community Health core courses:
- PBHL-S 220 Navigating the Maze to Healthy Living (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 305 Careers in Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 330 Theories of Health Behavior Change (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 340 Cultural Competency in the Promotion of Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 399 Research Methods in Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 415 Applied Health Promotion Methods (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 425 Social Determinants of Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 460 Community Capacity Building in a Global Health Context (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 499 Applied Capstone Seminar (3 credits)
Required Health Electives
Take 10 Elective courses, five must be from the Public Health Electives list. It is recommended that all 10 be taken from the Public Health Electives list.
Public Health Electives
*Indicates preferred courses.
- PBHL-S 105* Public Health & Film (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 240* Peer Health Education and Leadership (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 320* This Stress is Killing Me: Stress and Its Effects on You (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 325* Urban Angst and Suburban Blues: Public Mental Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 422* Coaching for Health and Wellness (3 credits)
- PBHL-S 492 Research in Public Health (1-6 credits)
- PBHL-E 210 Zombie Apocalypse and Other Doomsday Infections (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 323 Chasing Disease: Field Epidemiology (3 credits)
- PBHL-E 335 Pandemics Lurking in the Shadows: Epidemiology of Chronic Diseases (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 120 Contemporary Healthcare Issues (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 315 High Risk Health Behaviors and Harm Reduction (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 330 Global Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-H 455/450 Healthcare Systems around the World – Study abroad programs (3 credits)
Non-Public Health Electives
- ANTH-A 337 African American Healthcare (3 credits)
- ANTH-A 460 Disease and Human Evolution (3 credits)
- ANTH-B 370 Human Variation (3 credits)
- COMM-C 392 Health Communication (3 credits)
- COMM-C 400 Health Provider-Consumer Communication (3 credits)
- ECON-E 414 Economics of the Non-Profit Sector (3 credits)
- HIST-H 364 History of Medicine and Public Health (3 credits)
- HPER-H 195 Principles and Application of Lifestyle Wellness (3 credits)
- HPER-FN 30300 Essentials of Nutrition (3 credits)
- HPER-F 255 Human Sexuality (3 credits)
- HPER-F 258 Marriage and Family Interactions (3 credits)
- HPER-H 305 Women’s Health (3 credits)
- HPER-H 315 Consumer Health (3 credits)
- HPER-H 317 Drug Use in American Society (3 credits)
- HPER-H 350 Complementary/Alternative Approaches to Health (3 credits)
- HPER-H 363 Personal Health (3 credits)
- PSY-B 307 Tests and Measurements (3 credits)
- PSY-B 394 Drugs and Behavior (3 credits)
- REL-R 384 Religion, Ethics, and Health (3 credits)
- SHRS-W 220 Aging and the Older Person (3 credits)
- SHRS-W 250 Health and Rehabilitation Systems Across the World (3 credits)
- SHRS-W 340 Psychological Aspects of Disabilities (3 credits)
- SHRS-W 361 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (3 credits)
- SHRS-W 370 Psychosocial Aspects of Aging (3 credits)
- SOC-R 321 Women and Health (3 credits)
- SOC-R 382 Social Organization of Healthcare (3 credits)
- SOC-R 385 AIDS and Society (3 credits)
- SOC-R 410 Alcohol, Drugs, and Society (3 credits)
- SOC-R 415 Sociology of Disability (3 credits)
- SOC-R 485 Sociology of Mental Illness (3 credits)
- SPEA-V 221 Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector (3 credits)
- SPEA-V 362 Nonprofit Management and Leadership (3 credits)
- SPEA-V 450 Contemporary Issues in Public Affairs (3 credits)
- SPEA-V 458 Fund Development for Nonprofit Organizations (3 credits)
General Electives
Take these five courses for a total of 15 credits (15 of the 16 elective credits are fulfilled by the MPH Core* + Applied Practice Experience.)
- PBHL-P510* Introduction to Public Health (3 credits)
- PBHL-P511* Comp. Methods & App. in Biostatistics & Epidemiology (3 credits)
- PBHL-P512* Communication and Leadership (3 credits)
- PBHL-P513* Planning, Evaluation and Management (3 credits)
- PBHL-S602 Applied Practice Experience in Social and Behavioral Science (3 credits)
Master of Public Health - Social and Behavioral Sciences Courses
MPH Core
The 4 MPH Core* courses (12 cr.) taken in Year 4 of the BSPH. (12 credits)
MPH Applied Practice Experience / Internship (3 credits)
Social and Behavioral Sciences Concentration Courses
PBHL S510 Introduction to Research Methods in Public Health (3 credits)
PBHL S614 Program Planning in Public Health (3 credits)
PBHL S615 Culture and Qualitative Methods (3 credits)
PBHL S617 Health Promotion & Disease Prevention (3 credits)
Public Health Elective Courses
Students choose 5 MPH electives from a list of 12 courses. (15 credits)
MPH Capstone Experience (3 credits)
Total: 45 credits
Updated February 17, 2021