“Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation). These communities can be as small as your local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country or region of the world. Public health work includes promoting healthy lifestyles, preventing injuries, advocating for laws that keep people safe, using social media to spread the word about staying healthy, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases. You can learn more about public health here.

“Public health saves money, improves our quality of life, helps children thrive and reduces human suffering.” (APHA) Public health professionals try to prevent problems from happening or recurring through educational programs, policies, services and research - in contrast to clinical professionals like doctors and nurses, who focus primarily on treating individuals after they become sick or injured. Public health also works ensure that everyone has the resources they need to get and stay healthy. 

You might ask, “what CAN’T I do with a degree in public health?” If you care about health and want to help others, public health could be the place for you!

If you like working with people you could become a health educator, teaching people how to stay healthy. If you have leadership skills, you could work in health care organizational management. If you like data and numbers, you could become an epidemiologist or biostatistician. Are you a social media star? You can use your talents to influence people to be healthy. Like solving mysteries? You could be a “disease detective” helping to identify and prevent the next pandemic.

The BS in Public Health degree is an entry-level degree. It prepares you for entry-level positions such as:

• Health Educator

• Community Outreach Specialist

• Program Coordinator

• Community Health Worker

• Disease Intervention Specialist

• Research Assistant

The BS in Public Health also prepares you for graduate work in public health and other health-related professions. Some of the possible careers in public health with advanced academic training include:

• Health Educator

• Public Health Program Specialist or Officer

• Data Analyst

• Global Infectious Disease Analyst

• Epidemiologist

• Public Health Researcher

• Health Policy Analyst

• Health Care Manager

• Evaluation Specialist

For more information please contact the BSPH Program Director Dr. Zeinab Baba.

Information about your academic advisor and registration date can be found on RamPortal.

Your academic advisor is a current faculty member in the Department of Public Health Sciences. They can help you 

• select courses required to meet graduation requirements

• answer questions about courses in the major

• discuss possible careers in public health

For questions about coursework, please contact your academic advisor first. Your academic advisor can also refer you to other resources as needed. Special circumstances might require you to meet with the BS in Public Health Program Director or the Public Health Sciences Department Chair.

Questions about courses in other departments are best answered by that department (e.g, will the math department recognize my math class that didn’t transfer in automatically?). The registrar’s office handles general registration inquiries, the bursar’s office handles billing issues, and the financial aid department manages financial aid.

Because your course scheduling affects your time and money, it’s important to always be aware of and follow program requirements. Ultimately, you are responsible for the classes for which you register.

Advising takes place one semester in advance during the academic year. 

• For Summer and Fall classes, advising takes place in the Spring semester. 

• For Winter and Spring classes, advising takes place in Fall semester.

Remember - your advisors are also your instructors. Like many academic institutions, Department of Public Health Sciences faculty are “off” from teaching and advising during the summer. They are usually not on campus and may not answer emails. Because classes fill quickly, meeting with your academic advisor before your registration date will help you get into the classes you need when you need them. 

Advising sheets can be found in the BS in Public Health Handbook.

The accelerated program enables undergraduate students to take up to 18 graduate credits as an undergraduate student at undergraduate tuition prices, saving you time and money on your MPH degree. For more information see our accelerated BS in Public Health to MPH Program.

Current BSPH undergraduate students are eligible for admission with junior standing, a cumulative grade point average of 2.5, and completion of at least 15 credits of core public health courses with a GPA of 3.0 in major courses. Applicants must submit the graduate application and all requested documents required by the department. Application instruction can be found here.

If admission to the MPH program is recommended, students receive a conditional and provisional offer of admission. Full admission will be granted upon conferral of the undergraduate degree and meeting all departmental and Dean of Graduate Studies requirements.

Please contact Dr. Erin Knight for more information.

Yes! The internship is taken in your last semester in the program (Fall, Spring, or Summer) after all core Public Health classes are completed. Core courses must be taken before HEA 421 (a WCU capstone course). 

Students are encouraged to complete other internships during their time in the program. While these internships may not count towards the WCU internship requirement, they provide an important avenue for learning and growth.

Additionally, internship sites and duties must be approved by the Internship Coordinator to count towards the internship requirement. 

Questions about the internship can be directed to Dr. Rebecca Rich.

HEA 418 is the course that prepares you for internship. In that class, you will work with department faculty and staff to find an internship that satisfies department internship requirements. 

Your graduation term will be the semester when you complete your internship. Internships are completed in Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters. You can review the application deadlines for graduation.

For students completing their internship in the Summer: There is no August commencement ceremony. Once you apply to graduate in summer, you should receive an invitation to participate in the May commencement ceremony. While you will walk at graduation, understand that you must successfully complete your internship in the Summer to receive your diploma.

Once you apply for graduation, the registrar’s office will review the university graduation requirements (WCU general education and other overall requirements) and provide a note in your Degree Audit about what needs to be completed to graduate.

Once grades have been submitted for your graduation term, your application is forwarded to the BS in Public Health Program Director. Your Degree Audit will be reviewed to determine whether you have completed the BS in Public Health program requirements. Once all requirements have been confirmed to be completed then you are cleared to graduate and your diploma will be mailed to you. Any follow up will be communicated via the registrar office.

You won’t be able to graduate time if you:

• Won’t have 120 credits by the time you graduate

• Missed a required General Education course

• Missed a core Public Health course or elective or did not attain the minimum grade in a course