Public Health

ublic health integrates many disciplines to prevent illness

and premature death, enabling people to live healthier,
more productive lives. The field covers a broad range of issues,
including environmental pollution, access to health care, bioterrorism, obesity and prevention of contagious diseases. Public
health students know they will make a difference in peoples
lives.
The goal of public health is to create and sustain healthier communities by improving the health of people and quality of their
environment. Public health professionals study environmental
contamination of air, water, soil and food; seek preventive measures for cancer; and design programs that improve delivery of
health care services.
According to The American Public Health Association, 250,000
more public health workers will be needed by the year 2020.
The Ohio State University College of Public Health takes seriously its mission to educate future health professionals and
leaders in order to improve public health knowledge.
Pursuing Public Health at Ohio State
All Ohio State freshman applicants are considered within a competitive admission process for the Columbus campus. To ensure
that students are prepared to handle the rigor of the academic
curriculum and be competitive for admission to the undergraduate program, incoming students will be directly admitted as a
pre-public health major if they have a minimum ACT score of 26
or a minimum combined SAT score of 1170. Students directly admitted to the Honors program are directly admitted to the major.
Admitted students who do not directly enroll as pre-public
health majors may enroll in Health Professions Exploration to
consider alternative majors. These students can still complete
prerequisite courses and later apply for admission to the public
health major.
Transfer students with a minimum 2.80 GPA and a minimum of
30 semester credits (or equivalent) can directly enroll as a prepublic health major
Specializations in Public Health
Public health sociology: Students pursuing this specialization
study how social factors impact health in order to improve the
health of communities. The curriculum provides students with an
interdisciplinary education in public health and sociology.
Environmental public health: This specialization is for students
who have an interest in both the environment and health, how
environments impact health and a desire to find solutions to the

challenges of environmental effects on the health of communities. The curriculum provides students with an interdisciplinary
education in public health and environmental science.
Both specializations have a capstone course that may consist of
internship, research or Honors thesis (for Honors students).
Public Health Requirements
The College of Public Health Bachelor of Science in Public
Health is a four-year undergraduate program. The major consists of a core set of public health courses and interdisciplinary
courses offered through either the sociology or environmental
science specialization.
Co-Curricular Opportunities
Ohio State offers many opportunities for students to learn and
grow outside of the classroom. Internships provide students
professional environments while they are Ohio State students.
Ohio State offers more than 100 study abroad programs in 40
countries around the world. In addition, there are hundreds
of student organizations on campus to meet the interests of a
diverse student population.
The College of Public Health has active student organizations. Buckeyes for Public Health (B4PH) is the undergraduate
student organization, and their primary goal is to promote public
health efforts both locally and internationally. The Multicultural
Public Health Student Association (MPHSA) is another active
group with a vision to serve as a catalyst for culturally competent leadership that enhances health outcomes for all. The
Student Ambassadors for Public Health (SAPH) are student
leaders representing their college and majors to prospective
students and their families, currently enrolled students, faculty
and staff, alumni, donors, and the university community, while
being devoted to service and leadership.
Honors & Scholars Programs
Ohio State offers the Honors and Scholars programs to create
an environment of intellectual support and stimulation within a
close-knit community of high-ability undergraduate students.
Through these programs, students have access to smaller
classes, undergraduate research opportunities, close working
relationships with faculty, priority scheduling and unique housing options.
Honors and Scholars programs represent great opportunities
to be part of a smaller community within a large university. For
more information, visit honors-scholars.osu.edu.

For more information, check these websites:

College of Public Health: cph.osu.edu
Ohio State: osu.edu

Admissions: undergrad.osu.edu
Multicultural Center: multiculturalcenter.osu.edu
First Year Experience Program: fye.osu.edu

Curriculum Sample
This is a sample list of classes a student may take to
pursue a degree in Public Health. Since university
students need more than specific education in a narrow
field, they also will take classes to complete General
Education (GE) requirements. Because GE courses
come from a variety of academic areas of study, this
course work helps students develop fundamental
skills essential to collegiate success and allows them
to tailor these courses toward their interests. Note:
This sample represents the public health sociology
specialization to a degree in Public Health. Visit cph.
osu.edu/prospective-students/bsph for details on
degree programs.
Freshman Year
Survey course
Introduction to Global Public Health
Introductory Sociology
GE courses
Total Hours

1
3
3
23
30

Sophomore Year
Current Issues in Global Environmental Health
United States and International Health Care
Biostatistics for Public Health Research
Introduction to Epidemiology
The Role of Behavior in Public Health
Sociology specialization courses
GE courses
Total Hours

3
3
3
3
3
9
7
31

Junior Year
Fundamentals of Environmental
Health Risk Assessment
Specialization courses
GE courses
Total Hours

3
15
12
30

Senior Year
Public Health capstone course
Outbreak Investigations
Climate Change and Human Health
Infectious Diseases in the Developing World
Specialization courses
Major elective courses
GE courses
Total Hours

3
2
3
2
3
7
10
30

Career Prospects in Public Health

The new degree program was developed, in part, to respond to an increased
need and demand for highly educated and trained public health professionals. The Association of Schools of Public Health reports that there are
documented and forecasted shortages of public health workers. Without
enough public health workers protecting us where we live, work and play, we
are all more vulnerable to preventable and serious health risks. To replenish
the workforce and adequately address the expected public health worker
shortage, accredited schools of public health will have to train three times the
current number of graduates in public health.
Graduates with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health will be qualified for
early career, entry-level positions in public health agencies and other public
or private health organizations. This degree can also prepare students for
graduate study in public health, social work, law, nursing, or business and a
variety of professional health programs such as medicine, dentistry, physical
therapy, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary medicine.

Revised January 2014. Information subject to change. For the most

up-to-date information on the public health program, visit cph.osu.edu.
Contact information:
College of Public Health
100 Cunz Hall | 1841 Neil Avenue
Columbus, OH 43210
614-292-8350