Minor in Public Health

Decker College's Division of Public Health offers a Public Health minor open to all Binghamton undergraduate students.

Overview

The 24-credit undergraduate minor in public health uses a hands-on, active learning approach to expose students to the scientific foundations and core epidemiologic principles of public health. 

Who may take this minor

The minor is open to all Binghamton University undergraduate students and will augment many bachelor’s degree programs.

Curriculum/required courses

The public health minor requires 24 credits and consists of six core courses. None of these courses has prerequisites, and all are offered in traditional format.

REQUIRED COURSES	SEMESTER OFFERED	CREDITS
PH 301: History of Public Health	fall	4
PH 320: Disease Detectives: Investigating Epidemics around the World	spring	4
PH 312: Adopting Healthy Habits: The Art and Science of Health Behavior Change	fall	4
PH 322: Communicating Health Information in the Digital Age	fall	4
PH 318: Health and Place: How Neighborhoods Shape Our Lives	spring	4
HWS 341: Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Health Education Programs	fall and spring	4
Total credits required for minor		24

Sample curriculum plan

The sample curriculum plan below depicts completion during the student’s junior and senior years. However, students may apply for and be enrolled in the minor as early as their first or sophomore year. 

JUNIOR YEAR, FALL SEMESTER	CREDITS
PH 301: History of Public Health	4
Total semester credits	4
JUNIOR YEAR, SPRING SEMESTER
PH 320: Disease Detectives: Investigating Epidemics around the World	4
Total semester credits	4
SENIOR YEAR, FALL SEMESTER
PH 312: Adopting Healthy Habits: The Art and Science of Health Behavior Change	4
PH 322: Communicating Health Information in the Digital Age	4
Total semester credits	8
SENIOR YEAR, SPRING SEMESTER
PH 318: Health and Place: How Neighborhoods Shape Our Lives	4
HWS 341: Planning, Implementing and Evaluating Health Education Programs	4
Total semester credits	8
Total credits required for minor	24

Course descriptions

New courses may not appear in the list below.

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Competencies 

• Public health approach
  • Explore the historical role of governments in providing health and how the disease-control efforts of previous eras helped shape contemporary responses.
  • Examine the role of public health in enacting policies, implementing programs and conducting research that addresses local, regional, national and global public health concerns.
• Analytic methods
  • Explain how the epidemiologic approach provides an evidence-based explanation concerning causes and correlations of health and disease.
  • Articulate the strengths and limitations of basic descriptive and analytic epidemiologic study designs for solving real-world problems.
  • Apply analytic principles and field methods to investigate an epidemic and develop responses to acute and emerging threats.
  • Develop a health promotion proposal for planning, implementing and evaluating an evidence-based intervention that addresses an identified health need.
• Dimensions of health
  • Explain how the contexts of gender, race, poverty, history, migration and culture influence health and contribute to health disparities.
  • Describe public health models that explain how scientific, social, economic, environmental, cultural and political systems influence patterns of health and disease in populations.
  • Characterize the human health effects of environmental hazards and their community impacts from a social justice perspective.  
  • Analyze policies developed to manage health risks associated with exposure to environmental hazards.
• Public health communication
  • Assess health information with an awareness of authority, validity, bias and the ethical dimensions of its use, creation and dissemination.
  • Communicate public health information to diverse audiences orally and in writing using various media in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways.
• Community engagement
  • Interact professionally with community partners to address a complex public health issue.
  • Engage in public health promotion initiatives that are relevant to the local context.

Requirements

• Only courses passed with a grade of C- or better may be counted toward fulfilling the requirements for the minor
• A minimum of 12 credits in the minor must be taken in residence at Binghamton University

Application criteria

• Minimum GPA 2.5
• Unofficial transcript
• Personal statement (300–500 words) that details your interest in the public health minor and how the minor can contribute to your academic or career goals
• Completion of online application (see below)
• Note: There are no prerequisites for the minor

How to apply

Complete the online application and upload your personal statement and a copy of your up-to-date unofficial transcript.

Contact

Yvonne Johnston, DrPH, MS, FNP Associate Professor/Founding Director Division of Public Health Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences publichealth@binghamton.edu