BS in Public Health (Community Health Education)

Units required for Major: 58-63

Total units required for BS: 120

The academic area of study in Public Health is part of the College of Health and Human Services. Students pursue a Public Health concentration leading to a degree with specialization and job skills applicable to one of three professional areas of study: community health, healthcare administration, or occupational health and safety. The faculty supports the idea of focused academic preparation in each concentration such that Public Health BS graduates will have job appeal in their chosen professional field.

Students can expect to be involved, both in class and field experiences, in areas that deal with significant issues within general Public Health practice and within each concentration, such as health care costs and quality, consumer health issues, alcohol and other drugs, human sexuality, health promotion, health management and administration, unintentional injury causes and prevention, and other personal, occupational, and community health and safety issues.

The Public Health Bachelor of Science program at Sacramento State is a highly sought-after degree. Due to the large number of applications, the program has a pre-major status. Students wishing to become Public Health majors must complete a series of required lower division courses in order to be eligible to declare the major. Students should check the Department website for requirements and speak with the Public Health academic advisor to help with their academic plans.

Note: Students graduating with a BS in Public Health (all concentrations) will not be subject to the University’s Foreign Language Graduation Requirement. Students who change major may be subject to the University’s Foreign Language Graduation Requirement.

Freshman or transfer students interested in the Public Health Major are admitted as Pre-Major Public Health students.

To declare the Public Health major, all students are required to complete the following grade and course requirements and submit a Declaration of Major form to the Public Health Department along with transcript copies:

1. An overall GPA of 2.5 and be in good academic standing.
2. Completion of the Pre-Major Required Courses, as identified in the Program Requirements, with a "C" or better in each course. Only first or second attempts will be considered.
3. Completion of more than 45 units.

Additional Information

Repeat Policy: Health Science majors and minors can only repeat Health Science courses one time if they receive less than a "C." Students must meet with their academic advisor before petitioning the department to repeat the course. Refer to the Repeat Policy section of the Sacramento State Catalog for additional information.

Credit by Examination: A student who seeks course credit by examination is to enroll in the course to be challenged. No course may be challenged after the first two weeks of the semester. The instructor of the course will conduct an assessment of the student's readiness for the challenge for credit examination. Refer to Credit by Examination section of the Sacramento State Catalog.

Advising: It will be necessary to work very closely with an advisor to complete the BS degree in a timely manner. Therefore, the Health Science faculty strongly recommends that all Health Science students consult with an advisor prior to enrollment for any course. This procedure should be followed each semester.

Program Requirements

¹

Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.

Note: Public Health courses depend upon concentration, permission of the faculty advisor, program coordinator, and department chair.

Concentration in Community Health Education (27 units)

¹

Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.

General Education Requirements¹

¹

To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.

Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.

²

Required in Major; also satisfies GE.

Graduation Requirements¹

¹

To help you complete your degree in a timely manner and not take more units than absolutely necessary, there are ways to use single courses to meet more than one requirement (overlap). For further information, please visit the General Education page.

Note: There is no way to list all possible overlaps so please consult with a professional advisor. The Academic Advising Center can be visited online, by phone (916) 278-1000, or email.

²

If not satisfied before entering Sacramento State, it may be satisfied in General Education Area C2 (Humanities). "C- or better required." The alternative methods for satisfying the Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement are described here: https://www.csus.edu/college/arts-letters/world-languages-literatures/foreign-language-requirement.html

Note: Students with a declared major of BS in Public Health (Occupational Health and Safety), BS in Public Health (Health Care Administration), or BS in Public Health (Community Health Education) are exempt from the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement.

The following roadmaps are sample planning resources. Please consult your academic advisor and Academic Catalog for graduation requirements as you develop your individualized academic plan.

Public Health (Community Health Education), BS: 4-Year Roadmap

Public Health (Community Health Education), BS: 2-Year Roadmap

^1.

Any course not completed in the first semester should be taken in the second or a later semester.

^2.

Please see General Education/Graduation Requirement course options.

^3.

Please see an academic advisor for elective options.