BS in Public Health (Occupational Health and Safety)
Units required for Major: 58-63
Total units required for BS: 120
Program Description
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.
Pre-Major Requirements
Freshman or transfer students interested in the Public Health Major are admitted as Pre-Major Public Health students.
To change to a Public Health major, all students are required to complete the follow grade and course requirements and submit a Declaration of Major form to the Public Health Department along with transcript copies:
- An overall GPA of 2.5 and be in good academic standing.
- Completion of the Pre-Major Required Courses with a "C" or better in each course. Only first or second attempts will be considered.
- Completion of more than 45 units.
Additional Information
Repeat Policy: Public Health majors can only repeat Public Health 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 Public Health faculty strongly recommends that all Public Health students consult with an advisor prior to enrollment for any course. This procedure should be followed each semester.
Program Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Pre-Major (Lower Division) Courses (16 Units) | ||
| BIO 25 | Human Anatomy and Physiology I | 4 |
| BIO 26 | Human Anatomy and Physiology II | 4 |
| CHEM 6A | Introduction to General Chemistry 1 | 5 |
| STAT 1 | Introduction to Statistics 1 | 3 |
| Required Upper Division Courses (15-16 Units) | ||
| PUBH 118 | Introduction to Public Health (This has been revised to Introduction in Public Health) | 3 |
| PUBH 147 | Health Data Analysis | 3 |
| PUBH 148 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| PUBH 151 | Introduction to the U.S. Healthcare System | 3 |
| PUBH 195 | Fieldwork - Health or Safety | 3 - 4 |
| Concentrations (27-31 Units) | ||
| Select one concentration from the following: | 27 - 31 | |
Community Health Education | ||
Health Care Administration | ||
Occupational Health and Safety | ||
| Total Units | 58-63 | |
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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 Occupational Health and Safety (27 - 31 units)
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CHEM 6B | Introduction to Organic and Biological Chemistry | 3 - 5 |
| or CHEM 20 | Organic Chemistry Lecture--Brief Course | |
| PUBH 100 | Fundamentals of Safety and Health | 3 |
| PUBH 106 | Occupational Health | 3 |
| PUBH 107 | Occupational Safety | 3 |
| PUBH 108 | Occupational Health and Safety Laws and Regulations | 3 |
| PUBH 109 | Cause and Control of Occupational Loss | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 - 11 | |
| Microbiology for Allied Health Students | ||
or BIO 139 | General Microbiology | |
| Environment and the Law | ||
| Environmental Toxicology | ||
| American Environmental History 1 | ||
| Principles of Risk Management and Insurance | ||
| General Physics: Mechanics, Heat, Sound 1 | ||
or PHYS 10 | Physics In Our World | |
| Total Units | 27-31 | |
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Course also satisfies General Education (GE)/Graduation Requirement.
General Education Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Area A: Basic Subjects (9 Units) | ||
| A1 - Oral Communication | 3 | |
| A2 - Written Communication | 3 | |
| A3 - Critical Thinking | 3 | |
| Area B: Physical Universe and Its Life Forms (6 Units) | ||
| B1 - Physical Science 2 | 0 | |
| B2 - Life Forms | 3 | |
| B3 - Lab (Note: Lab experience to be taken with one of the following: B1, B2 or B5 2 | 0 | |
| B4 - Math Concepts 2 | 0 | |
| B5 - Additional Course (Any B to reach 12 units) - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area C: Arts and Humanities (12 Units) | ||
| C1 - Arts | 3 | |
| C2 - Humanities | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area Course C | 3 | |
| C1/C2 - Area C Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. | 3 | |
| Area D: The Individual and Society (6-9 Units) | ||
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course | 3 | |
| Area D Course - Take upper-division course to complete Area & upper division requirements. 3 | 0 - 3 | |
| Area E: Understanding Personal Development (3 Units) | ||
| Area E Course | 3 | |
| Area F: Ethnic Studies (3 Units) | ||
| Area F Course | 3 | |
| Total Units | 39-42 | |
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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.
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Required in Major; also satisfies GE.
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Department offers students a "select from the following option":
- If student chooses to take ENVS 165, they will meet upper division Area D.
Graduation Requirements1
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Graduation Requirements (required by CSU) (9 Units) | ||
| American Institutions: U.S. History | 3 | |
| American Institutions: U.S. Constitution & CA Government | 3 | |
| Writing Intensive (WI) | 3 | |
| Graduation Requirements (required by Sacramento State) (6 Units) | ||
| English Composition II | 3 | |
| Race and Ethnicity in American Society (RE) | 3 | |
| Foreign Language Proficiency Requirement 2 | 0 | |
- 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.