Public Health (BS)
The information on the tabs below will help students planning to major in Public Health to choose appropriate classes for their first semester. The recommendations below are for your first semester only, so you may have additional Core requirements, for example, that you'll learn more about during your first semester here.
Advising Notes
Important Notes for Public Health (BS) majors from Advising:
- The BS in Public Health is designed for students who want to become medical practitioners and has an emphasis on STEM coursework. Students seeking an alternate focus in Public Health should see the BA in Public Health.
- When registering for your courses, it's a good idea to prioritize lab courses first. Labs often require a significant chunk of time in a single day, sometimes spanning several hours. By registering for these first, you can plan your schedule around these time-intensive commitments and avoid conflicts with other classes or responsibilities. This will help you manage your workload and ensure you're not overloading yourself with back-to-back commitments.
- This is one of the biggest majors in terms of total credits and academic requirements, so it is virtually impossible for Public Health students to double major.
- Math placement into MATH 131 or higher is optimal for this major.
- Pre-health students should replace one Core class with CHEM 160 and CHEM 161 – this requires placement in MATH 118 or higher and will increase the fall semester course load from 14 to 15 credits.
- If you are a pre-health student, consider taking SOCL 101 as it is a pre-health requirement.
- Don’t forget to check the AP/IB guide to ensure you know if you have any incoming credit that will count towards your Core requirements.
First Semester Course Recommendations
As a Public Health (BS) major, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits)
- BIOL 111 (1 credit)
- MATH 100, 117, 118, or 131 based on math placement (3 credits)
- PSYC 101 or HSM 110 (3 credits)
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
One or two of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 3 to 6 total credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100C, UCLR 100E, or UCLR 100M
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: ANTH 100, PLSC 102, SOCL 101, or WSGS 101
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Artistic Knowledge: (see options in the Undergraduate Catalog)
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 14-17 credits.
Interdisciplinary Honors First Semester Course Recommendations
As a Public Health (BS) major on a pre-health track, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
- MATH 100, 117, 118, or 131 based on math placement (3 credits)
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
Interdisciplinary Honors Requirements (6 credits):
- HONR 101
- HONR D101
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in either Plan A or Plan B.
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 17-18 credits.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 or above, you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
- PSYC 101 or HSM 110 (3 credits)
First Semester Course Recommendations for Pre-Health
As a Public Health (BS) major on a pre-health track, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
- MATH 100, 117, 118, or 131 based on math placement (3 credits)
- PSYC 101 or HSM 110 (3 credits)
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in either Plan A or Plan B.
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 17-18 credits.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 or above, you will register for:
CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
One of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 3 credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100C, UCLR 100E, or UCLR 100M
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: SOCL 101
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Artistic Knowledge: (see options in the Undergraduate Catalog)
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
Two of the following Core classes (Pick only one course per category, 6 total credits):
- College Writing Seminar: UCWR 110, based on writing placement
- Foundational Historical Knowledge: HIST 101, HIST 102, HIST 103, or HIST 104
- Foundational Literary Knowledge: UCLR 100C, UCLR 100E, or UCLR 100M
- Foundational Philosophical Knowledge: PHIL 130
- Foundational Societal & Cultural Knowledge: SOCL 101
- Foundational Theological Knowledge: THEO 100 or THEO 107
- Artistic Knowledge: (see options in the Undergraduate Catalog)
Interdisciplinary Honors First Semester Course Recommendations for Pre-Health
As a Public Health (BS) major, you will enroll in the following courses:
- BIOL 101 (3 credits) and BIOL 111 (1 credit)
- MATH 100, 117, 118, or 131 based on math placement (3 credits)
One Freshman Seminar:
- UNIV 101 (1 credit)
Interdisciplinary Honors Requirements (6 credits):
- HONR 101
- HONR D101
From here, your math placement will have you enroll in either Plan A or Plan B.
The total number of credits you will enroll in for the fall is 17-18 credits.
Plan A: If you have a math placement of MATH 118 or above, you will register for:
- CHEM 160 (3 credits) and CHEM 161 (1 credit)
Plan B: If you have a math placement of MATH 117 or below you will register for:
- PSYC 101 or HSM 110 (3 credits)
The information on the tabs below will help students planning to major in Public Health to choose appropriate classes for their first semester. The recommendations below are for your first semester only, so you may have additional Core requirements, for example, that you'll learn more about during your first semester here.