Bachelor of Science in Public Health

In addition, students seeking the Bachelor of Science in Public Health must complete the following degree-level requirements. In some cases, courses that fulfill degree-level requirements also meet the requirements of the core.

1. Foundation courses:
   
   1. Public health: Public Health 317.
   2. Microbiology: Biology 326M and 226L.
   3. Nutrition and physiology: Nutrition 312 or 312H and Biology 365S.
   4. Social and behavioral sciences: One of the following: Economics 304K, 304L, Psychology 301, Sociology 319, 354K.
   5. Political science/government: Government 358 or Management 320F.
2. Public health core:
   
   1. Biostatistics: Biology 328M or Statistics and Scientific Computation 328M.
   2. Environmental health sciences: Public Health 338.
   3. Epidemiology: Public Health 354.
   4. Global health: Public Health 334.
   5. Health policy and management: Public Health 358D.
   6. Social and behavioral sciences: Public Health 368D.
3. Two courses with a writing flag. One of these courses must be upper-division. Courses with a writing flag are identified in the Course Schedule. They may be used simultaneously to fulfill other requirements, unless otherwise specified.
4. At least twenty-one semester hours of upper-division coursework must be completed in residence at the University. All students must complete at least thirty-six semester hours of upper-division coursework.

Additional Prescribed Work for Each Option

Option I:  Public Health

5. Mathematics 408C or 408N.
6. Biology 311C, 311D, and 325 or Biology 315H and 325H. These courses must be completed before the student progresses to other upper-division biology and upper-division public health courses.
7. Chemistry 301 or 301H, 302 or 302H, 204, 320M, and 369.
8. At least nine hours from one of the following areas of specialization; courses counted toward requirement 1 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
   
   1. Biostatistics and public health informatics: Biology 321G, 337 (Topic: Introduction to Health Informatics), 337 (Topic: Fundamentals of Health Information Technology), Computer Science 303E, 329E (approved topics only), Geography 360G, Mathematics 408D or 408S, 340L, 358K, 362K, 362M, Public Health 341R.
   2. Environmental health sciences: Biology 337 (Topic: Emerging Infectious Disease), 375, 478T, Biomedical Engineering 301, Civil Engineering 341, 342, 346, 369L, Geological Sciences 302C, 307, 346C, 476K, 476M, Geography 334C, 339K, 356T (approved topics only), 357, 360G, Marine Science 307, 354Q, Public Health 341R.
   3. Health policy and management: Bridging Disciplines 329, Economics 304K, 304L, 330T (approved topics only), Government 335N (approved topics only), 357M (approved topics only), 358, 360N (Topic 10: Introduction to International Relations), 365N (Topic 9: International Environmental Policy), 370L (approved topics only), Human Development and Family Sciences 362, Management 320F, Philosophy 325L, 325M, 347, Public Affairs 310S (approved topics only), 325 (approved topics only), 330C, 330S (approved topics only), Public Health 341R, Sociology 354K.
   4. Infectious diseases and public health microbiology: Biology 329, 129L, 330, 230L, 336, 337 (Topic: Genomics and Proteomics in Human Infectious Disease Research), 337 (Topic: Virulence Mechanisms of Bacterial Pathogens), 347, 360K, 160L, 361, 361L, 361P, Public Health 341R.
   5. Nutrition: Nutrition 312R, 315 or 331, 321, 338W or 338H, 342, 365 (approved topics only), 355H, Public Health 341R.
   6. Social and behavioral sciences: Only one advertising or communication course may be counted. Advertising 305, 319, 334, Communication Studies 306M, 332, 332K, 342K, 355K, 367, Geography 356T (Topic: Gender and Health), Health Education 329K, 335, 352K (approved topics only), 370K (approved topics only), 371K, 373, Marketing 320F, Pharmacy 350K, Public Health 341R, Social Work 310, 311, Sociology 319, 321K (approved topics only), 329, 336D, 354K, 369K, 369L, Women's and Gender Studies 345 (Topic 35: Psychosocial Issues in Women’s Health).
9. One of the following foreign language/culture choices.
   
   1. Second-semester-level proficiency, or the equivalent, in a foreign language.
   2. First-semester-level proficiency, or the equivalent, in a foreign language and a three-semester-hour course in the culture of the same language area.
   3. Two three-semester-hour courses in one foreign culture area. The courses must be chosen from an approved list available in the dean's office and the college advising centers.
10. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 126 semester hours.

Option II:  Public Health Honors

5. Breadth requirement:  An honors mathematics course; Biology 315H and 325H; Chemistry 301H and 302H. Credit by examination may not count toward this requirement.
6. In fulfilling requirement 2a, students must complete an honors statistics course.
7. Chemistry 204, 320M, and 369.
8. A section of Undergraduate Studies 302 or 303 that is approved by the program honors adviser.
9. A section of Rhetoric and Writing 309S that is restricted to Dean's Scholars.
10. Two semesters of Biology 379H.
11. Nine additional hours of coursework approved by the departmental honors adviser.
12. Six semester hours of coursework in the College of Liberal Arts or the College of Fine Arts.
13. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours.

Option III:  Advanced Program

This program provides students with a foundation in the natural sciences applied to public health and advanced specialist training in preparation for a leadership position in public health practice. This program leads to the completion of the Bachelor of Science in Public Health and the Master of Public Health, awarded by the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston. During the senior year, students complete the first year of the Master of Public Health at the Austin Regional Campus. The second year of the Master of Public Health is completed at one of the five regional campuses in Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio. Upon completion of the first year of the Master of Public Health, coursework is applied toward option III requirements. Option III students may apply to graduate upon completion of the undergraduate degree requirements and prior to the completion of the Master of Public Health, or may apply to graduate to receive both degrees in the same semester.

5. Mathematics 408C or 408N.
6. Biology 311C, 311D, and 325; or 315H and 325H. These courses must be completed before the student progresses to other upper-division biology and upper-division public health courses.
7. Chemistry 301 or 301H, 302 or 302H, 204, 320M, and 369.
8. Eighteen hours of approved upper-division elective coursework in public health or a supporting area. Graduate coursework completed at the School of Public Health at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center may be applied toward this requirement.
9. One of the following foreign language/culture choices.
   
   1. Second-semester-level proficiency, or the equivalent, in a foreign language
   2. First-semester-level proficiency, or the equivalent, in a foreign language and a three-semester-hour course in the culture of the same language area.
   3. Two three-semester-hour courses in one foreign culture area. The courses must be chosen from an approved list available in the dean's office and the college advising centers.
10. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 126 semester hours.

Special Requirements

Students must fulfill both the University's General Requirements for graduation and the college requirements. They must also earn a grade of at least C- in each foundation course, public health core course, and mathematics and science course required by the degree, and a grade point average in these courses of at least 2.00. More information about grades and the grade point average is given in General Information available at http://registrar.utexas.edu/catalogs/.