Bachelor of Science in Public Health

In the process of fulfilling degree requirements, all students must complete: 

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: Statistics and Data Sciences 320E
   2. Environmental health sciences: Public Health 338
   3. Epidemiology: Public Health 354
   4. Global health: Public Health 334
   5. Health policy and health systems: Public Health 358D
   6. Health behavior theory and practice: Public Health 356
3. Core curriculum
4. Skills and experience flags:
   1. Writing: two flagged courses beyond Rhetoric and Writing 306 or its equivalent, including one at the upper-division level
   2. Quantitative reasoning: one flagged course
   3. Global cultures: one flagged course
   4. Cultural diversity in the United States: one flagged course
   5. Ethics: one flagged course
   6. Independent inquiry: one flagged course

Courses that may be used to fulfill flag requirements are identified in the Course Schedule. They may be used simultaneously to fulfill other requirements, unless otherwise specified. Please note, students may not earn the cultural diversity in the United States and the global cultures flag from the same course. Students are encouraged to discuss options with their academic advisors.

5. At least 21 semester hours of upper-division coursework must be completed in residence at the University. All students must complete at least 36 semester hours of upper-division coursework.
6. One of the following:
   1. ​​​Public Health 137 (Topic 1: Senior Seminar in Public Health), or
   2. An alternative cumulative, integrative, and scholarly or applied experience or inquiry project that serves as a capstone to the educational experience approved by the public health faculty (as described in Special Requirements).

Additional Prescribed Work for Each Option

Option I: Public Health

7. Mathematics 408C, 408N, or 408R.
8. 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.
9.  Chemistry 301 or 301C, 302 or 302C, 204, 320M, and Biochemistry 369.
10. Nine hours from the following list of advanced courses; courses counted toward requirement 1 may not be used to fulfill this requirement.
    1. Public Health 363 (required for Options I and II)
    2. Six hours from the following courses:
       1. ​​​​​​​Public Health 341R, 361P, 362, 364, 365, 366 or
       2. Nine hours of graduate coursework completed at the School of Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for students participating in the Option III: Advanced Program.
11. One of the following foreign language/culture choices:
    1. Beginning level proficiency coursework, or the equivalent, in a foreign language
    2. First course 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
12. Enough additional coursework to make a total of 120 semester hours

Option II: Public Health Honors

6. Breadth requirement: An honors mathematics course; Biology 315H and 325H; Chemistry 301H and 302H; credit by examination may not count toward this requirement
7. In fulfilling requirement 2a, students must complete Statistics and Data Sciences 325H
8. Chemistry 204, 320M, and Biochemistry 369
9. A section of Undergraduate Studies 302 or 303 that is approved by the program honors advisor
10. A section of Rhetoric and Writing 309S that is restricted to students in the Dean's Scholars Honors Program
11. Two semesters of Public Health 379H
12. Public Health 363 
13. Nine additional hours of coursework approved by the departmental honors advisor
14. Six semester hours of coursework from the College of Liberal Arts and/or the College of Fine Arts
15. 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 Science Center at Houston.

During the senior year, students complete 16 hours of graduate coursework at the Austin Campus, to earn a graduate certificate in public health.  If successfully completed, the courses in the graduate certificate program are applied to the Master of Public Health degree. The second year of the Master of Public Health is completed at one of five campuses of the school of Public Health: Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and San Antonio. 

Prior to graduation with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Option III students must transfer in nine hours of graduate coursework earned at the UT Austin School of Public Health.  Students may apply to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health prior to the completion of the graduate certificate in public health.

6. Mathematics 408C,  408N, or 408R.
7. 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
8. Chemistry 301 or 301C, 302 or 302C, 204, 320M, and Biochemistry 369
9. One of the following foreign language/culture choices:
   1. Beginning level proficiency coursework, or the equivalent, in a foreign language
   2. First course 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 120 semester hours; a maximum of nine hours of graduate coursework completed at the School of Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center may be applied toward the Bachelor of Science in Public Health, Option III: Advanced Program, if needed to reach a total of 120 hours.

*	Graduate coursework may not be applied toward the public health core requirements 2a through 2f.

Special Requirements

Students must fulfill both the University's General Requirements for graduation and the college requirements. All students must complete a cumulative, integrative, and scholarly or applied experience or inquiry project that serves as a capstone to the educational experience approved by the public health faculty. They must also earn a grade of at least C- in each foundation course, public health core course, the senior seminar in public health, public health advanced 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 the General Information Catalog.

Additional Requirements for Option II

To graduate under Option II, students must remain in good academic standing in the Dean's Scholars Program, must submit an honors thesis approved by the departmental honors advisor, and present their research in an approved public forum, such as the college's annual Undergraduate Research Forum.

Additional Requirements for Option III

Students admitted to Option III are required to follow the admission schedule and policies of Master of Public Health program at the School of Public Health at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. Students are expected to make continuous progress toward the undergraduate and graduate degrees by completing required undergraduate and graduate public health coursework each semester of the fourth year. Students who fail to complete graduate coursework two long-session semesters in a row will be removed from the program and must re-enroll at The University of Texas at Austin to complete the Bachelor of Science in Public Health Option I. Students will be notified prior to removal from the graduate program. Students must earn the Bachelor of Science in Public Health in their fourth year to be eligible to continue in the Master of Public Health program in their fifth year.