Program Overview:
Our program provides an interdisciplinary liberal arts approach to the multidisciplinary field of public health. Therefore, it has the educational objectives of nurturing skills such as critical thinking and analysis and synthesis of information, while recognizing the societal associations of current trends in public health.
Core components include basic public health courses such as Intro to Public Health, Epidemiology, Seminar in Global Health, and a capstone course. Other courses in the program come from Sociology, Psychology, Social Work, Philosophy, Political Science, and areas of the Physical and Biological Sciences including fundamental human biology and environmental science.
The educational goal of the program is to provide students with a basic background in the fundamental areas of public health. Students completing the program will qualify for entry-level positions in federal, state, or local health departments and/or private organizations that address health concerns.
Students wishing to go in to a Master’s level will have additional job opportunities with higher pay. The major is a good entry into a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) with a possible specialization in areas such as Social Behavior and Community Health, Health Policy and Management, or Epidemiology/Biostatistics.
If a student were interested in coupling this major with a desire to pursue graduate work in a medical-related field, several additional Science (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) and Math courses would be required. The major itself is not designed to provide all the necessary courses.
Students must earn a grade of C or better in every course in the major. Students who earn less than a grade of C must repeat the course at the Saint Rose until a grade of C or better is earned. Once a student declares Public Health as a major, the student must complete all requirements for the major at Saint Rose.
Program Contacts:
Dr. Stephanie Bennett-Knapp
Public Health Program Director
Email: bennetts@strose.edu
Program Webpage: Public Health, BS
Program Requirements:
Major in Public Health (54 credits)
Required Core Courses (31 credits):
One Core course from the following offerings (3 credits):
Environmental Core (3 credits):
| HIS 228 | US Environmental History | 3 |
| HIS 229 | Prob of Nature:US Environ Hist | 4 |
| PHI 303 | Environmental Ethics | 3 |
| POS 218 | Intro to GlobalEnvironPolitics | 3 |
| POS 219 | Global Environmental Politics | 4 |
| PBH 260 | Urban & Community Health | 3 |
Lab Science Core (8 credits):
Plus one of the following:
Public Health Electives (9 credits, chosen from the following):
A maximum of one PED course and one PSY course can count toward the Major. PBH 212, PBH 260, PBH 370 are only an elective option if not taken as a core requirement.
Other Requirements and Recommendations
Students are recommended to take MAT 190 or MAT 185 as their Liberal Education Math.
Internship/Field Experiences/Service:
Required course:
This internship allows for experience in a field of public health. Entry into the internship is after completing the 200 and 300 level required/core courses with a C or better.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Required Course:
| PBH 496 | Senior Sem in Public Health | 4 |
Suggested 4 Year Course Plan:
This suggested plan is designed to give students an idea of how to balance their coursework over 8 semesters and to graduate within 4 years. Most students will need to take a minimum of 30 credits each year in order to meet the graduation requirement of a minimum of 122 overall credits. It should be used along with your Degree Works worksheet and in consultation with your faculty advisor. It is meant as a guide, not a definitive list of courses that must be taken as written. Your faculty advisor will help you make any necessary adjustments during advisement.
Year 1
Fall (16-17 credits)
PBH 111 Intro to Public Health (3 cr)
ENG 105 Expository Writing, Oral Comm. and Research (4cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr
Spring (16-18 credits)
PSY 111 or 110 (3 cr)
PBH Elective (3 cr)
BIO 190/190L or BIO 191/BIO 191L or BIO 127/BIO 127L (4 cr)
Math Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
Year 2
Fall (14-17 credits)
MAT 184 or SOC 288 (3-4 cr)
PBH 212 From Toilets and Soap to Vaccines: How Public Health Takes on Infectious Disease (3 cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
One Free Elective (3-4 cr)
Spring (16-18 credits)
Language Lib Ed requirement (3 cr)
SOC 272 Medical Sociology (3 cr)
Second Core Science Requirement plus Lab (4 cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr
Year 3
Fall (15-17 credits)
PSY 352 Health Psychology (3 cr)
PHI 351 Medical Ethics (3 cr)
One PBH Elective (3 cr)
Lib. Ed. requirement (3-4cr)
One Free Elective (3-4 cr)
Spring (16-18 credits)
PBH 312 Epidemiology (4 cr)
Environmental Core Elective (3 cr)
SWK/SOC/Poli Sci Core Elective (3 cr)
One PBH Elective (3 cr)
One Free Elective (3-4 cr)
Year 4
Fall (15 credits)
Open Free Elective (3 cr)
PBH 495 Internship (3-6 cr)
Open Free Electives (6-12 cr)
Spring (15 credits)
PBH 496 Seminar in Public Health (4 cr)
Open Free Electives (11cr)
Career Opportunities and Graduate Study:
Public health is one of the world’s most pressing problems—and one of its fastest-growing fields: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 250,000 public health careers will open up in the near future. Community Health Educators, Epidemiologist, and researchers as some of the possible career opportunities in the field.
An MPH (Masters of Public Health) is the usual graduate degree in the field.
Some examples of the many fields of public health (from the American Public Health Association):
- First responders
- Restaurant inspectors
- Health educators
- Scientists and researchers
- Nutritionists
- Community planners
- Social workers
- Epidemiologists
- Public health nurses
- Occupational health and safety professionals
- Public policymakers
- Sanitarians
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
The Undergraduate Admissions Office begins review of Freshman applications each fall in late September for the following Fall. Students are encouraged to submit a complete an application as early as November. The Admissions Team will return a decision on complete applications within just three weeks. The College awards academic scholarships at the same time.
What Makes an Application Complete
- Online or Paper application (fee waived for online applicants!)
- Official High School Transcripts
- Official Transcripts for any College Level Courses
- SAT or ACT scores (See Test Optional FAQ's)
- Letter of Recommendation from a Counselor or Teacher
- Essay or Graded Paper
- Applicants may also apply via the Common Application Online.
- Art applicants are required to complete a portfolio review.
Admissions contact information (telephone number, admissions web pages)
Scholarships and Financial Aid
See Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid section for more information.
The Bottom Line
The total cost of The College of Saint Rose (including tuition, fees, room and board) is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast, and we still award more than $25 million in Saint Rose scholarships, grants and financial aid.
Take a look at our bottom line, and view a cost comparison with a four-year public institution.
More about Financial Aid
Financial Aid is defined as any grant, scholarship, loan, or employment opportunity given with the express purpose of assisting you with education-related expenses to make you education affordable. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of student need and the availability of funds.
The Admission and Financial Aid teams have designed a Guide to Scholarships and Financial Aid to help prospective students and families get to the bottom line and find that The College of Saint Rose is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast--while maintaining powerful academic opportunities.
Find Out More: