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Public Health (BS): Online

Public Health (BS): Online

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An online bachelor's degree completion program

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health online degree program will equip you with the knowledge you need to face pressing health challenges, including health inequities by race, gender, and sexuality; infectious and chronic diseases; food and water safety; sanitation; and environmental issues.

Simmons University is nationally recognized for providing public health students with the conceptual and empirical foundation for analyzing the interplay between health, science, and society. Your degree experience will help you find a unique niche in the public health field that best matches your interests, skills, and passion for making an impact — to prepare you for a rewarding career.

The BS in Public Health curriculum is designed to help you grow as a confident and skilled advocate, capable of influencing a healthier, more educated public. The program’s interactive coursework covers emerging research, trends, and solutions that can act as long-term prevention of an issue on a widespread scale — like the eradication of disease.

Program Requirements

The suggested sequence for core courses is:

First Year

PH101CD	Introduction to Public Health	4
BIOL113CD	General Biology	4
CHEM101CD	Chemical Determinants of Health	4
PH241CD	Health, Illness & Society	4

Sophomore Year

BIOL104	Introduction to Environmental Science	4
BIOL221	Microbiology	4
SOCI245	Global Health	4
STAT118	Introductory Statistics	4
	OR
STAT227	Intermediate Statistics: Design & Analysis	4

Core Requirements

BIOL113CD	General Biology	4
BIOL104CD	Introduction to Environmental Science	4
BIOL221CD	Microbiology	4
CHEM101CD	Chemical Determinants of Health	4
COMM312CD	Health Communications	4
PH101CD	Introduction to Public Health	4
PH201CD	Introduction to Epidemiology	4
PH345CD	Health Systems & Policy	4
PH347CD	Public Health Seminar	4
STAT118CD	Introductory Statistics	4
PH241CD	Health, Illness & Society	4
SOCI245CD	Global Health	4
SOCI239CD	Introduction to Social Research I	4

Junior Year

COMM312	Health Communications	4
PH201	Introduction to Epidemiology	4
PH345	Health Systems & Policy	4
SOCI239	Introduction to Social Research I	4

Senior Year

PH347CD	Public Health Seminar	4

Other capstone coursework (see below)

Capstone Requirement

Public Health seniors will complete their capstone requirement by taking the Public Health Senior Seminar (PH 347) in the fall semester, plus will undertake a one-semester senior internship in the spring semester, a one-semester research experience in the spring semester, or a two-semester thesis across the entire senior year. All students will make a poster presentation and submit an internship paper, research paper, or research thesis as the final products of their capstone experience.

Arrangements for satisfying the capstone requirement must be made with the student’s public health advisor before the end of the junior year.

For students doing internships (Spring)

PH370CD	Internship	0

For students doing independent research (Spring)

PH350CD	Independent Study	1

For students completing a thesis

PH350CD	Independent Study	1
PH355CD	Thesis	4

PH 350 Independent Study (Fall) and PH 355 Thesis (Spring)

Elective Courses

Students must complete two additional courses from this list (PH 261 recommended):

● Note: potential to accept credits from outside universities for elective courses
● Note: Transfer office does not review for electives Note: Transfer office does not review for electives