The major in Public Health (832, 832D) prepares students for entry-level careers in population health and disease prevention. Public health professionals work in a wide range of services including infectious disease control; health problems of children, older adults, and the medically underserved; chronic disease management; health monitoring and surveillance; environmental/occupational health and safety; and emergency preparedness. Our students learn about the upstream factors that influence community health, particularly poverty, housing, work and unemployment, social exclusion, food security, transportation, access to health and social services, and evidence-based, data-driven decision-making.
The major leads to the bachelor of science (B.S.) degree awarded by the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy; or it may be awarded jointly with either the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) or the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS).
Students at Rutgers University-New Brunswick who wish to pursue the public health major must apply to the major prior to declaring it. Applicants must have achieved a minimum grade of C or better in each of the prerequisite courses and be in good academic standing. Applications may be obtained from the school's website at
https://bloustein.rutgers.edu.
Only courses with a C or better may be counted toward the public health major. The awarding of the B.S. degree requires successful completion of all major requirements and 120 college credits. The degree is awarded jointly by the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy and the student's matriculating unit.
PUBLIC HEALTH MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
Prerequisites (12-15 credits)
01:355:101 Expository Writing (3)
10:775:205 Basic Statistical Methods (4) or equivalent (3-4)
One human biology course (3-4)*
A chemistry course(3)
01:160:127 Impact of Chemistry (3)
01:160:128 Chemistry of Life (3)
01:160:161, General Chemistry I
Major Requirements (46 credits)
Core Courses (31 credits)
10:832:201 Principles of Public Health (3)
10:832:212 Health Disparities (3) (Open to majors and minors only)
10:832:240 Global Health Perspectives (3)
One of the following intensive writing courses (3):
10:775:300 Writing for Professionals (3)
10:832:339 Public Health Literature (3) Prerequisites: 10:832:201 and 01:355:101
01:335:302 Scientific and Technical Writing (3)
01:335:315 Writing Grant Proposals (3)
01:355:303 Writing for Business and the Professions (3)
10:832:335 Epidemiology (3) Prerequisites: Statistics or Precalculus and 10:832:201
10:832:356 Public Health Law and Ethics (3)
10:775:395 Research Methods (4) Prerequisites 775:205 or equivalent statistics (Open to majors only)
10:775:450 Leadership Seminar (3) Pre-or Co-requisite 10:775:395(Open to majors only; minimum 85 credits)
10:775:499 Internship (6) Prerequisites: 10:775:395, 10:775:450, and 100 credits* (Open to majors only)
Required Elective Courses (15 credits of 832 electives, 9 credits of which must be at the 300 level or higher)
Students interested in select career paths should consider clustering their electives and seek advising early in their programs of study.
Students seeking to replace 775:499 with 775:493, 494 Bloustein Honors Research Program (3, 3) should contact their advisor.
PUBLIC HEALTH CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS
The Bloustein School offers a variety of Public Health certificates. Certificate programs are open to students in any major and are awarded only with, or subsequent to receiving a bachelor's degree. Only courses with a C or better may be applied toward a certificate program. Students must declare their intention to pursue a certificate program with the Bloustein School prior to their last semester of study to qualify to receive a certificate. Awarded certificates will appear on the student's final transcript. Please visit the school's website at
https://bloustein.rutgers.edu for more information.
A. Health Disparities
Certificate (18-credit minimum)
The Health Disparities certificate provides students with a conceptual understanding of health disparities in the United States and abroad with a focus on race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender; and further offers an understanding of which groups are at higher risk of developing poor health outcomes.
Core (12 credits)
10:832:212 Health Disparities (3)
10:832:240 Global Health Perspectives (3)
10:832:413 Advanced Topics in Health Disparities (3)
or
01:920:335* Health & Inequality
10:832:414 Culture and Health (3)
Required Electives( at least 6 credits)
10:832:252 Health and Social Justice
(3)
10:832:253 LGBTQ Public Health (3)
10:832:302 Sexual and
Reproductive Health Policy
(3)
10:832:332 Public Health
Economics (3)
10:832:338 Health and Public
Policy (3)
10:832:340 Aging and Public
Policy (3) or 10:762:340
10:832:341 Public Health and
Aging (3)
10:832:350 Drugs, Culture and Society (3)
10:832:415 Women and Health (3)
10:832:416 Mental Health and
Society (3)
10:832:462 Human Rights and Health (3)
10:832:440 Global Public Health
(3)
10:762:230 Global Poverty
(3)
10:762:231 Poverty in the United
States (3)
10:762:331 U.S. Social Policy (3)
10:762:419 Immigration Policy (3)
*If you have not completed the prerequisite, please contact the instructor to request permission to enter the course after declaring the certificate. A special permission number will be issued by the Undergraduate Program Coordinator of the Sociology Dept.
B. Public Health Advocacy/Education Certificate (18-credit minimum)
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Undergraduate Programs in conjunction with Rutgers University Health Services' Health Outreach Promotion and Education offers a certificate program in Public Health Advocacy/Education. The PHA/E certificate helps students prepare for the national Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination by covering the requisite material in a series of related courses.
Core (12 credits)
10:832:241 Principles of Health Education (3)
10:832:345 Health Program Development (3)
10:832:346 Health Program Evaluation (3)
10:832:352 Community Health Promotion (3) Prerequisite: 10:832:241
Required Electives (at least 6 credits)
10:832:262 Peer Education Advocacy (3)
10:832:301 Sexual Health Advocacy (3) Prerequisite: Permission of instructor; course not open to seniors
10:832:350 Drugs, Culture, and Society (3)
10:832:351 Addictions Policy (3)
10:832:353 Science of Prevention (3) Prerequisite: 10:832:350
C. Public Health Management Certificate (18-credit minimum)
The Public Health Management certificate provides core skills important for government and non-profit jobs in public health management and covers much of the necessary material for students to prepare for graduate school in public health,
public administration, or non-profit management. Students are urged to complete Intro to Accounting, Calculus I, and Intro to Microeconomics as part of this certificate, especially if planning to obtain a Master of Public Administration (MPA), Master of Health Administration (MHA), or related degrees.
Core (15 Credits)
10:832:260 Health Care Systems (3)
10:832:332 Public Health Economics (3)
10:832:333 Financial Aspects of Public Health (3)
10:832:334 Public Health Management (3)
10:832:356 Public Health Law and Ethics (3)
Required Electives (at least 3 credits)
10:833:360 Principles of Public Management (3)
10:833:362 Nonprofit Management (3)
D. Public Health Preparedness Certificate (18-credit minimum)
The Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy Undergraduate Programs in conjunction with the Rutgers School of Public Health offers a Public Health Preparedness (PHP) Certificate. Students are introduced to the biological, chemical, and radiological agents that have the potential to cause widespread harm to public health, as well as emergency management concepts.
Core (15 credits)
10:832:201 Principles of Public Health (3)
10:832:320 Protecting Public Health and the Environment (3)
10:832:321 Environmental and Occupational Health (3)
10:832:401 Public Health Preparedness I (3)*
10:832:402 Public Health Preparedness II (3)
Required Electives (at least 3 credits)
10:832:334 Public Health Management (3)
10:832:335 Epidemiology (3)
10:832:356 Public Health Law and Ethics (3)
Core (6 cr)
10:832:240 Global Health Perspectives (3)
10:832:440 Global Health (3)
Required Electives (at least 12 cr)
01:420:224 French for Healthcare (3)
01:506:226 Contemporary Challenges in International Health (3)
01:508:328 History of Health and Healing in Africa (3)
01:920:335 Health and Inequality*** (3)
01:940:205 Spanish for the Health Professions (3)
01:988:407 Women's Global Health Movements (3)
01:988:412 Global Food Politics: Health Consequences (3)
01:988:413 The Global Pharmaceutical Economy & Health (3)
10:652:399 Special Topics: Ethical Issues in Global Health and Development (3)
10:762:230 Global Poverty (3)
10:762:419 Immigration Policy (3)
10:832:235 Urban Health (3)
10:832:335 Epidemiology* (3)
10:832:338 Health and Public Policy (3)
10:832:404 Emerging Infectious Diseases** (3)
10:832:405 Cancer and Society (3)
10:832:414 Culture and Health (3)
10:832:415 Women and Health (3)
10:832:462 Human Rights and Health (3) (cross-listed under 10:652:462)
*Pre-requisites: (1) 10:775:205 Basic Statistical Methods or equivalent or 01:640:115 (111 and 112) Pre-Calculus, and (2) 10:832:201 Principles of Public Health or approval of the Executive Director of Undergraduate Programs
**Pre-requisite: 10:832:335 Epidemiology
***Pre-requisite: Any of the following: (1) 01:920:311, (2) 01:920:312, (3) 01:920:313, or (4) 01:920:314
F. Health Policy Certificate (18 credits)
The Health Policy Certificate provides students with an interdisciplinary approach to the intersection of public health and public policy. Core courses in policy, health, ethics, and economics promote a comprehensive understanding of health policy and its relevance in the contemporary United States.
Core (9 credits)
10:501:332 Health Care Economics (3) or
10:832:332 Public Health Economics (3) or
01:220:433 Health Economics (3) and
10:762:210 Principles of Public Policy (3) (cross-listed with 10:833,843:210)
10:832:338 Health and Public Policy (3) (cross-listed as 10:833:338)
Required Electives (9 credits)
Select one elective from each of the following:
Law and Ethics of Health Policy (3):
01:730:248 Foundations of Medical Ethics and Policy (3) (cross-listed with 10:652:201)
01:730:348 Foundations of Medical Ethics and Policy (3) (cross-listed with 10:652:301)
10:501:356 Health Care Ethics and Law (3)
10::832:356 Public Health Law and Ethics (3)
Domains of Health Policy (3):
01:790:305 Public Policy Formation (3)
10:501:260 Health Care Systems (3) (cross-listed with 10:832:260)
10:762:331 U.S. Social Policy (3) (cross-listed with 10:833,975:331)
10:832:201 Principles of Public Health (3)
Joint BA/MPH or BS/MPH Program
Exceptional, well-prepared students from any major with at least 60 credits and a GPA of 3.2, and who wish to pursue graduate studies at the Rutgers School of Public Health are encouraged to see advising about the Accelerated BA/MPH or BS/MPH) program. Contact ugadmissions@ejb.rutgers.edu for more information.