College of Public Health

Public Health

120

Semester Hours

18

Premajor Hours

41

Major Hours

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Jennifer Strange

Director of Undergraduate Advising

Bachelor of Public Health

Benji Bryant

Graduate Coordinator

Master of Public Health

College of Public Health

College of Public Health

111 Washington Ave, Suite 120

Lexington, KY 40536

Program website

  • BPH
  • MPH

This program is for the student interested in positively impacting the health of people and communities. Public Health focuses on populations with an integrated approach of identifying behaviors that affect health; preventing disease and premature death; promoting healthcare equity, quality and accessibility; and transforming healthcare systems.

Careers

Grow Your Future

The Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) gives students a unique knowledge base, allowing them to apply for many entry-level jobs in government, non-profit organizations, international health organizations, and more. The BPH is a great fit for students interested in careers in:

  • Health Communication
  • Health Education
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Assessment
  • Health Analytics
  • Health Management
  • Health Policy
  • Local, State, or Federal Public Health System (i.e. local and state health departments or agencies, CDC, NIH, WHO, etc.)
  • Data Visualization
  • Global Health

A BPH degree also allows for students to graduate in four years while completing all prerequisites for professional programs such as:

  • Medicine
  • Pharmacy
  • Dentistry
  • Physician Assistant
  • Physical Therapy
  • Law
  • And more!
Student photo with sign,
What does Public Health mean to you? Let us know on Twitter @UKCPH #WeArePublicHealth

Courses You Will Take

Access Major Map

source: myUK: GPS

Public Health (BPH) 120 - 122 hours
Freshman Year
Sophomore Year
Junior Year
Senior Year
«
»

Total Freshman Year Credit Hours : 30 - 32

Fall Semester
16 - 18 Credit Hours
UK Core - Comp. & Comm. I
3
MA 109
3 - 5
MA 109 - COLLEGE ALGEBRA

MA 109

**UK Core - Quantitative Foundations**

3 - 5 credit hours

MA 109 covers selected topics in algebra, such as a review of high school algebra, quadratic formula, systems of linear equations, introduction to functions and graphing. In particular, the course will cover solving equations (linear, quadratic, rational, exponential, and logarithmic), graphing on the Cartesian coordinate system (with special emphasis on lines and their slope), solving systems of linear equations (with substitution and elimination), using technology such as graphing calculators, solving applied problems, and general functions (with emphasis on exponential, logarithmic, polynomial, and rational functions). This course is not available for credit to persons who have received credit in any mathematics course of a higher number with the exceptions of MA 111, 112, 123, 162, 201 and 202. Credit not available on the basis of special examination.

Prereq: Two years of high school algebra and a Math ACT score of 21 or above, OR a Math SAT score of 510 or above or a Math SAT2016 score of 540 or above, OR grade of B or better in MA 111, OR appropriate score on math placement exam, OR consent of department.

CLA 131
3
CLA 131 - MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY FROM GREEK AND LATIN

CLA 131

3 credit hours

Latin and Greek roots, prefixes, and suffixes as found in medical terminology. Primarily for pre-medical, pre-dental, pre-nursing and pre-veterinary students, but others will be admitted for help in vocabulary building.

BIO 103
3
BIO 103 - BASIC IDEAS OF BIOLOGY

BIO 103

**UK Core - Natural, Physical, & Mathematical Sciences**

3 credit hours

Introductory biology. Discussion topics are those relevant to both plants and animals-- cell structure and function, molecules important to living things, metabolism, heredity, environment. Not for life science majors.

Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Free Electives (1 hour)
1

HHS-FREE-1

1 credit hours

Complete a Free Elective at or above the 100-level. - Take 1 hour.

Spring Semester
14 Credit Hours
CPH 201
3
CPH 201 - AN INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH: THEORY AND METHODS

CPH 201

**UK Core - Social Sciences**

3 credit hours

This course provides the student with basic knowledge about the discipline of public health. After receiving a philosophical and political orientation to public health, students will begin to acquire functional knowledge of the strategies most often applied in public health practice. Key content areas (such as HIV prevention, maternal and child health, reducing obesity rates, and reducing tobacco addiction) will become focal points for the investigation of these strategies.

UK Core - Comp. & Comm. II
3
UK Core - Humanities
3
CPH 255
2
CPH 255 - PUBLIC HEALTH: CAREERS FOR A HEALTHY WORLD

CPH 255

2 credit hours

In this class, students explore the wide variety of careers and professional settings where people with training in public health work. Through guest lectures and discussions with professionals in the field, students gain exposure to the roles and responsibilities of those who work in nonprofit, for-profit, and governmental public health; health care; health care administration; and other related fields. As part of this course, students will assess their own interests, skills, and personality to explore and describe their career goals and strategically plan for a career in this area.

Prereq: Concurrent or previous enrollment in CPH 201.

Free Elective
3

Total Sophomore Year Credit Hours : 30

Fall Semester
15 Credit Hours
GRN 250
3
GRN 250 - AGING IN TODAY'S WORLD

GRN 250

**UK Core - Community, Culture and Citizenship in the USA**

3 credit hours

This class explores the processes and meanings of "growing old," focusing on influences from childhood through adolescence and adulthood, with constant attention to how these processes and meanings are situated in time and space and eventually inform individual and societal conceptions of and actions concerning old age. The many faces of aging are examined from an array of disciplinary perspectives using selected readings, film documentaries, consideration of personal/family histories, and a series of exercises that allow students to place one’s own life experience and thoughts of growing old in broader societal context.

UK Core - Arts and Creativity
3
Guided Electives - Natural Science
3
Guided Electives - Social Science
3
Guided Electives - Public Health (200+)
3
Spring Semester
15 Credit Hours
BST 230
3
BST 230 - STATISTICAL THINKING IN PUBLIC HEALTH

BST 230

**UK Core - Statistical Inferential Reasoning**

3 credit hours

BST 230 provides students with an introduction to statistical concepts that are important for solving real-world public health problems. This course will present statistical principles and associated scientific reasoning underlying public health practice and health policy decision- making. Topics include data visualization, summary statistics, statistical inference, study design and data analysis, and strategies for articulating and evaluating claims using statistical constructs.

Prereq: UKCore course in Quantitative Foundations.

UK Core - Global Dynamics
3
Guided Electives - Natural Science
3
Guided Electives - Public Health (200+)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3

Total Junior Year Credit Hours : 30

Fall Semester
15 Credit Hours
CPH 310
3
CPH 310 - Fundamentals of Epidemiology

CPH 310

3 credit hours

This course will outline the history of epidemiology as a science and examine its wide-ranging contributions to the fields of public health, medicine, and the social sciences. This course will focus on epidemiological methods to investigate health outcomes and identify associated and causative factors of disease in populations.

CPH 320
3
CPH 320 - Fundamentals of Environmental Health

CPH 320

3 credit hours

This course explores the connection between the health of people and the natural and built environment. Focus is given to understanding the relationships between biological, chemical, and social factors that produce unhealthy environments that sicken individuals throughout their lifespan. The important influence of environmental policy and regulation to protect the health and safety of human populations is examined as well as the role of environmental justice in creating healthy communities.

Prereq: BPH Majors only.

Guided Electives - Social Science
3
Guided Electives - Public Health (300+)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Spring Semester
15 Credit Hours
CPH 330
3
CPH 330 - HEALTH ANALYTICS I

CPH 330

3 credit hours

CPH 330 focuses on applying methods for solving public health analytical problems. This course will build on the statistical principles and scientific reasoning introduced in introductory statistics courses, but will focus on the application of methods for categorical data analysis. Topics include data visualization, exploratory data analysis, summary statistics, statistical testing, estimation, confounding, and the use of regression models commonly encountered in public health. An emphasis on data analytic methods will also introduce students to the use of statistical software.

Prereq: CPH 310 & BPH Majors only or permission of instructor.

CPH 350
3
CPH 350 - INTRODUCTION TO HEALTH SYSTEMS AND POLICY

CPH 350

3 credit hours

This upper division course introduces students to U.S. health system and its public health and health care components. The course explores the history of these systems in the U.S., their current status in terms of financing and law, and the role of health policy in system change. The course begins with an overview of the U.S. health care system and a comparison to other systems around the world. We then explore the history of the U.S. system, in terms of its public health and health care components, and its current state, including recent developments in both public health and health care. The course ends with an examination of the role of health policy in systems change. As part of this tour of the U.S. health system, students will learn about the role of government and private organizations in both public health and health care.

Prereq: CPH 201, CPH 202, or CPH 203.

CPH 440
3
CPH 440 - FOUNDATIONS OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR

CPH 440

3 credit hours

This course will provide students with an overview of how the social and behavioral sciences contribute to public health practice in the rapidly expanding field of health behavior. Emphasis will be placed on theory- driven approaches that are supported by empirical investigations. Students will acquire a working knowledge of foundational theories used in public health practice and evaluation methods used in health behavior intervention programs. The course includes a summary of major public health issues in the United States including an overview of health equity. The course also includes training on the translation of research findings into the public health practice through the development of a theory informed health behavior intervention program.

Prereq: BPH Majors only.

Guided Electives - Public Health (300+)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3

Total Senior Year Credit Hours : 30

Fall Semester
15 Credit Hours
CPH 455
3
CPH 455 - PUBLIC HEALTH PRACTICE AND COMMUNICATION

CPH 455

3 credit hours

This course serves as one of two culminating courses for the Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) degree and brings together two key applications of public health knowledge: Practicing public health in organizational settings and communicating as a public health professional. In this course, students complete an experiential learning activity in order to gain a practical understanding of public health organizations, broadly defined. Students will use what they observe during the experience, as well as what they have learned throughout the BPH program, to advocate for public health through media and policy advocacy. In this context, students will develop the skills to create public health communication using theory and evidence-based approaches.

Prereq: BPH Majors only plus CPH 310, CPH 320, CPH 330, CPH 350, and CPH 440.

CPH 476G
3
CPH 476G - A SICK WORLD: GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH IN THE EARLY 21ST CENTURY

CPH 476G

3 credit hours

This course provides students with basic knowledge about the issues of global public health and its importance to all peoples of the globe. After receiving an introduction to the principles and goals of global public health, students will begin to acquire functional knowledge of the theoretical and methodological underpinnings of global public health practice. Key content areas such as health determinants, issues of health, education, and poverty, ethical and human rights concerns, the impact of culture on global public health, the burden of disease on the global human population, and other pertinent global public health topics will become focal points for class discussion. This course will emphasize theory-driven empirical investigation of key behavioral issues that influence the health and well-being of people around the globe. Case studies of global public health issues with be utilized.

Prereq: CPH 440 & BPH Majors only or by permission of the instructor.

Guided Electives - Public Health (400+)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Spring Semester
15 Credit Hours
CPH 470
3
CPH 470 - PUBLIC HEALTH CAPSTONE

CPH 470

3 credit hours

This course will provide Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) students a culminating experience through a practice-based simulation of community health assessment and community health improvement strategies grounded in the Evidence-Informed Decision-Making model. Students will use a synthesis of the BPH program’s core coursework (epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, population health management and policy, and health behavior) augmented by concepts of health equity and systems thinking. This course is a Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement (GCCR) course in certain programs, and hence is not likely to be eligible for automatic transfer credit to UK.

Prereq: BPH Majors only plus CPH 310, CPH 320, CPH 330, CPH 350 and CPH 440.

Guided Electives - Public Health (400+)
3
Guided Electives - Social Science
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3
Free Electives (3 hours)
3

Please login to http://myUK.uky.edu to access your major map and personalized degree audit via the myUK Graduation Planning System (myUK GPS).

Classes & Requirements

What You'll Study

The BPH program has four overall student learning outcomes. In order to demonstrate achievement of these outcomes, the BPH program faculty have developed competencies which students demonstrate through coursework and a culminating experience.

Students will...

  • demonstrate knowledge of public health from an interdisciplinary perspective
  • show competency in ethical issues, social responsibility, and problem solving using evidence-based concepts in core public health areas
  • show competency in relationship-building and team dynamics to plan and promote public health and reduce health disparities
  • apply theories and concepts to communicate the interconnectedness among the physical, social, and environmental aspects of population health

Complete Student Learning Outcomes

Curriculum

UK Core Requirements

See the UK Core section of the current Undergraduate Bulletin for the complete UK Core requirements. Some courses required for the BPH degree also fulfill UK Core areas. Students should work closely with their advisor to complete the UK Core requirements.

Premajor Requirements

Students entering the University of Kentucky will enroll as a pre-BPH student and must meet certain requirements before joining the BPH major. The pre-major requirements include:

  • BIO 103 Basic Ideas of Biology (or higher)--3 hours
  • BST 230 Statistical Literacy in Public Health--3 hours
  • CLA 131 Medical Terminology from Greek & Latin--3 hours
  • CPH 201 Introduction to Public Health--3 hours
  • GRN 250 Aging in Today’s World--3 hours
  • MA 111 Introduction to Contemporary Math (or higher)--3 hours

Pre-major Hours: 18

Note: To apply for the BPH major, students must have:

  • Earned a grade of B or better in CPH 201;
  • A minimum of a 3.0 grade-point average on pre-major course requirements;
  • A minimum of a 2.75 cumulative grade-point average on all college work attempted as computed by the Registrar’s Office.

Major Requirements

In addition to the pre-requisites to be admitted to the Bachelor of Public Health program, students will need to complete 120 credit hours of course work to complete their Bachelor of Public Health degree.

Required Public Health Courses

CPH 310 Disease Detectives: Epidemiology in Action
CPH 320 Foundations of Environmental Health
CPH 330 Health Analytics I
CPH 350 Introduction to Health Care Organization and Policy
CPH 440 Foundations of Health Behavior
CPH 455 Public Health Practice and Communication
CPH 476G A Sick World: Global Public Health
CPH 255 Public Health: Careers for a Healthy World

Public Health Electives (choose 5)

No more than 2 at the 200-299 level
CPH 202 Public Health through Popular Film
CPH 203 Sexual Health
CPH 241 Health and Society: A Global Perspective

No more than 2 at the 300-394 level
CPH 309 Health, History, and Human Diversity
CPH 315 Chronic Disease Epidemiology
CPH 318 Global Cancer Epidemiology
CPH 345 Food Fight: Public Health and Nutrition
CPH 351 Population Health and Crisis Management
CPH 352 Public Health and Social Media
CPH 365 Special Topics in Public Health

Unlimited from the 395-level or above
CPH 395 Independent Studies in Public Health
CPH 423 The Health of Kentuckians
CPH 441 Tobacco and the Public’s Health
CPH 450 Managing Health Services Orgs to Improve Population Health

Capstone course - required:

After attaining junior status, students must complete a capstone course, which also satisfies the Graduation Writing Requirement.

CPH 470 Public Health Capstone
NOTE: Students must earn a grade of C or better in all Major Requirement courses.

Additional Courses

Choose 9 hours in social science courses at the 200+ level. These courses are generally chosen from the following departments: ANT, GEO, SOC.

Choose 6 hours in natural or physical science courses at the 200+ level. These courses are generally chosen from the following departments: ANA, BIO, CHE, PGY, PHA, PHY.

Electives

Choose electives to lead to the minimum total of 120 hours required for graduation.  

In addition to the public health coursework, students will need to complete 30 hours of their UK Core requirements in order to graduate.  For more information, please visit the UK Core Web site http://www.uky.edu/ukcore/.

Total Minimum Hours Required for Degree = 120


Imagine Your Future

Health Educators and Community Health Workers

Health educators teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. Community health workers collect data and discuss health concerns with members of specific populations or communities.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics | Click the link for more info.

Median Salary

$46,080

per year in 2023

Number of Jobs

123,800

in 2023

10 Year Job Outlook

14,100

new jobs (average)

Work Environment

Health educators and community health workers work in a variety of settings, including hospitals, nonprofit organizations, government, doctors’ offices, private businesses, and colleges. They generally work full time.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

Read More

Similar Occupations

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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  • School and Career Counselors
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  • Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors
  • Marriage and Family Therapists

Enhancing Your Time at UK

There are countless ways to “see blue” on campus, but the best way to maximize your journey at the University of Kentucky is by engaging in an Education Abroad opportunity.

This will allow you to gain a global perspective and enhance future employability. As you take the first step towards investing in your future, we encourage you to take advantage of all the opportunities UK has to offer. Take a look at some of the options UK Education Abroad & Exchanges office suggests to complement your major!

View Major Advising Page

Contact

Jennifer Strange

Director of Undergraduate Advising

Bachelor of Public Health

Benji Bryant

Graduate Coordinator

Master of Public Health

College of Public Health

College of Public Health

111 Washington Ave, Suite 120

Lexington, KY 40536