Jennifer Strange
Director of Undergraduate Advising
Office of Student Engagement and Academic Success
jennifer.strange@uky.eduThis 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.
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:
A BPH degree also allows for students to graduate in four years while completing all prerequisites for professional programs such as:
What does Public Health mean to you? Let us know on Twitter @UKCPH #WeArePublicHealth
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...
Complete Student Learning Outcomes
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.
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:
Pre-major Hours: 18
Note: To apply for the BPH major, students must have:
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
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 2021
Number of Jobs
123,800
in 2021
10 Year Job Outlook
14,100
new jobs (average)
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 MoreSource: Bureau of Labor Statistics
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
Jennifer Strange
Director of Undergraduate Advising
Office of Student Engagement and Academic Success
jennifer.strange@uky.eduCollege of Public Health
College of Public Health
111 Washington Ave, Suite 120
Lexington, KY 40536
(859) 323-5998
