Program Director
Lauren Iagulli
(330) 941-4680
lmiagulli01@ysu.edu
Overview
Public Health
Wherever there’s a community in need, public health professionals answer the call—driving action, advocating for change, and responding to crises. They work across diverse settings, including public health agencies, non-profits, academia, private industry, and health care organizations.
Students who choose the Bachelor of Science in Applied Science (BSAS) in Public Health 4+1 track can earn 9 semester hours of dual credit, which can apply to both their undergraduate and graduate degrees. After completing their BSAS in Public Health, they can finish their Master of Public Health (MPH) in just one year. Applicants to the MPH program must have a minimum GPA of 2.75.
The BSAS in Public Health offers students the opportunity to specialize in one of the following emphasis areas:
- Public Health Generalist
- Health Education and Promotion
- Environmental Health and Safety
The curriculum for the YSU bachelor’s degree in public health addresses each of the core disciplines in public health.
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Health Services Administration
- Environmental Health
- Behavioral Science/Health Education
This curriculum enables mastery at the bachelor’s level of the nationally recognized foundational domains of public health and Public Health Core Competencies. All major courses can be completed through online distance learning options.
Students also have the option to pursue a minor in a field that enhances their degree in public health, broadening their academic experience and expertise.
Graduates of the BSAS in Public Health are well-prepared to obtain professional certifications. The degree provides a strong foundation for those pursuing the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam or the Environmental Health Specialist exam. Students interested in the Environmental Health Specialist exam must complete a statistics course and at least 30 semester hours of science coursework to qualify.
The program also offers a minor in public health. Students pursing a minor in public health may choose one of the following emphasis areas:
- Public Health Generalist
- Community Health Planning and Evaluation
- Environmental Health and Safety
During the freshman and sophomore years, students are expected to take the courses that meet the requirements for general education. In addition to the English, mathematics, and communication requirement, specific general education courses for the BSAS public health degree include:
| COURSE | TITLE | S.H. |
|---|---|---|
| FIRST YEAR REQUIREMENT -STUDENT SUCCESS | ||
| YSU 1500 | Success Seminar | 1-2 |
| or YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar | |
| or HONR 1500 | Intro to Honors | |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| ENGL 1550 | Writing 1 | 3-4 |
| or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 with Support | |
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| Mathmatics requirement (one of the following): | ||
| MATH 2623 | Quantitative Reasoning | 3-6 |
| or MATH 2623C | Quantitative Reasoning with Co-Requisite Support | |
| or STAT 2601 | Introductory Statistics | |
| or STAT 2625 | Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning | |
| or STAT 2625C | Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning with Co-Requisite Support | |
| Natural Science (7 s.h.) (2 courses, 1 with lab) | 7 | |
| Arts and Humanities (6 s.h.) (2 courses) | 6 | |
| Social Science Electives (6 s.h.) | ||
| PHLT 1531 | Fundamentals of Public Health Required for major | 3 |
| Social Science Elective | 3 | |
| General Education Electives (9 s.h.) | ||
| PHLT 1568 | Healthy Lifestyles Required for major | 3 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| Gen Ed. Elective of Choice | 3 | |
| Required Courses | ||
| PHLT 1513 | Introduction to Environmental Health and Safety | 3 |
| PHLT 1550 | Public Health Advocacy and Policy | 3 |
| PHLT 2607 | Ethical Issues in Public Health | 3 |
| PHLT 3702 | Health Education Theory and Methods | 3 |
| PHLT 3791 | Community Health | 3 |
| PHLT 3723 | Global Perspectives of Public Health | 3 |
| PHLT 4826 | Community Health Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation | 3 |
| PHLT 4899 | Public Health Senior Seminar | 3 |
| AHLT 4806 | Research Methods | 3 |
| AHLT 4810 | Management Skills for Health Professionals | 3 |
| AHLT 5807 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| HAHS 5875 | Interprofessional Education for Health Professions | 3 |
| Choose one of the PHLT Empasis Areas (12 s.h.) | 12 | |
| Health Education and Promotion | ||
| Human Sexuality | ||
or PHLT 3731 | Drug Use and Abuse | |
| Topics in Public Health | ||
| Health and Disease | ||
| Multicultural Health | ||
| Enviromental Health | ||
| Elements of Urban Environmental Health Practices | ||
| Environmental Health Concerns | ||
| Agents of Mass Casualty | ||
| Crisis Management in Public Health | ||
| Generalist | ||
| Any Comination of courses from the Health Education and Promotion/Environmental concentrations above totaling 12 hours | ||
| PHLT Upper Division Electives (12 s.h.) | 12 | |
| Below are the courses that can be counted towards your upper division PHLT electives. Courses taken as part of your emphasis area do not count toward your PHLT upper division elective semester hours | ||
| Elements of Urban Environmental Health Practices | ||
| Topics in Public Health | ||
| Drug Use and Abuse | ||
| Public Health Impact of War and Conflict | ||
| Health and Disease | ||
| Environmental Health Concerns | ||
| Grant Writing | ||
| Workshop in Health Education | ||
| Pathology of Infectious Diseases | ||
| Environmental Regulations | ||
| Industrial Hygiene | ||
| DUAL CREDIT REQUIREMENTS | ||
| MPH 6901 | Public Health Concepts | 3 |
| MPH 6904 | Biostatistics in Public Health | 3 |
| Select 1 of the 5800 level courses below. A maximum of 9 credit hours may double count for both undergraduate and graduate credit. | 3 | |
| Multicultural Health | ||
| Agents of Mass Casualty | ||
| Crisis Management in Public Health | ||
| Additional Electives or Minor Coursework | 13 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-125 | |
A minimum of 120 semester hours are required for the BSAS in Public Health. No minor is required for this professional BSAS degree.
| Year 1 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | S.H. | |
| YSU 1500S | Youngstown State University Success Seminar or Success Seminar or Intro to Honors | 1-2 |
| ENGL 1550 or ENGL 1549 | Writing 1 or Writing 1 with Support | 3-4 |
| CMST 1545 | Communication Foundations | 3 |
| PHLT 1531 | Fundamentals of Public Health | 3 |
| PHLT 1550 | Public Health Advocacy and Policy | 3 |
| PHLT 1568 | Healthy Lifestyles | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 16-18 | |
| Spring | ||
| ENGL 1551 | Writing 2 | 3 |
| MATH 2623 | Quantitative Reasoning or Quantitative Reasoning with Co-Requisite Support or Introductory Statistics or Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning or Statistical Literacy and Critical Reasoning with Co-Requisite Support | 3-6 |
| Natural Science Gen Ed | 3 | |
| Arts and Humanities Gen Ed | 3 | |
| Gen Ed. Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15-18 | |
| Year 2 | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHLT 2607 | Ethical Issues in Public Health | 3 |
| PHLT 3702 | Health Education Theory and Methods | 3 |
| Social Science Gen Ed | 3 | |
| Natural Science + Lab Gen Ed | 4 | |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHLT 1513 | Introduction to Environmental Health and Safety | 3 |
| PHLT 3791 | Community Health | 3 |
| Arts and Humanities Gen Ed | 3 | |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 3 | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHLT 4826 | Community Health Planning, Implementation, and Evaluation | 3 |
| AHLT 5807 | Epidemiology | 3 |
| PHLT Emphasis Area Course | 3 | |
| PHLT Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHLT 3723 | Global Perspectives of Public Health | 3 |
| AHLT 4806 | Research Methods | 3 |
| PHLT Emphasis Area Course | 3 | |
| PHLT Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Elective or Minor | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Year 4 | ||
| Fall | ||
| AHLT 4810 | Management Skills for Health Professionals | 3 |
| PHLT Emphasis Area Course | 3 | |
| MPH 6901 | Public Health Concepts | 3 |
| MPH 6904 | Biostatistics in Public Health | 3 |
| Elective or Minor | 1 | |
| Semester Hours | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHLT 4899 | Public Health Senior Seminar | 3 |
| HAHS 5875 | Interprofessional Education for Health Professions | 3 |
| PHLT Emphasis Area Course | 3 | |
| PHLT Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| PHLT Upper Division Elective | 3 | |
| Semester Hours | 15 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 120-125 | |
- While completing the BSAS in Public Health, students must earn a grade of "C" or better in all required PHLT and AHLT courses.
- Courses taken under the Credit (CR)/No Credit (NC) option may not be counted toward to major.
Learning Outcomes
The student learning outcomes for public health are as follows:
- The BSAS in Public Health program will provide students with instruction in the foundational domains of public health and prepare them to complete the following responsibility in relation to health education:
- Assessment of Needs and Capacity
- Planning
- Implementation
- Evaluation and Research
- Advocacy
- Communication
- Leadership and Management
- Ethics and Professionalism
- Upon completion of the BSAS in Public Health program students will display the following competencies:
- Communicate public health information in both oral and written forms, through a variety of media and to diverse audiences
- Locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize public health information