2023-2024 Catalogue

Public Health

Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work, and play. At Wesleyan College, public health is an interdisciplinary major. In addition to coursework in public health history, policy, and practice, you will take courses in data analytics, mathematics, psychology, economics, biology, chemistry, and political science. In doing so, you will learn how to use the theories and knowledge of these disciplines to analyze and understand public health issues that affect local, regional, national, and global communities. This is an ideal major for a wide range of interests. Public health can encompass scientific research, education, community engagement, data analysis, policy-making, and law. Majoring in public health at Wesleyan College will prepare you for graduate programs, including Public Health and Epidemiology, or careers in many different fields, such as first responders, health educators, scientists and researchers, community planners, public health physicians and nurses, occupational health and safety professionals, or public policymakers.

Program Learning Objectives

Students who graduate with a public health major from Wesleyan College shall:

1. demonstrate critical understanding of historical and contemporary public health trends and approaches;
2. demonstrate critical understanding of how politics and public policy affect health systems;
3. acquire methodological and communication skills commensurate with interdisciplinary scholarly research;
4. analyze public health issues using methodologies from data analytics, statistics, and the social and natural sciences;
5. apply knowledge, skills, and ethical reasoning to engage actively with issues in public health; and
6. demonstrate preparedness to enter graduate programs and/or pursue careers in public health and related fields

Requirements for the Major
The major consists of 59 hours of coursework. Currently, all courses with the PBH and ADA prefixes (18 hours) are offered in online format only through the RIZE Consortium.

1. Public Health Care (18 hours)
PBH 101 The History of Public Health 3 hours
BUS/HCA 313 Health Care Policy and Economics or PBH 320 Health Economics 3 hours
PBH 315 Epidemiology 3 hours
PBH 325 Health Services 3 hours
PBH 401 Public Health Studies I 3 hours
PBH 425 Public Health Studies II 3 hours

2. Mathematics Requirements (9 hours)
MAT 140 Precalculus Mathematics 3 hours
MAT 220 Statistical Methods 3 hours
ADA 101 Data Analysis 3 hours

3. Social Science Requirements (24 hours)
POL 250 Introduction to Public Policy 3 hours
Two of the following: POL 115 American Government, POL 230 International Relations, or PSY 235 Nature and Manifestation of Prejudice 6 hours
POL 332 Research Methods 3 hours
PSY 101 General Psychology 3 hours
One of the following: POL 342 International Organizations and Policy or PSY 301 Psychology of Gender 3 hours
ECO 102 Issues in Macroeconomics or ECO 104 Issues in Microeconomics 3 hours
PSY 343 Health Psychology or PSY 365 Community Psychology 3 hours

4. Natural Science Requirements (8 hours)
BIO 110 Principles of Biology 4 hours
CHM 100 Introduction to Chemistry: Chemisty of Life or CHM 101 General Chemistry 4 hours

Professional Development: Throughout her Wesleyan education each student is given opportunities to explore professional and career choices, and to develop and demonstrate the knowledge and skills essential for professional success. Each student will complete PDE 400 Professional Development Experience and PDE 401 Professional Practice Seminar.

Integrative Experience: Each student will complete the PBH 425 Public Health Studies II. In this capstone course, majors will undertake a significant research-based project in which they make connections among the various parts of their course of study and employ sound methodology.

Recommended Four-Year Public Health Major Coursework Schedule

Note: The following schedule does not include additional coursework students must take to complete their general education and graduation requirements.

Year One, Fall	Year One, Spring
POL 115 (if not taking POL 230 or PSY 235) Foreign Language 101 (if necessary)	MAT 140 (if necessary) POL 230 or PSY 235 (if not taking POL 115) PSY 101
Year Two, Fall	Year Two, Spring
BIO 110 or CHM 101 ECO 102 or ECO 104 POL 250	MAT 220 ECO 102 or ECO 104 (if not taken in the fall) PBH 101
Year Three, Fall	Year Three, Spring
BIO 110 or CHM 101 ADA 101 PBH 315	PBH 325 POL 332
Year Four, Fall	Year Four Spring
PBH 401	PBH 425

Majors should take BUS/HCA 313, POL 342 or PSY 301 and PSY 343 or PSY 365 during their third and fourth years, depending on when the courses are offered.