Public Health, BS

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Public Health is the applied science of protecting and promoting the health and wellness of individuals, families and populations using evidence-based health promotion and disease prevention programs and policies. The field of public health is charged with assessing, understanding and responding to the behavioral and ecological factors that influence the health of communities.

Public Health challenges individuals to consider the biological, environmental and social determinants of health. Within the interdisciplinary curriculum, students will explore health behaviors and policies through courses in personal health, global health, nutrition, psychology, biology, communication, research methods and health promotion programming. Majors address contemporary health issues and the factors that influence them, including advocacy and equity.

BS in Public Health requires completion of a second major or minor.

NOTE: All BS Public Health majors must make a minimum of a C-/1.7 in all required major courses, including technical requirements. Majors who fail to make a C-/1.7 in any required course must repeat that course until the satisfactory grade has been earned.

Honors

Students majoring in Public Health and judged qualified by faculty may, upon invitation, elect to pursue honors work in HESS. (Health, Exercise and Sport Science). To graduate “With Honors in HESS,” students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 and a minimum major GPA of 3.5. The student must complete HES 385 , HES 390 , and HES 499 , with a minimum grade of 3.0/B in each course. In addition, the student must present a thesis either before the faculty or at an appropriate professional conference.

Major Requirements (42 hours)

Required courses in the major:

MAT 116 - Introduction to Statistics Hours: 4
HCS 250 - Multicultural Perspectives Hours: 3
BIO 281 - Human Anatomy and Physiology I Hours: 4
HES 287 - Personal Health Hours: 3
HES 325 - Community and Public Health Hours: 3
HES 335 - Communicating and Advocating for Health Hours: 3
HES 385 - Research in Health Exercise and Sport Science Hours: 3
HES 425 - Health Promotion Programming and Evaluation Hours: 3
HES 452 - Global Health & Ethics Hours: 3

Major Electives

Choose 3 electives from those listed below (9 hours):

HES 288 - Nutrition Hours: 3
HES 373 - Women’s Wholeness Hours: 3
HES 383 - Special Topics Hours: 3
HES 451 - Human Sexuality Hours: 3
HES 453 - Application of Theories Hours: 3
PSY 374 - Drugs and Behavior Hours: 3

Practicum Courses

HES 455 - Community Health Practicum I Hours: 2
HES 456 - Community Health Practicum II Hours: 2

Minor or Second Major is Required

The BS in Public Health requires completion of a second major or a minor.

General Elective Credits

General Electives (37 hours) as needed to reach 120 hours overall. The minor or second major hours will count as general electives.

Total Credit Hours - Minimum 120 hours

On occasion, technical and/or program requirements may also meet specific General Education requirements. Please confer with your program advisor to determine which courses, if any, may be counted accordingly.

All bachelor’s degree programs at Lenoir-Rhyne require at least 120 credit hours. If, in combination, General Education, technical, and program requirements do not generate at least 120 hours, additional credits must be completed to achieve 120 hours. These classes may be general electives, or a student may complete a minor or additional major.

General Education Requirements (37 hours)

Graduation Requirements (4 hours)

General Education Requirements

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