Public Health

Degree:Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Major:Public Health
Minor:Health Promotion
College:Usha Kundu, MD College of Health
CIP Code:51.2201
Semester Hours Required For Degree: 120

Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Department of Public Health

Building Phone Website Email
Building 38, Room 135 850-474-3191 https://uwf.edu/ukcoh/departments/public-health/ publichealth@uwf.edu

Health Promotion Minor

Department of Movement Sciences and Health

Building Phone Website Email
Building 72, Room 241 850-474-2194 https://uwf.edu/ukcoh/departments/movement-sciences-and-health/ pbarrington@uwf.edu

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) degree program prepares graduates for careers in public health at the local, state, national, and global health agencies as well as in community and organizational settings. Graduates will be equipped with competencies to conduct health needs assessments; to develop, implement, and evaluate health programs geared toward disease prevention and control. With the appropriate mix of elective courses, graduates of the BS in Public Health degree program may petition NCHEC to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) national exam. Additionally, the BS in Public Health degree prepares graduates for advanced public health education at the master's and doctoral levels with training in any of the major domains of social behavioral health sciences, environmental health, health policy, health education, epidemiology, and qualitative and quantitative research.

Admission Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must complete at least 120 semester hours with a minimum of 48 specified upper-division hours (3000/4000 level) at UWF.  

Acceptance to the University does not constitute admission to the upper-division Public Health Degree. Students entering UWF or declaring a major in public health will automatically be placed in a pending status until they meet the requirements for admission.

  • Students must successfully complete all common prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of a “C” or better.
  • Students must be at the level of a sophomore or higher.
  • Students will not be admitted to the program less than one week before the beginning of the term in which they have applied.

Those who do not complete these requirements may be denied further registration and may be prevented from further enrollment in Public Health courses. Not all states authorize online programs, if you reside outside of Florida you will want to check the status of your state's acceptance of this program: UWF State Authorization Status

This program will not meet immigration requirements for students holding an F1 or J1 Visa to maintain status. Contact International Affairs for further information.

No more than 24% of the program requirements for this degree may be in traditional business subjects.

Students must consult with the BSPH academic advisor for courses which may satisfy both the General Education requirements and common prerequisites.

A minimum grade of "C-" or better is required in all courses in the BSPH program, except for the common prerequisites which require a grade of "C" or better. A BSPH program minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.

General Education

ADDENDUM - 06/12/2025

In addition to the General Education requirements, students must satisfy all additional State of Florida requirements, including the College-Level Communication and Computation, Civic Literacy, and Foreign Language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the State University Requirements and Degree Requirements sections of this catalog.

General Education Curriculum:

Civic Literacy Requirement

The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy by passing an assessment or taking AMH 2020 United States Since 1877 or POS 2041 American Politics.

The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. In 2024, the Board of Governors made an additional revision, recognizing two new courses meeting the Civic Literacy requirement, AMH 2010 United States to 1877 and AMS 2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order. As a result, there are four cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions that are subject to varying requirements.

As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.

Students Included in Cohort Civic Literacy Competency Requirement
Cohort 1: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS before fall 2018 None
Cohort 2: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2018 through Academic Year 2020 Complete a course or Assessment.
Cohort 3: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2021 through Academic Year 2023 Course and Assessment.
Cohort 4: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2024 and thereafter Course and Assessment.

Additionally, for Cohorts 3 and 4, approved accelerated mechanisms may meet the course and/or assessment requirement, and students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) in high school are exempt from the postsecondary exam requirement.

There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan. 

Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website, SUS regulation BOG 8.006, and Florida Statute s.1007.25(4,a-b).

Mathematics Pathway

Students are advised to complete the following courses to fulfill the mathematics pathway that aligns with the mathematics skills needed for success in their program and their career goals. Students should refer to their academic advisor for questions about the math pathway for their program. For information about this requirement, refer to the catalog page for Mathematics PathwaysThese courses may also fulfill requirements for General Education and Common Prerequisites. 

Statistical Reasoning
STA 2023Elements of Statistics3
MAC 1105College Algebra3-4
or MAC 1105C College Algebra with Lab
or MAC 1114 Trigonometry
or MAC 1140 Precalculus Algebra
or MAC 1147 Precalculus with Trigonometry
or MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
or MAC 2233 Calculus with Business Applications
or MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II
or MGF 1130 Mathematical Thinking
or MGF 1131 Mathematics in Context

Common Prerequisites

State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.

BSC 1085
1085L
Anatomy and Physiology I
and Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory *
4
BSC 1086
1086L
Anatomy and Physiology II
and Anatomy & Physiology II Laboratory *
4
PSY 2012General Psychology *3
STA 2023Elements of Statistics *3
Total Hours14
*

Indicates common prerequisites which can be used to satisfy General Education requirements.

Lower Division Electives

Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to satisfy at least 60 semester hours (sh) in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement.22
Total Hours22
Students should choose 3 courses of the following courses for lower-division electives:9
Informatics and Your Health *
Personal, Family and Community Health *
Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
Introduction to Global Health Sciences
Total Hours9
*

Indicates courses which can be used to satisfy General Education requirements.

Upper Division Major Courses 

All Bachelor of Science in Public Health students must complete the following required public health foundational courses.

PHC 4101Essentials of Public Health +3
PHC 4109 Diseases in Human Populations +3
MCB 4276Epidemiology of Infectious Disease +3
PHC 4048Epidemiology for Public Health Practice +3
PHC 4464Understanding Health Equity and Health Disparities +3
PHC 3767 Globalization and Public Health +3
PHC 4140Public Health Planning and Analysis +3
HSC 3510Data Analysis in the Health Sciences +3
PHC 4024Applied Research Methods in Public Health +3
STA 4173Biostatistics +3
HSA 4191Health Information Systems +3
PHC 4930Public Health Seminar +3
HSC 4211Human Environmental Health +3
HSC 4300Changing Health Behaviors +3
HSA 3111Understanding U.S. Healthcare +, ***3
PHC 4940Public Health Capstone +3
Total Hours48
+
Courses included in the major GPA.
***

Meets College-Level Communication Skills Requirement.

Approved Electives

Students must complete 12 semester hours from the following course groups based on career interests. Students should discuss their professional goals with their advisor and public health faculty before selecting elective courses. 

Group A

Choose three courses from the following list:9
Bioterrorism: The Interprofessional Response
Pandemics and Microbial Threats to Health
Bioinformatics and Data Science
Applied Qualitative Research Methods
Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene
Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health
Total Hours9

Group B

Choose one course from the following list:3
Foundations of Maternal and Child Health
Project Management
Management Fundamentals
Sociology of Health, Illness and Health Care
Disease and Culture
Health Promotion Strategies and Funding
Current Issues in Health Promotion
Drugs in Society
Nutrition and Health
Gerontology
Total Hours3

Accelerated Bachelor's (BS) in Public Health to Master's (MPH) in Public Health Program

Minimum Requirements for admission include:

  • Minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 3.25/4.0.
  • Minimum GPA of 3.5 in major at UWF.
  • One letter of recommendation from a faculty member.

Process

A prospective student who meets the minimum requirements for admission to the Accelerated Bachelor's (BS) in Public Health to Master's (MPH) in Public Health Program must schedule a meeting with their undergraduate faculty advisor and graduate advisor to discuss and develop a degree plan for the student's Accelerated BS/MPH program. The student must then submit an Accelerated BS/MPH program application and letter of recommendation to the graduate advisor.

Eligibility and Restrictions

Students must have completed 75 undergraduate credit hours, including credits earned from advanced placement, prior to applying to the Accelerated BS/MPH program. Transfer students must have completed a minimum of two semesters and at least 24 credit hours at the University of West Florida prior to application to the Accelerated BS/MPH program.

For admission into the Accelerated BS/MPH program in the summer semester, application materials must be submitted by April 1. For admission into the Accelerated BS/MPH program in the fall semester, application materials must be submitted by July 1. For admission into the Accelerated BS/MPH program in the spring semester, application materials must be submitted by November 15.

Admission into the Accelerated BS/MPH program does not guarantee admission into the MPH program upon completion of the BS. Students must still submit an Express Admission application for the MPH program. Students who are a part of the Accelerated BS/MPH program cannot be provisionally or conditionally admitted into the MPH program.

Program Requirements

Upon admission into the MPH, the 12 graduate credit hours completed as an undergraduate student will count for 12 semester hours in Public Health coursework for the MPH. Students in the Accelerated BS/MS program must earn a grade of "B" (3.0/4.0) or better in each of the graduate-level courses that are being applied to both degrees. Courses completed with a grade of "B-" or below cannot be applied to the MPH degree.

Students accepted into the MPH program must complete all MPH requirements within 24 months of completing the BS degree. If the MPH program requirements are not completed within 24 months; the student is no longer eligible to apply the graduate credit hours toward both degrees (i.e., the student can only apply the graduate credit hours either toward completion of the bachelor’s degree or toward a future master’s degree) and is automatically terminated from the Accelerated BS/MPH program.

If a student in the Accelerated BS/MPH program completes the BS degree requirements with an overall GPA of less than 3.25/4.0, the student is no longer eligible to apply the graduate credit hours to both degrees (i.e., the student can only apply the credit hours towards completion of the BS degree or toward a future master’s degree) and is automatically terminated from the Accelerated BS/MPH program.

A student who becomes ineligible to continue participating in or withdraws from the Accelerated BS/MPH program cannot apply any graduate credit hours toward both degrees.

Students who are enrolled in the Accelerated BS/MPH program are eligible for graduate assistantship positions only after completing the BS degree.

General Education

ADDENDUM - 06/12/2025

In addition to the General Education requirements, students must satisfy all additional State of Florida requirements, including the College-Level Communication and Computation, Civic Literacy, and Foreign Language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the State University Requirements and Degree Requirements sections of this catalog.

General Education Curriculum:

Civic Literacy Requirement

The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy by passing an assessment or taking AMH 2020 United States Since 1877 or POS 2041 American Politics.

The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. In 2024, the Board of Governors made an additional revision, recognizing two new courses meeting the Civic Literacy requirement, AMH 2010 United States to 1877 and AMS 2010 Civil Discourse and the American Political Order. As a result, there are four cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions that are subject to varying requirements.

As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.

Students Included in Cohort Civic Literacy Competency Requirement
Cohort 1: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS before fall 2018 None
Cohort 2: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2018 through Academic Year 2020 Complete a course or Assessment.
Cohort 3: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in Academic Year 2021 through Academic Year 2023 Course and Assessment.
Cohort 4: Students initially entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2024 and thereafter Course and Assessment.

Additionally, for Cohorts 3 and 4, approved accelerated mechanisms may meet the course and/or assessment requirement, and students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam (FCLE) in high school are exempt from the postsecondary exam requirement.

There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan. 

Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website, SUS regulation BOG 8.006, and Florida Statute s.1007.25(4,a-b).

Mathematics Pathway

Students are advised to complete the following courses to fulfill the mathematics pathway that aligns with the mathematics skills needed for success in their program and their career goals. Students should refer to their academic advisor for questions about the math pathway for their program. For information about this requirement, refer to the catalog page for Mathematics PathwaysThese courses may also fulfill requirements for General Education and Common Prerequisites. 

Statistical Reasoning
STA 2023Elements of Statistics3
MAC 1105College Algebra3-4
or MAC 1105C College Algebra with Lab
or MAC 1114 Trigonometry
or MAC 1140 Precalculus Algebra
or MAC 1147 Precalculus with Trigonometry
or MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
or MAC 2233 Calculus with Business Applications
or MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus II
or MGF 1130 Mathematical Thinking
or MGF 1131 Mathematics in Context

Common Prerequisites

State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.

BSC 1085
1085L
Anatomy and Physiology I
and Anatomy and Physiology I Laboratory *
4
BSC 1086
1086L
Anatomy and Physiology II
and Anatomy & Physiology II Laboratory *
4
PSY 2012General Psychology *3
STA 2023Elements of Statistics *3
Total Hours14
*

Indicates common prerequisites which can be used to satisfy General Education requirements.

Lower Division Electives

Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to satisfy at least 60 semester hours (sh) in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement.22
Total Hours22
Students should choose 3 courses of the following courses for lower-division electives:9
Informatics and Your Health *
Personal, Family and Community Health *
Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
Introduction to Global Health Sciences
Total Hours9
*

Indicates courses which can be used to satisfy General Education requirements.

Upper Division Major Courses

All Bachelor of Science in Public Health students must complete the following required public health foundational courses.

PHC 4109 Diseases in Human Populations +, 13
MCB 4276Epidemiology of Infectious Disease +, 23
PHC 4666Pandemics and Microbial Threats to Health +3
PHC 4464Understanding Health Equity and Health Disparities +3
PHC 3767 Globalization and Public Health +3
PHC 4140Public Health Planning and Analysis +3
HSC 3510Data Analysis in the Health Sciences +3
PHC 4024Applied Research Methods in Public Health +3
STA 4173Biostatistics +3
HSA 4191Health Information Systems +3
PHC 4930Public Health Seminar +3
HSC 4211Human Environmental Health +3
HSC 4300Changing Health Behaviors +3
HSA 3111Understanding U.S. Healthcare +, ***3
PHC 4940Public Health Capstone +3
Total Hours45
+

Courses included in the major GPA.

***

Meets College-Level Communication Skills Requirement.

1

Can substitute PHC 5123 Biological Basis of Public Health for Health Promotion concentration.

2

Can substitute MCB 5273 Epidemiology of Infectious Disease for Generalist or Health Promotion concentration.

Required 5000-level Courses for All ABM Program Students:

The following 5000-level courses are required for all students in the ABM program (regardless of concentration):

PHC 5102Principles of Public Health 33
PHC 5410Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health (required as an elective choice)3
Total Hours6
3

Replaces PHC 4101 Essentials of Public Health in BSPH for all concentrations.

Approved Electives

Students continuing into the Master of Public Health program at UWF should use the recommendations below for their elective course choices based on their selected concentration.

  • MPH - Generalist concentration, choose these two courses as electives:
PHC 5442Global Health3
MCB 5273Epidemiology of Infectious Disease 43
Total Hours6
4

Required substitution for MCB 4276 Epidemiology of Infectious Disease in BSPH.

  • MPH - Global Health concentration, choose these two courses as electives:
PHC 5442Global Health3
PHC 5108Monitoring and Evaluation in Global Health3
Total Hours6
  • MPH - Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior concentration, choose these two courses as electives:
PHC 5123Biological Basis of Public Health3
MCB 5273Epidemiology of Infectious Disease 53
Total Hours6
5

Required substitution for MCB 4276 Epidemiology of Infectious Disease in BSPH.

​Students may select remaining elective hours at the undergraduate level from the following course groups based on career interests. Students should discuss their professional goals with their advisor and public health faculty before selecting elective courses.

Group A

Choose from the following list:
Bioterrorism: The Interprofessional Response
Pandemics and Microbial Threats to Health
Bioinformatics and Data Science
Applied Qualitative Research Methods
Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene
Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health

Group B

Choose from the following list:
Foundations of Maternal and Child Health
Project Management
Management Fundamentals
Sociology of Health, Illness and Health Care
Disease and Culture
Health Promotion Strategies and Funding
Current Issues in Health Promotion
Drugs in Society
Nutrition and Health
Gerontology

No more than 24% of the program requirements for this degree may be in traditional business subjects.

Health Promotion Minor

Students earning the Minor in Health Promotion will be able to assess individual and community/worksite needs for health promotion, develop analytical skills to examine needs assessment data and determine priority area(s) of health promotion. They will also be able to compare and contrast health promotion program planning models and theories for application in a health promotion and wellness setting, and plan and implement effective health promotion programs.

HSC 4581Health Promotion and Planning3
HSC 3032Foundations in Health Education3
Choose two of the following Health Foundations courses:6
Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion and Planning
Drugs in Society
Communicable and Degenerative Diseases
Health Aspects of Stress Management
Human Environmental Health
Epidemiology
Current Issues in Health Promotion
Changing Health Behaviors
Nutrition and Health
Total Hours12