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College of Arts & Sciences

Public Health

This minor is designed to introduce the interdisciplinary field that addresses environmental, social, and behavioral determinants of health. Students must complete a minimum of 20 credits for the public health minor. This is achieved by taking three required courses (Introduction to Public Health, a course in Biostatistics and a course in Epidemiology), at least 8 credits in public health electives, and an additional elective (2-4 credits) from the approved list (see below). Students must earn a grade of B– or better in SPH PH 510: Introduction to Public Health and a C or better in the remaining courses. Courses are taught at both Boston University’s Charles River Campus (CRC) and at Boston University’s Medical Campus (BUMC), or through the Study Abroad Geneva Program, as indicated below.

There are no specific prerequisites, other than those specified for some of the elective courses. It is recommended that students take SPH PH 510 prior to taking the public health electives.

Required Courses

A. Three required courses (10–12 credits):

  1. SPH PH 510 Introduction to Public Health (4 cr; spring @CRC)

  2. One of the following statistics courses:
    CAS MA 115 Statistics I (4 cr) or
    CAS MA 213 Statistics I (4 cr) or
    CAS PS 211 Introduction to Experimental Design (4 cr) or
    SPH BS 701 Introduction to Biostatistics (3 cr; fall & spring @BUMC) or
    SPH BS 703 Statistics (4 cr; fall, spring, Summer II @BUMC)

  3. One of the following epidemiology courses:
    SPH EP 711 Introduction to Epidemiology (3 cr; fall @BUMC; spring @BUMC & CRC) or
    SPH EP 712 Epidemiologic Methods (4 cr; fall & Summer II @BUMC)

B. A minimum of 8 credits from the following list of public health electives:

SPH EH 765 Survey of Environmental Health (4 cr; fall) or
SPH EH 708 Introduction to Environmental Health (2 cr; fall, spring, & Summer I)

SPH PM 702 Introduction to Health Policy and Management (3 cr; fall & spring)

SPH IH 701 Principles in International Health (4 cr; Summer I)

SPH LW 751 Public Health Law (4 cr; fall @BUMC) or
SPH LW 707 Essentials of Public Health Law (2 cr; fall, spring, Summer I)

SPH LW 740 Human Rights and Health (4 cr; fall & spring @CRC)

SPH MC 705 Safe Sex in the City: From Biology to Policy (4 cr; fall)

SPH MC 725 Women, Children, and Adolescents (4 cr; fall & spring)

SPH PH 506 E International Health at the World Health Organization (4 cr; @Geneva Program)

SPH PH 507 E Controversies in International Health (4 cr; @Geneva Program)

SPH PH 511 Pathogens, Poverty, and Populations: An Introduction to International Health (4 cr; spring @CRC)

SPH PH 709 The Biology of Public Health (4 cr; fall)

SPH SB 721 Social and Behavioral Sciences and Public Health (3 cr; fall & spring)

Note: Other SPH courses can also be approved to fulfill the requirement for 8 credits of public health electives. To seek approval, contact the Assistant Dean for Education at SPH.

C. One additional general elective

One additional general elective (2–4 credits) either from the public health electives, from an approved list of general electives in Anthropology, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Biology, Business Administration, Chemistry, Cognitive & Neural Systems, Communication Studies, Economics, Exercise Studies, Human Physiology, International Relations, Journalism, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology or Women’s Studies, or another approved SPH course.

Questions and inquiries about the minor may be directed to:

Wayne LaMorte, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H.
Assistant Dean for Education
Boston University School of Public Health

Office Location:
Medical Campus, School of Public Health
715 Albany Street, Talbot Building
Room 422, East Wing.

Telephone: 617-638-5073
E-mail: wlamorte@bu.edu

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16 October 2009
Boston University
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