Overview

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health is offered by the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) in the College of Public Health. The undergraduate curriculum prepares students for diverse careers in the public health field that focus on creating, implementing and evaluating interventions and programs designed to improve the health status and quality of life for all individuals.

As one of the earliest accredited undergraduate public health programs in the country, the BS in Public Health serves as a national model in which students take a set of common theoretical courses designed to promote an understanding of health, wellness, and disease prevention and health promotion.

Coursework topics include

  • Health psychology and human behavior,
  • Health communication,
  • Biostatistics and epidemiology,
  • Health policy and services,
  • Research methods,
  • Community program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Students learn to use educational interventions to provide health information, gain experience in assessing the needs of target populations, clarify program goals and objectives, and develop strategies to motivate and involve their clients/patients in educational interventions. Students also participate in 300 hours of fieldwork experience in public health agencies, organizations, or other entities to gain invaluable real-world experience in the field.

The Public Health major trains entry-level public health workers to provide frontline preventive health information, services, and health behavior interventions at the community level, particularly in communities with high-risk populations. Majors receive intensive pre-professional training and direct public health work experience through their internship experience available throughout the city of Philadelphia and surrounding area. There are also opportunities to work alongside faculty members in one of the many research labs and centers in the SBS department and College of Public Health. Graduates typically work in public health departments, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, corporate work sites, community health organizations, nonprofit agencies, family planning clinics, and managed-care facilities.

Some graduates also go on to graduate public health programs (such as the Master of Public Health or Master of Science in Epidemiology) or programs in other health-related professions. Eligible students in the Public Health BS program also can apply for the +1 BSPH-MPH accelerated program, in which they can earn a Master of Public Health degree at Temple typically in one additional year after completing the BS in Public Health.

Campus Location: Main

Program Code: HP-PBHL-BS

Accreditation

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health program at Temple University is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

Accelerated Programs

The College of Public Health has developed a rigorous five-year (+1) accelerated BS to MPH program in which outstanding Public Health majors can earn a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health and a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in five years, rather than six.

This combined degree program offers exceptional students an opportunity to work closely with faculty, while developing critical skills in public health and completing graduate work for professional careers in research, policy, administration or real-world public health practice.

The public health curriculum at Temple University is diverse, offering both undergraduate and graduate students access to faculty from a broad range of public health areas. The MPH requirements will be satisfied by the end of the fifth year of study. The accelerated degree program will consist of a minimum of 108 semester hours of undergraduate coursework, a maximum of 12 (twelve) semester hours of graduate coursework to count towards both the undergraduate and the graduate degrees, and a minimum of 30 semester hours of additional graduate coursework to count towards the graduate degree.

The +1 Accelerated BS in Public Health/MPH program is currently available with the following graduate programs:

Contact Information

Caite Wolak, MPH, Instructor and Undergraduate Program Director
Ritter Annex, 9th Floor
215-204-9111
caite.wolak@temple.edu

Learn more about the Bachelor of Science in Public Health.

These requirements are for students who matriculated in academic year 2024-2025. Students who matriculated prior to fall 2024 should refer to the Archives to view the requirements for their Bulletin year.

Summary of Requirements

University Requirements

All students are required to complete the university's General Education (GenEd) curriculum.

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. The specific writing-intensive courses required for this major are SBS 3496 and SBS 3596.

College Requirement

All College of Public Health undergraduates must successfully complete the College Core Course, HRPR 1001 Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play.

Clearance Requirements

Please note the Public Health program requires students to complete clinical/field education experiences at facilities both on and off the University campus. These placements may require criminal background checks, Act 33/34 clearances and perhaps a drug screen. Placements may also require the student to maintain personal health insurance. The results of these requirements may limit and potentially eliminate placement options which can, in turn, result in an inability to meet graduation requirements. See www.nchec.org for information about credentialing in public health.

Public Health Program Requirements

Students must complete a set of specific courses in the major, including the College Core course and Public Health Major courses, including one credit-earning internship (SBS 4185). Also required are three public health electives, two Cognate electives and three general (free) electives. The major requires a minimum of 120 total credits.

All Public Health College and Major Core course work (those courses with an ENVH, EPBI, HPM, or SBS designation and courses approved as a cognate elective) must be completed with a grade of C or higher. 

General Electives
Three courses are required. These may be the choice of the student.9
College Core Requirement
HRPR 1001Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play3
Public Health Major Core
Lower-Division Public Health Coursework
1000 Level Courses
SBS 1003Public Health Careers1
HIM 1055IT Applications for Health3
Select two of the following: 6
Nutrition and Health
Substance Use and Society
Human Sexuality
2000 Level Courses
SBS 2001Biological Foundations of Population Health3
SBS 2003Introduction to Public Health Writing1
SBS 2101Disease Prevention and Control3
ENVH 2102Environmental Health3
SBS 2103Health Psychology and Human Behavior3
SBS 2201Health Communication3
HPM 2214Politics and Payments in US Healthcare System3
SBS 2216Ethnicity, Culture and Health3
EPBI 2219Biostatistics and Public Health3
Upper-Division Public Health Coursework
3000+ Level Courses
EPBI 3101Introduction to Epidemiology3
EPBI 3102Introduction to Research Methods3
SBS 3104Professional Seminar2
SBS 3105Fundamentals of Health Education3
SBS 3496Community-Based Health Program Planning I (WI)3
SBS 3596Community-Based Health Program Planning II (WI)3
SBS 4185Public Health Internship6
Public Health Electives
Select three of the following: 19
Cultural Nutrition
Contemporary Health Issues
Nutrition in the Lifecycle
AIDS and Society
Diet and Weight Management
Coping with Life Stress Workshop
Contemporary Slavery and Public Health
Maternal and Child Health
HEART Peer Educator Training
Community-Based Participatory Research I
Counseling Techniques for Health Professionals
International Health
Honors International Health
Public Health Beyond Borders
Epidemiology 360: Determinants, Disease and Health-related Outcomes
Survey Design and Methods: Agree or Disagree and Everything in Between
All This Data, Now What? Introduction to Statistical Computing
Man-Made Disasters: Radiological, Chemical & Biological Terrorism
Natural Disasters: Response and Recovery
Principles of Emergency Management: A Public Health Perspective
Special Populations: Strategic Community Outreach
Introduction to Mindfulness
Cognate Electives
Select two courses with approval of a departmental academic advisor:6
Public Policy and the Black Community
Introduction to Adult Learning and Training
Interpersonal Processes through the Life Span
Environmental Justice in Communities
Nonprofit Management
Healthy Community Design and Development
Youth and Crime
American Sign Language II
American Sign Language III
American Deaf Culture
Sustainable Food Systems Planning
Climate Change: Oceans To Atmosphere
The Urban Environment
Environmental Ethics
Urban Society: Race, Class, and Community
World Urban Patterns
Honors World Urban Patterns
Honors World Urban Patterns
Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems
Women and Poverty
Women and Political Violence
Healthcare Financing and Information Technology (Fall 7B only)
Healthcare Quality and Risk Management (Spring only)
Medical Terminology
Contemporary Aspects of Disability
Movement Injuries: Prevention and Care
Physiology of Physical Activity
KINS 2362
Topics in LGBT Studies
Environmental Ethics
Honors Environmental Ethics
Ethics in Medicine
Politics of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Foundations of Developmental Psychology
Death and Dying
Honors Death and Dying
Emotional Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Societal Responses to Aging
Loss and Grief
SOC 2553
Race, Science, Health, and Medicine
Social Inequality
Environmental Sociology: The End of the World as We Know It?
Urban Health
Spanish for Health Professions
Inclusive Recreation and Sports Services
Foundations of Recreational Therapy Practice
Arabic Elements II
Chinese Elements II
Introduction to French III
Introduction to German II
Elements II
Hindi Elements II
Italian Language II
Japanese Elements II
Korean Elements II
Latin 2
Basic II
First-Year Russian II
Intermediate
VTNM 1002
Total Credit Hours85
1

Additional listings may be obtained from the academic advisor and approved for elective credit.

Suggested Academic Plan

Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Suggested Plan for New Students Starting in the 2024-2025 Academic Year

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
FallCredit Hours
ENG 0802
Analytical Reading and Writing [GW]
or Analytical Reading and Writing: ESL [GW]
or Honors Analytical Reading and Writing [GW]
4
GenEd Breadth Course 3
HRPR 1001 Public Health: The Way We Live, Work and Play 3
HIM 1055 IT Applications for Health 3
Select one of the following 1000 level SBS courses: 3
Nutrition and Health  
Substance Use and Society  
Human Sexuality  
 Credit Hours16
Spring
IH 0851
Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY]
or Honors Intellectual Heritage I: The Good Life [GY]
3
GenEd Quantitative Literacy Course GQ 4
GenEd Breadth Course 3
SBS 1003 Public Health Careers 1
Select one of the following 1000 level SBS courses: 3
Nutrition and Health  
Substance Use and Society  
Human Sexuality  
ENVH 2102 Environmental Health 3
 Credit Hours17
Year 2
Fall
IH 0852
Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ]
or Honors Intellectual Heritage II: The Common Good [GZ]
3
SBS 2001 Biological Foundations of Population Health 3
SBS 2003 Introduction to Public Health Writing 1
SBS 2201 Health Communication 3
HPM 2214 Politics and Payments in US Healthcare System 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours16
Spring
EPBI 2219 Biostatistics and Public Health 3
SBS 2101 Disease Prevention and Control 3
SBS 2103 Health Psychology and Human Behavior 3
SBS 2216 Ethnicity, Culture and Health 3
GenEd Breadth Course 3
 Credit Hours15
Year 3
Fall
SBS 3105 Fundamentals of Health Education 3
SBS 3496 Community-Based Health Program Planning I [WI] 3
EPBI 3102 Introduction to Research Methods 3
GenEd Breadth Course 3
General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Spring
EPBI 3101 Introduction to Epidemiology 3
SBS 3596 Community-Based Health Program Planning II [WI] 3
Public Health Elective 3
Public Health Cognate Elective 3
GenEd Breadth Course 3-4
 Credit Hours15-16
Year 4
Fall
SBS 3104 Professional Seminar 2
Public Health Elective 3
Public Health Cognate Elective 3
General Elective 3
GenEd Breadth Course 3
 Credit Hours14
Spring
SBS 4185 Public Health Internship 6
GenEd Breadth Course 3
Public Health Elective 3
 Credit Hours12
 Total Credit Hours120-121

Accelerated Programs

Students may opt to pursue an accelerated +1 program, enabling them to complete both a bachelor's degree and master's degree in less time than the traditional route.

The following accelerated programs may be of interest to students in the Public Health BS:

College of Public Health