About the Major Degree

The major degree in Public Health provides students with advanced training and expertise in core areas of the field. It enables students to develop expert knowledge and experience with population-level challenges to health and well-being, and prepares them to enter professions in Public Health research and service.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, students who major in Public Health will be able to:

• Define Public Health and describe the roles and responsibilities of government, non-governmental organizations, and private citizens in maintaining Public Health.
• Use the theories and principles of Public Health to explain a Public Health problem.
• Apply Public Health research methods to conduct rigorous research on Public Health issues
• Describe causes and risk factors in the major areas of focus in Public Health including but not limited to determinants of mortality and morbidity; leading causes of health disparities among regional, national, and global populations; and transmission for infectious and chronic diseases.
• Identify and analyze scientific data and other information to assess complex Public Health challenges, with special consideration of strategies for health promotion at the individual, community, and policy levels, as appropriate.
• Communicate effectively and persuasively, orally and in writing, particularly to convey complex concepts and information in a clear and concise manner.

Public Health Major: BA

In addition to adhering to General Education and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Requirements, the Public Health BA major requires at least 56 units. Courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade, and specifically may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis unless the course is only offered on a pass/no pass basis .

Public Health Major: BS

In addition to adhering to General Education and School of Social Sciences, Humanities and Arts Requirements, the Public Health BS major requires at least 56 units and the B.S. with pre-med emphasis requires at least 24 units. Courses in the major must be taken for a letter grade, and specifically may not be taken on a pass/no pass basis unless the course is only offered on a pass/no pass basis. Applicants to the Public Health B.S. will at the time of admission have completed at minimum each of the following courses (or their equivalent) with a “C” or better: MATH 18, or PSY 10, or PH 10. The following courses are strongly recommended, but not required for admission: PH 1, PH 5, BIO 1, BIO 3, PSY 1, and ANTH 1. Additionally, at admission applicants to the Public Health B.S. with pre-med emphasis must have completed each of the following courses (or their equivalent) with a “C” or better: BIO 1, MATH 11, and MATH 12.

Course Requirements by Degree

 * Some current students with a BA major in Public Health may also be taking the PreMed track that existed prior to the start of the BS in Public Health.

Electives may be chosen from the following:

Please consult a SSHA Advisor, the SSHA Advising website (ssha-advising.ucmerced.edu) or MyAudit for the most updated list.

• ANTH 120: Introduction to Medical Anthropology [4 units]
• ANTH 121: Ethnomedicine [4 units]
• ANTH124: Ethnopsychology [4 units] (B.S. only)
• BIO 060: Nutrition [4 units]
• BIO 140: Genetics [4 units]
• BIO 161: Human Physiology [5 units]
• ECON 145: Health Economics [4 units]
• GEOG 002: Introduction to GIS [4 units] (B.S. only)
• PH 104: Health and the Media [4 units]
• PH 106: Health Policy [4 units] (B.S. only)
• PH 111: Social Epidemiology [4 units]
• PH 113: Latino and Immigrant Health [4 units]
• PH 114: Migration and Health [4 units] (B.S. only)
• PH 115: Research Methods for Public Health: GIS Mapping [4 units]
• PH 116: Personal and Community Health [4 units] (B.S. only)
• PH 125: Emerging Public Health Threats [4 units]
• PH 130: Toxicology [4 units] (B.S. only)
• PH 135: Public Health Genetics [4 units] 
• PH 137: Insects and Public Health [4 units]
• PH 185: Introduction to Health and Biomedical Ethics [4 units]
• PH 190: Topics in Public Health [4 units]
• PH 191: Special Topics in Public Health II [4 units]
• PH 196: Internships in the Community [4 units] (B.S. only)
• PSY 120: Health Psychology [4 units]
• PSY 124: Health Disparities [4 units]

Transfer Students

Transfer students who wish to major in Public Health should complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) at their community college. Transfer students may not be admitted to the Public Health major without specific major preparation. Please contact the Office of Admissions for current information.

Updated February 2024