Community Health, BS
Examine the social settings, evidence and communication that shape community wellbeing.
Look closely at the settings of wellbeing.
Community Health studies the evidence, communication and social settings that shape population-level questions. You will distinguish a personal account from a broader pattern and consider the ethical responsibilities of gathering information.
Projects focus on educational materials, assessment and careful communication. The degree is an academic study of community health; it does not train or authorize students to provide clinical care.
The degree in view
The BS requires 120 semester credits. The shared core connects your specialized study with writing, evidence, interpretation and public life. An adviser helps you choose electives that fit your interests without losing sight of the degree requirements.
Required courses
BIOL110Biology of Living Systems
Investigate cells, populations and ecological interactions through integrated discussion and scheduled laboratory work. 3 credits. Prerequisites: none.
STAT150Introduction to Statistics
Summarize samples, explore variation and use elementary statistical inference in a reproducible analysis. 3 credits. Prerequisites: none.
SOCI110People & Institutions
Use sociological concepts to examine relationships among individuals, institutions and social change. 3 credits. Prerequisites: none.
HLTH150Community Health Contexts
Examine patterns in community wellbeing and distinguish individual experience from population-level evidence. 3 credits. Prerequisites: none.
HLTH220Health Inquiry Methods
Frame an ethical community health question and compare surveys, observation and public datasets. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HLTH150.
HLTH310Health Communication
Develop clear, audience-specific materials and evaluate comprehension without making unsupported health claims. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HLTH220.
HLTH410Community Project Studio
Plan a small educational or assessment project with a defined audience, logistics and evaluation measures. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HLTH310.
HLTH490Community Health Capstone
Deliver a documented community health project with evidence review, ethical reflection and assessment findings. 3 credits. Prerequisites: HLTH410.
A related-study pathway
One approved related-study pathway; the sample plan uses these six courses. Alternatives require an adviser-approved sequence with the same credit value.
An eight-semester example
The plan below completes prerequisites before the next sequenced course. Breadth electives come from outside the major division; free electives can support exploration or a coherent additional interest. Consult your adviser before changing a sequence.
| Semester | Courses and elective spaces | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 · Fall | WRIT101, COMM105, BIOL110, Breadth elective, Free elective | 15 |
| Year 1 · Spring | PHIL110, HIST120, STAT150, Breadth elective, Free elective | 15 |
| Year 2 · Fall | WRIT201, LIT130, SOCI110, HLTH150, Breadth elective | 15 |
| Year 2 · Spring | ARTS105, QUAN105, HLTH220, PSYC150, Breadth elective | 15 |
| Year 3 · Fall | SCIE105, CIVI120, HLTH310, EDST150, Free elective | 15 |
| Year 3 · Spring | ETHI210, GLBL150, HLTH410, DATA150, Free elective | 15 |
| Year 4 · Fall | PSYC220, EDST220, Free elective, Free elective, Free elective | 15 |
| Year 4 · Spring | HLTH490, DATA220, Free elective, Free elective, Free elective | 15 |
Work toward a capstone
A community health communication or assessment project with an ethical research plan and evaluation approach.
Your proposal sets the scope, method and expected form of the final work. Scheduled reviews give you an opportunity to respond to feedback before a public presentation or exhibition.
A person to plan with
Dr. Rachel Okafor
Associate Professor, Community Health
Alder Hall, Room 134
Health communication and neighborhood-scale research.
Start an advising conversationConsider your next direction
The degree can support community and organizational roles, research or program support, graduate study in a related field. Career Studio can help you translate project work into a portfolio, a clear account of methods or the preparation for further study.
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