9.39. Public Health

Programs offered:

  • Concentration in Public Health

In many societies, health is considered a basic human right but, as a global community, we have yet to figure out how to guarantee health for all people. The solution to this problem is confounded by issues including social disparity, financial inequality, political instability, bureaucratic impediments, sustainable technology, and funding for research and project implementation. A cooperative and interdisciplinary approach is the norm in addressing issues of public health in the professional world. Oglethorpe’s Public Health concentration introduces students to the professional landscape associated with global public health and samples from a potential career trajectory that aligns with the interdisciplinary fluency, the collaborative sensibility and the foundational skill sets developed by students attending a liberal arts college. Upon completion of this program students will:

  • Practice integrated and applied learning about communication, human cultures and the physical and natural world through synthesis of generalized and specialized studies relevant to public health.
  • Learn ways in which public health concepts can be applied for the benefit of oneself and society through interactions with current practitioners of public health and via active, hands-on involvement with real-world challenges.
  • Explore and prepare for a potential career path in public health that is well-supported by a liberal arts education.

Concentration in Public Health (TU)

  1. Completion of one 4 or 5 credit hour elective from each of the following categories: Communication, STEM, Human Culture. A list of the eligible courses in each of the three Public Health elective categories appears at https://publichealth.oglethorpe.edu/courses/elective-categories/. Students should note that this list is subject to change on an annual basis as courses are added and removed from the Bulletin.
  2. Completion of all the following courses:
    • PBH 201 Perspectives in Public Health
    • PBH 301 Public Health Workshop
    • PBH 302 Public Health in Practice
  1. Additional requirements and things to note:
  • The Public Health concentration is designed to complement students’ foundational work in their majors and thus the course work is intended to be most relevant for veteran students who have committed to a course of study in our traditional academic curriculum. Students may start accruing Public Health electives at any time during their tenure at Oglethorpe, but their official entry into the program must be formalized via application to the Public Health program coordinator. Applications will only be accepted from students having sophomore year standing or above.  Application deadlines will be announced during PBH classes in both the fall and the spring semesters. Exceptions to the application deadline can be made under extenuating circumstances (g., transfer and international student complexities) in consultation with the program coordinator and the registrar.
  • Occasional special topics or advanced special topics offerings may also satisfy an elective requirement in the Public Health concentration with the pre-approval of both the Public Health program coordinator and the Division offering of the course.
  • Students registering for a course that serves as a relevant Public Health elective must comply with all course pre-requisites as stipulated in the Bulletin.
  • Courses taken in fulfillment of a major or a minor can also be applied equally towards the Public Health concentration.
  • A grade of C- or better is required in all courses contributing to the concentration.