Public Health, B.S.

Student Handbook

A public health major is a perfect fit for students who are service-oriented and like to ask the bigger questions about health, understand why health differs across populations, and address health disparities and social justice on a community level in diverse local, national and global settings. As a service-oriented field, public health is a natural fit with the Jesuit mission.

Public health professionals are charged with finding answers to some of today's most pressing health questions, such as: How can social media be used to track disease outbreaks? How do we address the growing burden of cancer in low/middle-income countries? How do we ensure safe drinking water in communities across the globe? 

• Public health students at Saint Louis University can make an immediate impact on community health with a curriculum that emphasizes hands-on service learning and social justice.
• As Public health majors, SLU students examine the roles of individual behavior, environment, biology, social structures and policy in determining health outcomes and consider evidence-based approaches to addressing health issues.
• SLU's Public health major opens the door to career opportunities in diverse settings, including community organizations, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations. 
• Public health has a faster than average job growth in a diverse workplace.
• Pre-med students who major in public health at SLU gain a stronger understanding of how social, community, organizational, environmental, and policy factors affect the health of their future patients.

Additional degree options for students majoring in public health at SLU include:

• SLU's accelerated program for high achieving students to earn a B.S. in public health in four years and a Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) with one additional year of study; students apply to this competitive program during their fifth semester of study
• A pre-med track for students interested in going to medical school
• A medical scholars track for students in the Medical Scholars Program
• Honors courses for students in SLU's Honors Program
• Minor: A minor in public health is an excellent choice for students pursuing other majors but who would like to consider the interdisciplinary aspects of health on the community level.

Curriculum Overview

The public health curriculum contains 36 credits of major courses that include contemporary challenges in healthcare, global health, evidence-based practice, epidemiology, biostatistics, advocacy/policy, and the biological basis of public health. Students also take six credits of public health electives, drawn from courses offered across disciplines.  In the senior capstone course, students complete a culminating project and portfolio to demonstrate their achievement of program learning outcomes. 

A core curriculum of humanities, science, math, foreign language, fine arts, and social science courses, along with general electives fills out the remainder of the 120 credits required for graduation. Many students use their elective courses to pursue double majors or minors.

Fieldwork and Research Opportunities

Service learning is an integral part of the public health curriculum. Students can embody Saint Louis University’s Jesuit mission by using the knowledge they gain in the classroom to serve others and bringing that service back to the classroom.  Service learning provides valuable field experience and helps public health students connect with the St. Louis community.  Students complete a minimum of 45 hours of service learning across three courses in the major.

Students can volunteer with health care providers and agencies that serve underserved communities, assist faculty with research projects, and apply to national internships and summer programs in public health. Students can also become members of the Public Health Club to get to know other public health students and engage in additional service, networking, and leadership opportunities.

Careers

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health prepares students for graduate school or entry-level careers in a variety of settings, including departments of health, government agencies, nonprofit and community health organizations, hospitals, academic centers, advocacy organizations, the pharmaceutical industry, and consulting agencies.  

Examples of career options in public health include:

• Working with a community organization or health department to implement and evaluate community health interventions about issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or cancer
• Conducting surveillance of chronic and infectious diseases for local, regional, or state health departments
• Analyzing and developing health policy for a governmental agency
• Conducting public health research in an academic setting
• Monitoring clinical trials in the pharmaceutical industry
• Analyzing health outcomes for insurance companies
• Collaborating with school districts to bring opportunities for physical activity into elementary and high schools
• Designing public health media campaigns, such as those to encourage wearing a seatbelt or discourage tobacco use
• Researching the effect of air pollution on a population’s health and advocating for policy change
• Implementing programs aimed at violence prevention or women’s empowerment
• Studying the barriers to healthy eating at both the personal and societal levels
• Working for a nongovernmental organization that designs clean water and sanitation systems in developing countries

Admission Requirements

Freshman

All applications are thoroughly reviewed with the highest degree of individual care and consideration to all credentials that are submitted. Solid academic performance in college preparatory course work is a primary concern in reviewing a freshman applicant’s file. College admission test scores (ACT or SAT) are used as an additional indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University and are used as qualifiers for certain University scholarship programs. To be considered for admission to any Saint Louis University undergraduate program, the applicant must be graduating from an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the General Education Development (GED) test.

Transfer

Applicants must be a graduate of an accredited high school or have an acceptable score on the GED. An official high school transcript and official test scores are required only of those students who have attempted fewer than 24 transferable semester credits (or 30 quarter credits) of college credit. Those having completed 24 or more of college credit need only submit a transcript from previously attended college(s). In reviewing a transfer applicant’s file, the office of admission holistically examines the student’s academic performance in college-level coursework as an indicator of the student’s ability to meet the academic rigors of Saint Louis University.

International Applicants

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

There are two principal ways to help finance a Saint Louis University education:

• Scholarships: awarded based on academic achievement, service, leadership and financial need.
• Financial Aid: provided in the form of grants and loans, some of which require repayment.

For priority consideration for merit-based scholarships, applicants should apply for admission by Dec. 1 and complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1.

For information on other scholarships and financial aid, visit the student financial services office online at http://finaid.slu.edu.

Accreditation 

The College for Public Health and Social Justice is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

1. Graduates will be able to demonstrate foundational knowledge of public health in relation to human cultures, history, science, and policy.
2. Graduates will be able to identify health characteristics, determinants, and needs across diverse populations.
3. Graduates will be able to recognize ways to implement evidence-based approaches to public health issues in communities.
4. Graduates will be able to communicate public health issues with an emphasis on social justice and the core disciplines of public health.

Continuation Standards

• Cumulative GPA of at least 2.50
• Minimum grade of “C” in all  B.S. in Public Health major courses
• Minimum grade of “C-” in all core courses
• Minimum grade of “D” in all remaining general elective courses counting toward the minimum 120 credits required for graduation
• Students who wish to apply for the accelerated B.S./M.P.H. program must meet additional requirements as outlined in the CPHSJ Undergraduate Public Health Student Handbook

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Program Notes

Minimum of 120 credits including requirements listed above & cumulative GPA of at least 2.50 to graduate and/or remain in good standing with the program.

Approved English Literature Courses

See Arts & Sciences core BS requirements full listing.

Not ENGL 3850 Foundations Rhetoric & Writing (3 cr) through ENGL 3870 Technical Writing (3 cr) or ENGL 4100 History of the English Language (3 cr) through ENGL 4120 Language Studies: Topics (3 cr)

Approved Fine Arts Courses

See Arts & Sciences core BS requirements for full listing.

Approved Public Health Electives

Approved Social Sciences

Any courses from Anthropology, Criminal Justice, Economics, Forensic Science, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology.

Communication

Communication Sciences & Disorders

Education

Social Work