Public Health - BS | Milken Institute School of Public Health

PUBLIC HEALTH - BS

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health program offers students the chance to acquire knowledge and skills in the critical component elements of public health. The ASPPH defines public health as a force that "protects and improves the health of individuals, families, communities, and populuations, locally and globally." In this context, the GW SPH undergraduate program is intended to convey technical detail and analytical thinking, but with a liberal arts philosophical base, to create professionals with the skills and commitment to improve the public's health.

The curriculum prepares students for future practice and study, with courses such as Epidemiology, Principles of Health Education & Promotion, Health Policy, and more. Students develop their abilities in critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis of information, applying them to the historical and current trends in public health and health care delivery.

The BS Public Health program hopes to matriculate students who will take their public health voice into diverse fields of professional practice, bringing an informed and evidence-based viewpoint to public health issues affecting society at large.

Please go to Dual Degrees for information on the BS Public Health/MPH Dual Degree program and EOH/MPH Dual Degree program for non-SPH majors.

See the BS Public Health Program Guide and the GWSPH Undergraduate Handbook for more information and program policies.

Program Director: Dr. Elizabeth Gray

Undergraduate Advising

Join T.E.A.M Milken! T.E.A.M. Milken is open to all GWSPH undergraduate majors. Our goal is to provide individualized support to students so you will thrive at GW and be prepared to launch your public health career.

Effective immediately, the BSPH major will accept all qualified applicants into the major through the internal transfer process. Students must have a 2.5 GPA or higher to qualify for the major.

You may access the internal transfer form here. Internal transfer forms must be submitted by February 15th (for fall transfer) and October 15th (for spring transfer).

Prospective high school students may apply directly to the public health program via the Common Application. Prospective GW students should review the undergraduate admissions page for details about the process.

Per GW policy, undergraduate students may not take courses online during the fall or spring semesters.

There are four levels of requirements for this BS degree: University general education requirements, major core requirements, guided electives, and general electives. University general education requirements are taken by all University undergraduate students and form the liberal arts education component of the BS degree. Students with a declared concentration must meet the requirements for the concentration in addition to the four levels of requirements listed above. See Concentration tab and program guide for more information.

Course Descriptions

University General Education Requirements - all concentrations

University Writing
UW 1020 | University Writing

Writing in the Disciplines (WID)
Two WID courses, which may also be counted in another category (6 credits)

Critical Thinking in the Humanities
One course in the Humanities (3 credits). Click here for eligible classes.

Quantitative Reasoning
One course in Mathematics, Statistics, or Economics (3 credits). BS in Public Health students should AVOID taking:
STAT 1051 | Introduction to Business & Economic Statistics (3 credits)
STAT 1053 | Introduction to Statistics in Social Science (3 credits)
STAT 1111 | Business & Economic Statistics I (3 credits)
STAT 1127 | Statistics for the Biological Sciences (3 credits)

Scientific Reasoning
One natural or physical science course with laboratory (4 credits). Suggested courses are:
BISC 1005 | The Biology of Nutrition & Health (3 credits)
BISC 1006 | The Ecology & Evolution of Organisms (3 credits)
BISC 1007 | Food, Nutrition, & Service (3 credits)
BISC 1008 | Understanding Organisms Through Service Learning (3 credits)
BISC 1111 | Introductory Biology: Cells & Molecules (3 credits)
BISC 1112 | Introductory Biology: The Biology of Organisms (3 credits)
HONR 1033 | Honors Seminar: Scientific Reasoning & Discovery (3 credits)

Critical Thinking, Quantitative Reasoning, or Scientific Reasoning in the Social Sciences
Two courses in the social sciences (6 credits). Students are encouraged to take the below course as it is a prerequisite for a required public health core course:
ECON 1011 | Principles of Economics I (3 credits)

Oral Communications
One course (3 credits) with an approved oral communications component. Students are encouraged to take one of the following:
AMST 2450 | History & Meaning of Higher Education in the United States (3 credits)
AMST 2620 | Human Mind & Artificial Intelligence (3 credits)
ANTH 1004 | Language in Culture & Society (3 credits)
ANTH 2502 | Anthropology of Science & Technology: Twenty-First Century Brave New Worlds (3 credits)
CHEM 2118W | Practicing Science Communications (3 credits)
COMM 1040 | Public Communication (3 credits)
COMM 1041 | Interpersonal Communication (3 credits)
EAP 1010 | Oral Academic Communication for International Students (3 credits)
ENGL 1365 | Literature & the Environment (3 credits)
ENGL 3918 | Literature & Medicine (3 credits)
FREN 2500 | Cultural Politics of Food in France (3 credits)
GTCH 2003 | Step 1 & 2 Hybrid: Inquiry Approaches to Teaching & Lesson Design (3 credits)
GTCH 3101 | Knowing & Learning in Mathematics & Science (3 credits)
HSSJ 4195 | Senior Capstone (3 credits)
ITAL 2600 | Cultural & Conflict in Italian Foodways (3 credits)
ITAL 3330 | Pandemics in Italian Literature & Culture (3 credits)
PHIL 2124 or PHIL 2124W | Philosophies of Disability (3 credits)
PHIL 2134 | Philosophy of Human Rights (3 credits)
PSTD 1010 | Introduction to Peace Studies & Culture (3 credits)
RGSS 3400 | Food & Society in Europe & the Americas (3 credits)
SLHS 1011 | The Art & Science of Effective Public Speaking (3 credits)
SUST 2004 | Introduction to Sustainability Communication (3 credits)
WLP 1020 | Writing, Literature, & Society (3 credits)

GENERAL EDUCATION TOTAL: 22-23 CREDITS

See the University Bulletin for most up-to-date version of GenEd requirements and approved courses here.

Public Health Core - all concentrations

PUBH 1010 | First-Year Experience in Public Health (1 credit)
PUBH 1101 | Introduction to Public Health & Health Services (3 credits)
PUBH 2000 | Navigating Internships: Strategies for Professional Development (1 credit)*
PUBH 2110 | Public Health Biology (3 credits)
PUBH 2112 | Principles of Health Education & Health Promotion (3 credits)
PUBH 2140 | Research Methods Foundations (3 credits)
PUBH 2142 | Introduction to Biostatistics for Public Health (3 credits)
PUBH 3000 | Field Experience in Public Health (0 credits)
PUBH 3130 | Health Services Management & Economics (3 credits)
PUBH 3131 | Epidemiology (3 credits)
PUBH 3132 | Health & Environment (3 credits)
PUBH 3133 | Global Health & Development (3 credits)
PUBH 3135W | Health Policy (3 credits)
PUBH 4140W | Senior Seminar (3 credits)

* Only required for students who intend to complete an internship to satisfy PUBH 3000.

All SPH programs require students to earn a C– or above in the core curriculum applicable to their major, including required and elective courses and prerequisites for core courses.

PUBLIC HEALTH CORE TOTAL: 34-35 CREDITS

Public Health Guided Electives - all concentrations

The courses provided on the Guided Electives list (available via the program guide or the GW Bulletin) have been identified as highly relevant to the BS in Public Health. Students may also petition to have a course approved if it is not on the list by sending an email request and syllabus to the Program Director.

Students are required to take at least 6 credits from GWSPH (i.e., courses must have PUBH, HLWL, HSML, or EXNS prefixes). Study abroad courses (e.g., PUBH 1299 and PUBH 3299) do NOT count toward the 6 guided electives from GWSPH.

Many courses have been approved for public health elective credit and may be found through the CATS system by searching under PUBH 3199. If you would like to transfer credits for any approved course, please submit the appropriate petition as soon as possible to the Program Director for pre-approval. There is no guarantee that a course will be approved. If you would like a new Study Abroad course approved, please use the CATS System in advance of registration. If you would like a new non-GW domestic course approved, please send an email request and syllabus to the Program Director in advance of registration.

ELECTIVES TOTAL: 12-13 CREDITS

Non-Academic Requirements

Professional Enhancement

Students in SPH programs must participate in eight hours of Professional Enhancement. These activities may be public health-related lectures, seminars, or symposia related to your field of study.

Professional Enhancement activities supplement the rigorous academic curriculum of the SPH degree programs and help prepare students to participate actively in the professional community. You can learn more about opportunities for Professional Enhancement via the Milken Institute School of Public Health Listserv, through departmental communications, or by speaking with your advisor.

Students submit a completed Professional Enhancement Form to the Office of Student Records which is required documentation to be cleared for graduation.

Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Training

All students are required to complete the Basic CITI training module in Social and Behavioral Research. This online training module for Social and Behavioral Researchers will help new students demonstrate and maintain sufficient knowledge of the ethical principles and regulatory requirements for protecting human subjects - key for any public health research.

Academic Integrity Quiz

All Milken Institute School of Public Health students are required to review the University’s Code of Academic Integrity and complete the GW Academic Integrity Activity. This activity must be completed within 2 weeks of matriculation. Information on GWSPH Academic Integrity requirements can be found here.

Past Program Guides

Students in the BS in Public Health program should refer to the guide from the year in which they matriculated into the program. For the current program guide, click the "PROGRAM GUIDE" button at the top of the page.

NOTE: Please reach out to your current advisor for any questions.

See the BS Public Health Program Guide and the GWSPH Undergraduate Handbook for more information and program policies.

Guided Electives are courses that have been identified as highly relevant to the BS in Public Health curricula. These pre-approved courses can be found on the Guided Electives list on the program guide or in the GW Bulletin.

General Electives are any undergraduate course at the university, except LSPA designated courses. Students are welcome to take additional courses from the Guided Electives list as General Electives.

For the most up-to-date list of program and concentration requirements, please reference the program guide.

Public Health - no concentration

Students majoring in public health who do not declare a concentration must fulfill the following graduation requirements.

22-23 credits | General Education Requirements (GenEd) & WID Courses
34-35 credits | BS in Public Health Core Curriculum
12-13 credits | Guided Electives
49-52 credits | General Electives

PUBLIC HEALTH, NO CONCENTRATION TOTAL: 120 CREDITS

Pre-Medical Professional

The Pre-Medical Professional concentration includes two components: (1) a set of required concentration courses and (2) a set of additional recommended, though not required, courses. Medical school admission requirements vary, so please review school-specific requirements and consult with the pre-health advisor.

BISC 1111 | Introductory Biology: Cells & Molecules (4 credits)
BISC 1112 | Introductory Biology: The Biology of Organisms (4 credits)
CHEM 1111 | General Chemistry I (4 credits)
CHEM 1112 | General Chemistry II (4 credits)
CHEM 2151 & CHEM 2153 | Organic Chemistry I & Lab (4 credits)
CHEM 2152 & CHEM 2154 | Organic Chemistry II & Lab (4 credits)
and one of the following:
BISC 3165 | Biochemistry I (3 credits)
BISC 3261 | Introduction to Medical Biochemistry (4 credits)
CHEM 3165 | Biochemistry I (3 credits)
and one of the following:
MATH 1221 | Calculus with Precalculus II (3 credits)
MATH 1231 | Single-Variable Calculus I (3 credits)
MATH 1232 | Single-Variable Calculus II (3 credits)
and one of the following:
PHYS 1011& PHYS 1012 | General Physics I & General Physics II (8 credits)
PHYS 1021 & PHYS 1022 | University Physics I & University Physics II (8 credits)
PHYS 1025 & PHYS 1026 | University Physics I with Biological Application & University Physics II with Biological Applications (8 credits)
and one of the following:
PSYC 1001 | General Psychology (3 credits)
SOC 1001 | Introduction to Sociology (3 credits)

* Many classes will double count towards University General Education (GenEd) requirements as well as public health core requirements. Confirm with advisor that these courses count towards GenEd and Public Health core requirements.

CONCENTRATION TOTAL: 41-42 CREDITS

23 credits | General Education Requirements (GenEd) & WID Courses
34-35 credits | BS in Public Health Core Curriculum
41-42 credits | Pre-Medical Professional Concentration Courses (some of these credits double-count for GenEd and/or public health core)
12-13 credits | Guided Electives
15-17 credits | General Electives

PUBLIC HEALTH, PRE-MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL CONCENTRATION TOTAL: 120 CREDITS

Pre-Health Professional

The Pre-Health Professional concentration is available for students interested in a career as a healthcare delivery professional (other than a physician). Students may select a pre-health professional track in Nursing, Physician Assistant, Physical Therapy, or Dentistry. The concentration has two components: (1) a set of required concentration courses applicable to all pre-health professional tracks and (2) additional track-specific required courses.

BISC 1111 | Introductory Biology: Cells & Molecules (4 credits)
BISC 1112 | Introductory Biology: The Biology of Organisms (4 credits)
BISC 2336 & BISC 2337 | Microbiology & Microbiology Lab (4 credits)
CHEM 1111 | General Chemistry I (4 credits)
CHEM 1112 | General Chemistry II (4 credits)
EXNS 2210 | Anatomy & Physiology I (4 credits)
EXNS 2211 | Anatomy & Physiology II (4 credits)
PSYC 1001 | General Psychology (3 credits)
and one of the following:
MATH 1221 | Calculus with Precalculus II (3 credits)
MATH 1231 | Single-Variable Calculus I (3 credits)
MATH 1232 | Single-Variable Calculus II (3 credits)

CONCENTRATION CORE TOTAL: 34 CREDITS

Pre-Health Professional Concentration Track-Specific Requirements

Pre-Nursing Track (12 credits)
Pre-Physician Assistant Track (15-16 credits)
Pre-Physical Therapy Track (11 credits)
Pre-Dentistry Track (22-23 credits)

See Program Guide for the Track-Specific requirements.

23 credits | General Education Requirements (GenEd) & WID Courses
34-35 credits | BS in Public Health Core Curriculum
45-57 credits | Pre-Health Professional Concentration + Track-Specific Courses (some of these credits double-count for GenEd and/or public health core)
12-13 credits | Guided Electives
0-16 credits | General Electives

PUBLIC HEALTH, PRE-HEALTH PROFESSIONAL CONCENTRATION TOTAL: 120 CREDITS

Students should meet with their Undergraduate Advisor to review their program of study. More information on advising can be found here. It is the student’s responsibility to understand the degree requirements and follow them for on-time graduation.

Field Experience
Students with a declared major in public health are required to complete a 0-credit field experience course (PUBH 3000) after their first two full-time semesters of college and prior to graduation. Students should register for PUBH 3000 in the semester in which they complete their field experience. The field experience may be satisfied through one of the following options:

One year commitment to the Urban Health Program;
A C- or better in an approved, 3+ credit Service Learning course (may be outside GWSPH but must be completed at GW and community partnerships must be related to public health); or
A 60-hour practical experience (internship or volunteer experience). This placement must be related to public health, secured by the student, and be approved in advance by the BSPH Program Director. The placement cannot be used to fulfill a requirement for another course or program. Students pursuing either the volunteer or internship option will submit regular reflections on their experience and how they applied their public health knowledge and skills.

Students are required to successfully complete PUBH 2000 if they choose to complete an internship for their field experience.

The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health program offers students the chance to acquire knowledge and skills in the critical component elements of public health. The ASPPH defines public health as a force that "protects and improves the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations, locally and globally." In this context, the GW SPH undergraduate program is intended to convey technical detail and analytical thinking, but with a liberal arts philosophical base, to create professionals with the skills and commitment to improve the public's health.

The BS in Public Health program hopes to matriculate students who will take their public health voice into diverse fields of professional practice, bringing an informed and evidence-based viewpoint to public health issues affecting society at large. The BS in Public Health program requires the completion of 120 credits. Coursework can generally be completed in 4 years as a full-time student, though we offer flexible pathways to degree completion.

Please go to Dual Degrees for information.

See the BS in Public Health Program Guide and the GWSPH Undergraduate Handbook for more information and program policies.

Program Director: Dr. Elizabeth Gray