College of Public Health
www.kent.edu/publichealth

About This Program

Join the next generation of the public health workforce with Kent State University's Public Health program. Earn a B.S.P.H., minor or certificate and gain the skills and knowledge to improve population health and make a difference in people's lives. Enroll now in person or fully online and make an impact in the world of public health. Read more...

Contact Information

• Gretchen Thomas | gthoma33@kent.edu | 330-672-6528
• Speak with an Advisor
• Chat with an Admissions Counselor

Program Delivery

• Delivery:
  • Fully online (Allied Health, Clinical Trials Research, Community Health Outreach and Development, Health Services Administration concentrations only)
  • Mostly online
  • In person (all concentrations)
• Location:
  • Kent Campus

Examples of Possible Careers and Salaries*

Additional Careers

• Project coordinator (falls under business operations specialists, all other)
• Social and community service manager
• Clinical research associate (falls under clinical laboratory technologists and technicians)

Accreditation

The B.S.P.H. degree in Public Health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).

^{* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.}

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

¹

Students in the Nursing major may substitute NURS 40020 for PH 30007, NURS 40045 for PH 30033 and NURS 40872 for PH 30004.

²

A minimum C grade must be earned to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

³

Recommended for students pursuing the Global Health concentration: GEOG 22061, PSYC 11762, SOC 12050.

Allied Health Concentration Requirements

¹

At their time of admission, a student must submit a copy of their state licensure to an academic advisor in the College of Public Health. State licensure must be valid through the student's graduation term.

Clinical Trials Research Concentration Requirements

Community Health Outreach and Development Concentration Requirements

Global Health Concentration Requirements

¹

If PH 40092 was not taken during semester six, students should choose from the following to take during the summer term: PH 40089, PH 41092, PH 43089 or PH 44004.

²

Students pick from the following languages (Elementary I and II and Intermediate I and II): Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish.

³

Minimum 12 credit hours of study abroad semester courses count as general electives.

Health Services Administration Concentration Requirements

Pre-Medicine, Dental, Osteopathy Concentration Requirements

¹

CHEM 30482 is highly recommended as an additional course for students planning to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

Graduation Requirements

Roadmaps

Allied Health Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Clinical Trials Research Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Community Health Outreach and Development Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Global Health Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Health Services Administration Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Pre Medicine, Dental, Osteopathy Concentration

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

University Requirements

All students in a bachelor's degree program at Kent State University must complete the following university requirements for graduation.

NOTE: University requirements may be fulfilled in this program by specific course requirements. Please see Program Requirements for details.

Kent Core Requirements

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Overview of Public Health: Address the history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts and functions across the globe and in society.
2. Role and Importance of Data in Public Health: Address the basic concepts, methods and tools of public health data collection, use and analysis, and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice.
3. Identifying and Addressing Population Health Challenges: Address the concepts of population health and basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations.
4. Human Health: Address the underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course.
5. Determinants of Health: Address the socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities.
6. Project Implementation: Address the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment and evaluation.
7. Overview of the Health System: Address the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well as the differences in systems in other countries.
8. Health Policy, Law, Ethics and Economics: Address the basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy; and the roles, influences and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government.
9. Health Communications: Address the basic concepts of public health-specific communication (including technical and professional writing) and the use of mass media and electronic technology.

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree in Public Health broadly prepares students to enter the workforce as a public health professional or enter an advanced program of study. Students explore the five disciplines of public health: biostatistics, environmental health, epidemiology, health policy and management and the social and behavioral sciences through general coursework.

The Public Health major comprises the following concentrations:

• The Allied Health concentration seeks to augment the career portfolio of the allied health professional or aspiring student. Students who are interested in a generalist focus in public health or moving to a professional degree (accelerated nursing) or technical allied health degree (respiratory care, radiologic technology, occupational/physical therapy assisting, etc.) are encouraged to pursue this path. Students may currently hold or be actively pursuing a state licensure in an allied health field and may be eligible to receive a maximum 12 credit hours of upper-division credit for their prior experience and demonstrated competency in select areas. Students without a state licensure may still pursue this concentration but will complete 12 hours of coursework in allied health-specific areas. Students in this concentration are exposed to broad areas of public health, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, global health and health policy; thus, preparing students to meet the increased demands for a trained and educated public health workforce.
• The Clinical Trials Research concentration focuses on training students in the epidemiology methods used in clinical research. The curriculum provides students a thorough understanding of the management of research studies; the scientific literature related to drugs, medical devices and other new therapies; and the federal regulations related to conducting clinical trials. Students are prepared to design and answer research questions, collect and manage data and communicate research findings to both scientific and lay audiences. An internship experience provides necessary experience in a clinical research setting. Potential places of employment for graduates include hospitals, contract research organizations, medical schools and pharmaceutical companies where graduates assist with and manage clinical research studies.
• The Community Health Outreach and Development concentration focuses on identifying and exploring ways to influence the multilevel determinants of population health and health behaviors, from a perspective that prioritizes health equity and social justice. Approaches focus on community- and system-level strategies to promote health and healthy behaviors among populations and eliminate health disparities through media, policy and education initiatives. Career options include the public sector, social services, nonprofit agencies and other community-based health promotion and advocacy efforts. Graduates are prepared to assist with developing, implementing and coordinating public health interventions that promote community health and organize diverse communities around issues related to health and health behavior.
• The Global Health concentration educates students in identifying and working to address the critical public health and human needs of diverse, underserved and vulnerable populations locally and globally. Students learn the need for multidisciplinary (biological and social sciences) approaches and cooperation to address the major global public health problems. In addition, they have the opportunity to focus on a specific aspect of global health, e.g., HIV/AIDS, health policy, health disparities, health education, environmental health, nutrition. Graduates are prepared to work at entry-level positions in public health with local, regional, national or international public health agencies in both public and private sectors. Students who pursue this concentration are required to participate in a study abroad experience and complete four courses (at the elementary and intermediate levels) of either Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish.
• The Health Services Administration concentration establishes a foundation for graduate work in health policy and management. Students analyze national and local public health infrastructure, evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of health care delivery and explore the legal and ethical issues of health care administration. Graduates enter the health care workforce as finance managers, compliance officers, patient navigators, insurance specialists and other health care managers. Students are encouraged to pair this concentration with a minor.
• The Pre-Medicine, Dentistry, Osteopathy concentration includes preparatory courses for the Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT), Dental Admissions Test (DAT) and admission entry into other professional schools, including pharmacy, podiatry, occupational/physical therapy and physicians assistant programs. The overall curriculum — focusing on biological, social and economic determinants of health; prevention and control of diseases; introduction to biostatistics; and public health research — makes this program highly desirable for admission to professional schools. The unique features of the program open new opportunities and offer competitive advantages for students seeking to enter into clinical medicine.

Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy in the University Catalog for more information:

• Master of Public Health degree in Biostatistics
• Master of Public Health degree in Epidemiology
• Master of Public Health degree in Health Policy and Management
• Master of Public Health degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Master of Science degree in Clinical Epidemiology

Students must consult with their undergraduate and faculty advisors each semester to create a plan substituting selected master's courses for selected undergraduate courses based on approved courses. Following graduation, students' applications to the M.P.H. or M.S. degree may be activated for admission.