Online Bachelor's Degree in Public Health (2024)

General Education (60 credit hours)

Students must satisfy 60 credit hours of general education requirements. The general education requirements are the basic studies that provide students with a broad educational foundation and are essential requirements for all baccalaureate degree programs. Included in the general education requirements are subjects in communication, mathematics, social sciences, humanities, natural sciences, multicultural studies and lower-level electives.

Lower Division Electives (13 credit hours)

Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to satisfy at least 60 sh in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement. Students in the Interdisciplinary Specialization should see the list of Lower Division Requirements for guidance on how to meet these requirements.

Choose 3 courses of the following:

• PHC 2082 - Informatics and Your Health
• HSC 2100 - Personal Health
• HUN 2201 - Fundamentals of Human Nutrition
• HSC 2622 - Introduction to Global Health Sciences

State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.

• BSC 1085+L - Anatomy and Physiology I (+Lab)
• BSC 1086+L - Anatomy and Physiology II (+Lab)
• PSY 2012 - General Psychology
• STA 2023 - Elements of Statistics

Major Courses (45-48 credit hours)

• HSC 3032 - Foundations in Health Education
• HSA 3111 - Understanding U.S. Healthcare
• PHC 4464 - Understanding Health Equity and Health Disparities
• HSC 3510 - Data Analysis in the Health Sciences
• PHC 4101 - Essentials of Public Health
• PHC 4109 - Diseases in Human Populations
• HSC 4211 - Human Environmental Health
• HSC 4730 - Research Methods and Evaluation in Health Promotion
• HSC 4500 - Epidemiology
• HSC 4300 - Changing Health Behaviors
• HSA 4191 - Health Information Systems
• MCB 4276 - Epidemiology of Infectious Disease
• BUL 4602 - Legal Fundamentals of Healthcare

Choose one of the following:

• PHC 4140 - Public Health Planning and Analysis
• HSC 4581 - Health Promotion and Planning

Choose one of the following:

• PHC 4940 - Public Health Capstone
• HSC 4910 - Senior Capstone Experience in Health Promotion

Approved Electives (12-15 credit hours)

Students must select up to 12-15 credit hours from the following courses based on career interests. Students interested in completing the National Commission of Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) certification should consider the courses indicated for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam. Students should discuss their professional goals with their advisor and public health faculty before selecting elective courses.

• HSC 4584 - Health Promotion Strategies and Funding
• BSC 4434 - Bioinformatics and Data Science
• STA 4173 - Biostatistics
• PHC 4363 - Occupational Safety and Health in the Health Care Environment
• HSC 4583 - Theoretical Foundations of Health Promotion and Planning
• HSC 4633 - Current Issues in Health Promotion
• PHC 4340 - Fundamentals of Industrial Hygiene
• BSC 4854 - Bioterrorism
• HSC 4404 - Medical Disaster Management
• HSC 4572 - Nutrition and Health
• HSC 4143 - Drugs in Society
• HSC 4133 - Health Aspects of Human Sexuality
• GEY 4001 - Gerontology
• HSA 3551 - Health Ethics and Professionalism
• PHC 4341 - Fundamentals of Occupational Safety and Health
• HSC 4104 - Health Aspects of Stress Management
• PCB 4703 - Human Physiology

Acceptance to the University does not constitute admission to the upper-division public health degree. Students entering UWF or declaring a major in public health will automatically be placed in a pending status until they meet the requirements for admission. T

To be considered for admission into UWF’s online public health program, you must:

• Students must successfully complete all common prerequisite courses with a minimum grade of a “C” or better.
• Be at the level of a sophom*ore or higher

Students will not be admitted to the program less than one week before the beginning of the term in which they have applied. No more than 24% of the program requirements for this degree may be in traditional business subjects. Students must consult with the BSPH academic advisor for courses which may satisfy both the General Education requirements and common prerequisites.

Not all states authorize online programs. If you reside outside of Florida you will want to check the status of your state’s acceptance of this program.

This program will not meet immigration requirements for students holding an F1 or J1 Visa to maintain status. Contact the International Student Office for further information.

How to Apply

To apply for the bachelor’s in public health online program, you first need to submit an application for undergraduate admission (plus a $30 application fee) and be accepted for admission into University of West Florida. In addition, you must:

• Submit official transcripts from all institutions previously attended whose accrediting agency is included on the list of UWF-approved accrediting agencies
• Submit ACT or SAT scores
• Complete the residency application form for tuition purposes
• Complete the bachelor’s in public health application form

Have questions about this program or the admissions process? Contact our undergraduateadmissions teamatadmissions@uwf.edu.