Public Health Studies B.A./B.S.

Requirements

Core requirements

In addition to meeting the general University degree requirements all majors in health studies must take the following core coursework plus choose a concentration area:

Core coursework

Healthy Aging Concentration

In the Healthy Aging concentration, students will learn about the societal, community, and individual-level strategies needed to support our aging population. Students will build foundations in gerontology while also acquiring skills in administration and finance, prevention of chronic disease, and health promotion programming, which will position students to enter careers as assisted living or nursing home facilities administrators, long-term care coordinators, health promotion program implementers, or senior health promotion specialists.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in aging services must complete the following:

Required coursework (28 credits)

Choose one of the following:

Choose one of the following:

16 credits from the following courses

Community Health Promotion Concentration

Students pursuing the Community Health Promotion concentration  will learn the societal, community, and individual-level factors that create risk -- or promote good health -- in populations.  In particular, students will build skills to identify and address health disparities across populations, define health problems, and learn to design and implement strategies to promote health in the larger community.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in community health promotion must complete:

Required coursework (24 credits)

Twenty (20) credits from the following courses:

Health Services Administration Concentration

The health services administration concentration is designed for individuals who wish to develop or enhance a career in health systems administration, including such activities as health program management, health policy analysis, patient support, health finance, quality improvement, and other administrative functions.

Students who complete the course work required for the concentration will possess a basic understanding of health systems with particular knowledge and skills in administration and finance, health policy, and health systems.

The program of study includes common core requirements, required courses, and elective course options.  Students pursuing a concentration in health services administration must complete the following:

Required Courses (44 credits)

Elective Courses (8)

Two electives from the following:

Indigenous Health Concentration

To acknowledge the rich cultural histories and resilience of Indigenous peoples in the places that are home to the present-day universities of Oregon Health Sciences University and Portland State University, the Indigenous health concentration will emerge from—and be supported by—an Indigenous and decolonizing  and healing-justice praxis that draws on the strengths of Indigenous peoples and other communities of color that have been historically underserved and oppressed by white supremacy and colonialism. This new concentration is designed to support and strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination of Native peoples, and build a network of non-Native allyship for a healing-centered justice movement to emerge and sustain health equity for all.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in Indigenous Health must complete:

Required Coursework (36 credits)

16 credits from the following courses:

Pre-Clinical Health Science Concentration

The Pre-Clinical Health Science concentration prepares students for continued clinical study in one of the many licensed health professions.  Students will gain a foundation in public health while also completing prerequisites for their chosen clinical path, including medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, dentistry, dental hygienics, ophthalmology, and others.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in health sciences must select one of the following options: pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-chiropractic medicine, pre-osteopathy, pre-podiatry, pre-nursing, pre-naturopathic medicine, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, and pre-physician assistant and pre-physician assistant or adviser approved option. In choosing courses to complete, students should verify the specific prerequisites required by the professional school(s) to which an application for admission is being submitted. Advising sheets summarizing prerequisites for professional schools in Oregon and selected schools in the Pacific Northwest can be found online at http://www.pdx.edu/clas/prepro.html . Students must complete all prerequisites required by the professional school to which an application is being submitted to receive a Health Science degree. Please consult regularly with your pre-health adviser.

In addition to the previously listed core courses, students must also complete 16 credits from the following upper-division courses:

16 credits from the following upper-division courses:

School Health Educator Concentration

The School Health Educator concentration is a pre-licensure program, preparing students according to state guidelines for “best practices” in school health education. School health educators teach in middle school and high school settings covering a variety of topics from safety to preventive health behaviors and decision-making. Upon completion of the bachelor degree (BA/BS), students will be eligible to apply to the fifth-year Graduate Teacher Education Program or the Secondary Dual Education Program in the Graduate School of Education at PSU.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in school health education must complete the following:

Required coursework (36 credits)

8 Credits of electives from the following list: