Foster a Healthy Future For All People
Imagine a world with no child labor regulations, no seatbelt laws, and no anti-pollution policies. Public health researchers, policy-makers, and educators make our lives safer by improving our living conditions, regulating health care and safety, and educating us to make healthy choices. UNE’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health provides a solid foundation in a broad range of public health areas, from chronic disease management and environmental hazard mitigation to childbirth education and epidemiology. Join us in caring about the greater good of humankind, and make a real impact on our society.
What is Public Health?
According to , public health is defined as "all organized measures to prevent disease, promote health, and prolong life among the population as a whole. Its activities aim to provide conditions in which people can be healthy and focus on entire populations, not on individual patients."
Why 91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵfor your B.S. in Public Health
As a comprehensive health sciences university with a wide range of health professions programs, we are able to engage our students with cross-disciplinary study and interprofessional experiences that enrich your education – and your resume.
- Exceptional research opportunities for undergraduates
- Service learning and community experience
- Exciting internships for on-the-job learning
- Multiple study abroad options
- Opportunity to pursue an online 91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵMaster in Public Health (M.P.H.) degree
- Access to professional conferences and leading experts
What will you study? B.S. in Public Health Curriculum Overview
The Public Health degree is part of UNE’s Department of Health Promotion Studies. Your coursework will expand on five core areas within the public health sphere:
- Health Policy: Developing laws and regulations to promote and protect health
- Environmental Health: Assessing how the environment affects health
- Social and Behavioral Health: Studying how people make health decisions and how to encourage healthier behaviors
- Epidemiology: Learning how and why diseases are distributed in a population
- Biostatistics: Analyzing population-level data to identify health trends
Curriculum
| Nor’easter Core Requirements | Credits |
|---|---|
| Total Credits | 40 |
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 104 – General Biology with Lab | 3 – Fulfills Scientific Method Core |
| BIO 445 – One Health – Medical Biology Topics | 3 |
| CMM 225 – Topics in Digital Storytelling | 3 |
| ENV 104 – Environmental Issues | 3 – Fulfills Health of Natural Ecosystems Core |
| ENV 208 – Causes and Consequences of Climate Change | 3 |
| EXS 120 – Personal Health and Wellness | 3 |
| GIS 161 – Fundamentals of Geospatial Science and Technology | 3 |
| IHS 150 – Health Promotion Studies Seminar | 1 |
| IHS 310 – Ethics for Interprofessional Practice | 3 – Fulfills Power Knowledge & Justice - Open Core |
| MAT 120 – Statistics or MAT 150 – Statistics for Life Sciences | 3 – Fulfills Quantitative Reasoning Core |
| OS 200 – Medical Terminology and Health Literacy | 3 |
| OS 424 – Health Education: Theory to Practice | 4 |
| OS 434 – Substance Misuse and Prevention | 3 |
| PSC 325 – Politics and Public Health | 3 |
| PSY 105 – Introduction to Psychology | 3 – Fulfills Human Health Core |
| PSY 250 – Lifespan Development | 3 – Fulfills Human Experience - Open Core |
| PUB 200 – Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| PUB 205 – Epidemiology | 3 |
| PUB 212 – Social Determinants of Health | 3 |
| PUB 300 – Global Health | 3 |
| PUB 305 – Research Methods in Public Health or OS 316 – Research Methods | 3 |
| PUB 315 – Health Communication and Social Marketing in Public Health | 3 |
| PUB 400 – Public Health Planning and Evaluation | 3 |
| PUB 405 – Health Care Organization and Policy | 3 |
| PUB 410 – Internship | 1 |
| PUB 420 – Community Health Assessment | 3 |
| SOC 150 – Introduction to Sociology | 3 – Fulfills Power Knowledge & Justice - Social Science Core |
| SOC 355 – Medical Sociology | 3 |
| SSW 330 – Advocacy in Social Work | 3 |
| SSW 460 – Groups and Communities | 3 |
| WRT 317 – Proposal and Grant Writing | 3 |
| Total Credits | 90 |
| Open Elective Courses (as needed to reach 120 credit) | Variable |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 120 |
|---|
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
​To learn more about the program view the Academic Catalog.
Career Paths for Public Health Majors
As a Public Health major at UNE, you will come to understand highly complex health issues that affect communities, and you’ll develop the skills needed to generate solutions. Through service learning and internships, you’ll discover how to work collaboratively to communicate strategies to diverse audiences. Careers in public health include numerous rewarding professions, such as:
- Governmental Health Program Manager
- Public Health Educator
- Nonprofit Public Health Director
- Hospital Administrator/Infection Control Officer
- Health Researcher
- Community Health Program Manager
- Environmental Health Officer
- Epidemiologist
Career Advising in the Public Health Program
Whether you have a specific career goal in mind or a vague idea of the field that interests you, Career Advising is here to help you plan your next step.
Public Health Careers By The Numbers
Expected rate of job growth in the community health field from 2016 to 2026
new community health jobs expected to open in U.S. between 2016 and 2026
B.S. in Public Health Facilities
Alfond Forum
The Harold Alfond Forum, which opened in 2012, includes a 105,000-square-foot athletics complex featuring: an ice hockey rink with 900 seats; a basketball court with 1,200 seats; classroom space; a fitness center; and multi-purpose indoor practice courts that can also be used for performances and other events, with a combined seating capacity of 3,000. It also houses the Athletic Training and Applied Exercise Science programs, which have custom-designed teaching and laboratory spaces.
Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center
The Interprofessional Simulation and Innovation Center has a presence on UNE's Portland and Biddeford campuses. In Portland, it occupies two floors in the Blewett Science Building, adjacent to skills laboratories and classrooms. In Biddeford, it has dedicated space in the Harold Alfond Forum. The center offers three simulation labs with adjoining fully-equipped control rooms, a task training lab, and a debriefing classroom. The center also has dedicated space for staff offices, welcoming visitors, and storage. All of the labs are flexible and fully equipped for audiovisual recording, presentations, and debriefing.
Center to Advance Interprofessional Education and Practice
91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵis one of a handful of private universities with a comprehensive health education mission that includes medicine, pharmacy, dental medicine, nursing, and an array of allied health profession programs. In UNE’s social work program, you will take part in interprofessional education initiatives that prepare you to work with other aspiring health professionals to practice comprehensive and collaborative team-based care. Through service-learning and field experiences, you benefit from exercises that also include students from other 91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵhealth discipline programs.
WCHP Office of Service Learning
Service-learning initiatives connect students, faculty, and professional staff with opportunities to engage in meaningful and mutually beneficial service activities within a variety of community settings. Service-learning instills for students a lifelong commitment towards helping others, while positively impacting individual, family, and community health outcomes among populations served. Examples of service-learning include working with the homeless population, implementing health fairs, and developing age-appropriate recreational activities at a local Boys and Girls Club.
Experiential Learning in the Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health
You’ll draw upon multidisciplinary seminars and engage in problem-based learning as you gain practical experiences and participate in real-life community projects. At UNE, you don’t just study public health — you do public health.
- Office of Service Learning puts you in the field
- Required 135-hour experiential learning or research practicum
- Internships for hands-on learning opportunities
- Global travel for international experience
Public Health Student Simulation
Students Travel to Ghana
Internships for Public Health Majors
Our students work with many different organizations to gain critical real-world experience. Sites include:
- Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention
- Maine Public Health Association
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute
- Maine Area Health Education Center
- New England Public Health Training Center
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education
- Public schools
- Community parks and recreation programs
Cross Cultural Health Immersion
- Travel to Ghana, Africa and learn how to integrate western health practices with folk medicine.
- Broaden your worldview and begin the process of becoming a culturally sensitive health professional.
- Evaluate health education curricula relevant to the population need.
- Connect with 91Ö±²¥ÊÓƵstudents from other health professions programs.
