University of Massachusetts Amherst

Department of Public Health

Description of the Social Science and Science Tracks for the Bachelor of Science in the Public Health Sciences Major

  SOCIAL SCIENCE TRACK SCIENCE TRACK
MATH and STATISTICS COURSES At least 6 credits required

a. Minimum of MATH 121(Linear Methods & Probability Business Applications) or higher.

b. One statistics course from the following: PSYCH 240 (Statistics in Psychology) (Restricted to Psychology majors only), RES-ECON 211 (Intro Stats/Life Sci), or RES-ECON 212 (Intro Stats/Soc Sci), or SOC 212 (Elementary Statistics) (Restricted to Sociology majors only), STATISTICS 111 (Elementary Statistics) 		At least 9 credits required

a. MATH 127 & 128 (Calculus for Social Sciences I and II;) or MATH 131 & 132 (Calculus I and II.)

b. One statistics course from the following: PSYCH 240 (Statistics in Psychology) (Restricted to Psychology majors only), RES-ECON 211 (Intro Stats/Life Sci), or RES-ECON 212 (Intro Stats/Soc Sci), or SOC 212 (Elementary Statistics) (Restricted to Sociology majors only), STATISTICS 111 (Elementary Statistics)
FOUNDATION COURSES At least 15 credits required with at least 9 credits at 200 level or higher (bolded below)

a. At least two courses from the following or equivalent course:
BIO 102 (Intro to Animal Biology), BIO 106 (Human Biology), BIOCHEM 100 (My DNA), CHEM 101 (General Chemistry for NON-science majors (Possibly offered in spring only), KIN 100 (Intro to Kinesiology), KIN 110 (Human Performance and Nutrition), MICRO 310 (General Microbiology), NUTR 130 (Nutrition for a Healthy Lifestyle), PLSOILIN 126 (Insects and Human Society), PLSOILIN 185 (Sustainable Living), PLSOILIN 326 (Insect Biology), PLSOILIN 342 (Pesticides, Public Policy and the Environment).

b. At least three courses from the following or equivalent courses approved by the student's academic advisor: ANTHRO 104 (Culture, Society and People), ECON 103 (Intro to Microeconomics), ECON 104 (Intro to Macroeconomics), ECON 105 (Intro to Political Economy), PHIL 161 (Problems in Social Thought), POLSCI 181 (Controversies in Public Policy), POLSCI 220 (Public Administration), POLSCI 252 (Globalization, Governance and World Order), POLSCI 253 (International Environmental Politics and Policy), PSYCH 100 (Intro to Psychology), PSYCH 305 (Educational Psychology), PSYCH 350 (Child Psychology), PSYCH 360 (Social Psychology), PSYCH 380 (Abnormal Psychology), SOC 103 (Social Problems), SOC 106 (Race, Sex, and Social Class).		 At least15 credits required

Two of the following three course sequences or equivalent courses approved by the student's academic advisor: CHEM 111 (General Chemistry I), CHEM 112 (General Chemistry II), KIN 170(Anatomy and Physiology I) with lab, KIN 172 (Anatomy and Physiology II) with lab, PHYS 131 (Intro to Physics I) with lab, PHYS 132 (Intro to Physics II) with lab.

Please note that KIN 170 & 172 were previously KIN 297A and 297C.
PUBLIC HEALTH COURSES At least 24 credits required: 15 from category a, and 9 from category b, Independent Study or Internships:

a. The following courses are required: PUBHLTH 129 (Healthcare for All) (F&S), PUBHLTH 160 (My Body My Health) (F&S), PUBHLTH 320 (Jr. Year Writing) (Intro to Public Health) (F&S), PUBHLTH 324 (Intro to Bio- epidemiology), PUBHLTH 490B (Capstone Course for Seniors only, offered only in the spring).

b. An additional 9 credits in Public Health at the 300-500 level including one course at the 500 level. PUBHLTH 213 & 214 count as 300 level courses.

Independent Study (PUBHLTH 396)and Internships (PUBHLTH 398) are available. No more than 9 credits total can be taken as an independent study or internship.

* Only one General Education requirement can be applied to a PUBHLTH department class to fulfill the Public Health major requirement. SPIRE automatically puts PUBHLTH 160 into this category. If there is another class that should be substituted, make be sure to meet with your advisor to make sure this change is entered into your transcript. 		At least 24 credits required: 15 from category a, and 9 from category b, Independent Study or Internships:

a. The following courses are required: PUBHLTH 320 (Jr. Year Writing) (Intro to Public Health) (F&S), PUBHLTH 324 (Intro to Bio-epidemiology), PUBHLTH 391B (Intro to Biostatistics), PUBHLTH 490B (Capstone Course for Seniors only, offered only in the spring), PUBHLTH 565 (Environmental Health).

b. An additional 9 credits in Public Health at the 300-500 level including one course at the 500 level.

Independent Study (PUBHLTH 396)and Internships (PUBHLTH 398) are available. No more than 9 credits total can be taken as an independent study or internship.
Collateral Field*

Please see separate page: What's the Collateral Field? for more information about this aspect of the Major.
 At least 18 credits required with at least 12 credits at the 300 level or higher)

An acceptable collateral field must consist of at least 18 credits which taken together form the study of a field or area which encompasses material relevant to the study of Public Health.
Courses may be taken from departments such as: AFRO AM, ANTHRO, COMM, ECON, EDUC, HIST, JOUR, PSYCH, SOC, SOM, etc., or any area approved by the student's academic advisor.

At least 18 credits required with at least 12 credits at the 300 level or higher)

An acceptable collateral field must consist of at least 18 credits which taken together form the study of a field or area which encompasses material relevant to the study of Public Health.
Courses may be taken from departments such as: BIO, CHEM, COMM- DIS, ENV SCI, GEOSCI, KIN, MICRO, NUTR, SOC, etc., or any area approved by the student's academic advisor. Note:  Organic Chemistry will fulfill the upper-level collateral field requirement.
 

The Collateral Field requirement for both Social Science and Science Track may be met in one of the following ways:

  1. Completion of a major in one of the above named areas (or another area approved by the student’s academic advisor).
  2. Completion of a minor of at least 18 credits in any one of the above named areas (or another area approved by the student’s academic advisor).
  3. Completion of at least 18 credits of coursework chosen by the student and approved by the student’s academic advisor in accordance with the following rules:
    1. The proposal presented by the student must, in the judgment of the Department Undergraduate Program Director, satisfy the criterion of relevance to Public Health set forth in the requirement, and form a coherent set of courses (the student is responsible for presenting a convincing case for the proposed course of study);
    2. Courses used to satisfy other areas of the Public Health Major (such as foundation) cannot be used to satisfy this requirement. If a student takes elective PUBHLTH courses over and above those needed to fulfill that area of the Major, then those electives can be applied to the collateral field.
Description of the Tracks.doc

 
http://www.umass.edu/sphhs/
div>