BSPH in Community and Global Public Health
About the BSPH in Community and Global Public Health
The mission of the BSPH program in Community and Global Public Health is to prepare students to work in partnership with local and global communities to identify, assess, and address health problems and to achieve equity.
Our program prepares students to:
Implement principles of community-engaged public health practice and identify strategies to involve communities in public health policies and programs.
Investigate how and why health problems and inequities develop and are sustained.
Examine how quantitative and qualitative data are used to inform intervention development, adaptation, evaluation, and dissemination aligned with community needs and priorities.
Develop and apply skills to collaborate with diverse teams from local and global communities and engage with complex problems to promote health, justice, and equity.
- We admit about 40 students per year.
- Students go through the program as a cohort, which fosters a strong sense of community.
- Students are supported by a dedicated faculty mentor, academic program support coordinator, and academic career service coordinator.
- Students generally apply during their sophomore year at UNC, and if admitted, begin coursework in the CGPH major in the fall semester of their junior year.
- Students will partner with local and global communities to identify, assess, and address health problems to achieve health equity.
We accept assured enrolled and external transfer students and for more information contact Jonathan Earnest, Director of Admissions, or U’Rhonda Higgs, Assistant Director for Academic Advising.
Who Should Apply?
Are you passionate about making a difference in the world? Do you want to work in partnership with local and global communities to identify, assess, and address health problems to achieve health equity? Look no further than our exciting new BS in Public Health (BSPH) program in Community and Global Public Health!
Prerequisites
Students applying their sophomore year of college, as internal transfer students (ITR), would be required to have successfully completed the following prerequires before starting the program and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 with a C or higher in prerequisites:
- BIOL 101: Principles of Biology, and BIOL 101L: Introductory Biology Lab (4 credits)
- One of the following math courses: MATH 110: Algebra, MATH 130: Precalculus, or MATH 152: Calculus for Business and Social Sciences (3 credits), MATH 231: Calculus of Functions of One Variable I (3 credits) or higher math course with permission of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.
- One of the following social science courses: SOCI 101: Sociological Perspective, PSYC 101: General Psychology, or ANTH 102: Introduction to Cultural Anthropology (3 credits)
The Admissions Decision
Generally, we are seeking students who:
- demonstrate a strong academic background that prepares them for the program;
- possess volunteer, work, or lived experiences that support their educational and career goals; and
- can connect the dots between their goals and how the program will help them be successful.
Our Curriculum
To complete the BSPH major in Community and Global Public Health, students must follow the curriculum below.
HBEH 510: Foundations of Equity, Ethics, and Engagement in Public Health
Students will explore how health inequities appear in different populations; examine historical and relevant events to unpack how these inequities came to be; and gain an overview of self-reflective strategies used by health behavior practitioners and researchers to ethically partner with others to identify and address health inequities.
HBEH 520: Introduction to Global Health
This course introduces fundamental terminology, frameworks, problems, and solutions in global health. We will explore the historical and modern-day influences that have shaped the systems, issues, actors, and priorities of global health today. This course will expose students to: critical global health challenges; leaders across diverse sectors who are working to develop innovative solutions, policies, and programs to address these challenges; and roles that students can play to contribute to improving global health.
HBEH 531: Community Engagement and Assessment to Advance Health Equity and Social Justice
Engaging communities to identify their strengths, needs and priorities and determine action steps to address them is at the core of public health practice. Conducting a health assessment with communities is an essential public health function required in local and global contexts. This class will examine approaches to the assessment process, compare qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, and examine strategies for ensuring effective and equitable community engagement throughout the assessment process.
HBEH 532: Development and Evaluation of Health Behavior Interventions
This course will provide exposure to interventions designed to address determinants of health issues across all levels of the Social Ecological Framework. Students will think critically about the purpose, design, and success of public health interventions. Throughout the course, students will learn the relevant terminology, frameworks, and processes to design, implement, and evaluate interventions in health behavior.
HBEH TBD: Culminating Internship and Professional Development
This course explores collaboration through public health skill development and the community organizing public narrative framework. A part of this course is an intensive 150-hour internship experience with a local organization dedicated to advancing health, justice, or equity.
HBEH TBD: Honors Research I and II
In this 2-semester series, students design and write up a research or evaluation project. In the first semester, students plan and develop a written proposal for their project. In the second semester, students complete writing the honors thesis which includes the rationale for, methods used, and results of their research project. Enrollment is only for students approved to conduct a senior honors thesis project; instructor permission required.
Our Faculty
Our faculty in the Department of Health Behavior guide students, colleagues and communities from across the globe in scholarship, research and service. They are renowned as local and global leaders in various fields within public health.
HBEH 510: Foundations of Equity, Ethics, and Engagement in Public Health
Instructors: Suzanne Maman, Naya Villarreal, Deborah Baron
HBEH 520: Introduction to Global Health
Instructor: Alexandra Lightfoot
HBEH 531: Community Engagement and Assessment to Advance Health Equity and Social Justice
Instructors: Abigail Hatcher, Melissa Cox
HBEH 532: Development & Evaluation of Health Behavior Interventions
Instructor: Dane Emmerling
HBEH TBD: Culminating Internship and Professional Development
Instructor: Lauren Hill
HBEH TBD: Honors Research I and II
Want to learn more?
Program Director: Patsy Polston, PhD, MSPH
Academic Coordinator: U'Ronda Higgs
Faculty Expertise
Learn from renowned experts in the field who are passionate about mentoring the next generation of public health leaders. Our faculty bring a wealth of experience with longstanding research partnerships in communities across the world.
Career Opportunities
