Degree Requirements
The HPM BSPH program curriculum includes a combination of core public health courses, required courses in health policy and management, an 8-week internship completed the summer between junior and senior year, elective courses (including senior honors thesis and graduate-level options), and a year-long capstone experience. The curriculum emphasizes collaboration and application, with students working on multiple semester and year-long team projects, some with community partners.
The requirements for the BSPH degree with a major in health policy and management can be found in the UNC catalog. Please note that the health policy and management major has a structured curriculum and required courses in the junior and senior year must be taken in the semester noted in the sample plan.
Field Training (Internship)
An 8-week full-time internship (320 hour minimum) is required during the summer between the junior and senior years. The internship provides students an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills being acquired through their coursework, further develop and demonstrate attainment of program competencies, and explore career interests. Learn more about internships completed by past students here.
Students are not placed in an internship, but rather work with the department’s Career Services Coordinator and their faculty mentor to search for and secure an internship. Students register for HPM 393 (2 credits) during their senior fall. A field training fee of $400 is also required.
HPM 697 BSPH Capstone
2018 BSPH graduates celebrate together at the end of the semester.
During fall and spring semester of the senior year, students work in teams to complete a major project with a community organization. This project serves as a culminating experience for the program, providing students with an opportunity to synthesize, integrate, and apply knowledge and skills gained through their coursework and further develop and demonstrate attainment of program competencies. These projects are completed under the direction of a faculty member and preceptor, typically within a public health department, community health center, hospital, medical office, or non-profit organization. Learn more about some of our past capstone projects here.
HPM 691H and 692H
BSPH Senior Honors Thesis
Eligible students have the option of completing a senior honors thesis, which generally includes designing and carrying out a research study or program evaluation. Examples of research questions examined by past honors thesis students can be found here.
Program Competencies
Competencies define what students should know and be able to do upon completion of the degree program. Students in BSPH Program in Health Policy and Management develop the following competencies:
Knowledge of the U.S. Health System
- Examine the structure and financing of the U.S. health system, the delivery of health services, and strategies to improve health system performance
- Examine the politics of public health and health policy in the U.S.
- Analyze health-related legal and ethical issues and their impact on the U.S. health system
Analytical, Management and Teamwork Skills
- Manage and analyze data using appropriate methods and tools
- Formulate strategic alternatives for achieving an organization’s goals and objectives
- Apply basic methods and techniques in financial management
- Demonstrate approaches to effectively lead and manage people, projects, and organizations
- Perform effectively on teams
Foundational Public Health Skills
- Describe health inequities, identify their root causes at multiple levels of the social ecological framework, and discuss approaches to advancing health equity
- Locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize public health information
- Communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms through a variety of media and to diverse audiences
