Public Health (B.S.)
Faculty
Dr. Nicole Betschman, Associate Professor and Program Director, Public Health and Health Services
Faculty representing diverse disciplines in the School of Nursing and Health Professions, College of Arts and Sciences, and School of Professional and Graduate Studies also contribute to the Health Services and Public Health programs.
Description
Trinity’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health focuses on the study of the scientific principles of public health and the skills needed to promote disease prevention, health education, and health policy. With an emphasis on community health issues within the Washington, DC region, Trinity’s public health curriculum explores topics and core concepts in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, public policy, and social and behavioral health. The public health program is designed to provide academic, experiential, and service-learning opportunities as well as training through internships and interprofessional collaboration. Public Health graduates can go on to pursue an advanced degree and work in any number of medical, science, social science, or public health fields.
Public Health Learning Outcomes:
- Utilize research tools and basic analytical methods to gather, monitor, and assess data related to population health.
- Describe and analyze how public policies and legislation influence health outcomes for individuals and communities.
- Demonstrate cultural awareness by communicating respectfully and effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds.
- Apply fundamental public health concepts to examine current public health issues.
- Compare health challenges and intervention strategies across different global regions, recognizing diverse approaches to improving health outcomes.
Public Health Prerequisites/General Education Requirements
Pre-Health Profession students enter through the College of Arts and Sciences where they complete their general education and public health prerequisite courses. The required courses are listed in sequence below:
First Year, First Semester (16 credits)
- BIOL 101 Introduction to BiologyExplores various aspects of biology from cell structure to metabolism, diversity and ecology. The course consists of two hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week. Recommended for non-science majors. There is an additional laboratory fee for this course. Formerly BIO 101 Introduction to Biology.
4 credits
FLC Area I
Core Area II
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry
- CRS 101 Critical Reading and Writing Seminar IThis course strengthens critical reading and academic writing skills through engagement with liberal arts texts with a focus on "Discovering your strength" as a Trinity woman. The ability to comprehend and write about arguments in academic texts is essential for success in all liberal arts courses and in lifelong learning. Students will develop the ability to identify a text's main argument and the evidence used to support that argument. Students will also reflect comprehension by accurately and clearly paraphrasing and summarizing texts' arguments. Students will also use annotation and argumentation strategies to respond to liberal arts texts with their own ideas.
All students will be expected to work toward the following learning goals:
Explore and develop values, especially those relating to social justice, race, and gender, through the study of and response to a variety of academic texts;
Develop confidence as readers and writers;
Actively read, summarize, and analyze texts;
Articulate and support an argument;
Write clearly, logically, and with attention to audience;
Formerly CRS 101 - Critical Reading Seminar.
4 credits
Prerequisitea: None.
- HPNU 120 Medical TerminologyThis is an 8-week course designed for individuals interested in learning the language of medicine required to work within a variety of health care fields. The student will acquire word-building skills in the field of medicine and will have a solid understanding of basic medical language and a foundational start on basic medical science and health related concepts that will be useful for other courses within the health professions.
1 credit
Prerequisites: None
- MATH 108 Finite MathematicsThis is a quantitative literacy and reasoning course designed for education majors and those students intending to study nursing and other allied health fields. Topics include: problem solving, set theory, logic, algebra, and measurement; including unit conversions and dimensional analysis. Additional topics include functions, graphs, systems of equations and inequalities, as well as probability and statistics. Real-world applications will be emphasized throughout the course. Formerly MATH 108 and MAT 108 Elementary Mathematical Modeling.
4 credits
Prerequisites: None
General Education Area: Foundational Skills
- PSYC 101 Introductory PsychologyIntroduces the student to the scientific study of the mind and behavior. All major sub-areas of psychology (social, developmental, clinical, physiological, motivation and emotion, sensation and perception) are explored, as well as the major theoretical perspectives (behavioral, cognitive, psychoanalytic, and humanistic). Formerly PSY 121 Introductory Psychology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
Core: Area II
First Year, Second Semester (17 credits)
- BIOL 121 Human Anatomy and Physiology IA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The first part of this year -long course emphasizes the tissues, the integumentary system, the bones and skeletal tissue, muscles and muscle tissue, and the nervous system. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of laboratory per week. Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. There is an additional laboratory fee.
4 credits
Pre-/Co-requisite: MATH 102, MATH 108 or MATH 109.
Pre-requisite: BIOL 101 (SPS); pass BIOL 101 with a C or better or placement test score (CAS).
General Education: Knowledge and Inquiry Area.
- CHEM 113 Chemistry for the Health SciencesIntroduces students to basic concepts in chemistry, including the nature of matter, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, solutions, principles of organic chemistry, and the chemistry of the most important biomolecules. The course also introduces students to the proper use of basic laboratory equipment as well as basic laboratory techniques. Lab experiments are designed to provide the student with the tools to understand connections between theory and results found in the lab.
4 credits
General Education Requirements: Knowledge and Inquiry (Science and Mathematics)
Prerequisites: MATH 108
- CRS 102 Critical Reading and Writing Seminar IIThis course further develops the critical reading and academic writing skills addressed in CRS 101 through engagement with texts in a particular academic discipline. Students will choose a CRS 102 course that addresses an interesting, meaningful or important disciplinary question, and build reading and writing skills through close readings and written responses to the assigned texts. CRS 102 courses are offered on a variety of academic topics, and students choose the one that is most compelling to them.
All students will be expected to work toward the following learning goals:
-Describe and apply comprehension strategies
-Summarize textual ideas accurately and in their own words
-Compare, contrast and organize textual ideas and arguments into writing
-Apply revision and editing strategies to writing
-Acknowledge sources according to disciplinary conventions
-Locate, differentiate between and evaluate the credibility of academic sources
Formerly CRS 102 - CRS: Prof & Career Success in the Health Professions.
3 credits
Prerequisite: CRS 101.
This course is usually taken simultaneously with English 107.
- ENGL 107 College CompositionDevelops effective writing of evidence-based, thesis-centered academic essays. Emphasizes the research and documentation skills necessary for successful academic writing. Focuses on argumentative essays that build to a substantive research paper. Formerly ENG 107 College Composition.
3 credits
General Education: Foundational Skills Area
FLC Area I Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
- SOCY 100 Introduction to SociologyIntroduces students to the science of sociology and prepares students for upper-level social science course work. Formerly SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Knowledge and Inquiry Area
FLC Area V
Core Area II: Understanding the Self and Society
Sophomore Year, First Semester (17 credits)
- BIOL 122 Human Anatomy and Physiology IIA systematic approach to the study of the human body. The second part of this year-long course emphasizes the endocrine, lymphatic, cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, urinary and reproductive systems. Students have the opportunity to apply concepts discussed during the lecture portion of the class to clinical questions presented throughout the semester. Three hours of lecture and three hours of laboratory per week.
Does not fulfill Biology major requirement. Prerequisite: C or better in BIOL 121. There is an additional laboratory fee.
4 credits
- BIOL 130 Microbiology for the Health ProfessionsAn introduction to the study of microorganisms with emphasis on disease-causing bacteria. Topics include the nature of microorganisms, their relationships with humans, infectious diseases, and immunity. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Does not fulfill microbiology requirement for Biology major. There is an additional laboratory fee.
4 credits
- COM 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral ArgumentationThe course is designed to improve the capacity for reasoning and to gain the strategies necessary for assessing the variances in messages in everyday interactions. The course also assists students to construct convincing arguments and critically evaluate the claims and premises in written and oral communication. The course fits into the larger first year curriculum by giving a set of methodological tools with which to critique complex arguments, assess the sufficiency and relevance of social scientific evidence, and prepare creative and well-reasoned arguments in a variety of written and oral communicative contexts.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None/PHIL 150 Critical Reasoning and Oral ArgumentationThe course is designed to improve the capacity for reasoning and to gain the strategies necessary for assessing the variances in messages in everyday interactions. The course also assists students to construct convincing arguments and critically evaluate the claims and premises in written and oral communication. The course fits into the larger first year curriculum by giving a set of methodological tools with which to critique complex arguments, assess the sufficiency and relevance of social scientific evidence, and prepare creative and well-reasoned arguments in a variety of written and oral communicative contexts.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None (cross-listed)
- SNHP 201 Introduction to Public HealthIntroduces the population health approach to public health, including a history of public health and an overview of core disciplines, current events, and issues in the field. Topics range from infectious disease outbreaks and control, the role of diet and physical activity in chronic disease, and the intersection of emergency services and preparedness with public health. Examines public health institutions and systems at the local/state, federal and global levels, and explores the future of public health.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- Choose a Foreign Language I
Sophomore Year, Second Semester (15 credits)
- MATH 110 Introduction to StatisticsThis course presents the basic principles of statistics with applications to the social sciences. Topics include descriptive statistics, graphical representations of data, normal probability distributions and the Central Limit Theorem, linear correlation and regression and probability theory. This course also offers an introduction to the use of statistical software. Formerly MAT 110 Introduction to Statistics.
3 credits
Prerequisites: MATH 102, MATH 108, MATH 109 or higher level mathematics course.
- PHIL 251 BioethicsExamines the legal and moral issues in areas dealing with the biology of human health and development, for example, experimentation on human subjects, organ transplants, euthanasia, abortion, fetal tissue use, contraception, and other aspects of human reproduction, as well as questions regarding rights to health care. Formerly PHI 211 Applied Ethics: Bioethics.
3 credits
General Education Curriculum: Values and Beliefs
- Choose a Foreign Language II
- Choose two General Education Knowledge and Inquiry courses:
Public Health Major Courses
After formal acceptance into the Bachelor of Science in Public Health, students will choose either the Health Communication Track or the Health Policy and Data Analysis Track. The major requirements are outlined below in recommended sequence:
HEALTH COMMUNICATION TRACK
Junior Year, First Semester (15 credits)
- COM 265 Introduction to Mass CommunicationIntroduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- JAMS 291
- PEH 121 Nutrition & WellnessIdentifies nutritional challenges affecting overall health. Topics include making conscious choices regarding nutrition, incorporating new food groups, identifying signs of emotional eating, body image issues, stress and time management, online tools to evaluate one?s food consumption and activity levels, and finding and utilizing available nutrition resources.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 220 Health Promotion, Policy and PoliticsThis course explores political factors that influence patient outcomes and health promotion strategies to enhance health and health care systems. Students are engaged in understanding how health care policy shapes health care systems, determining accessibility, accountability and affordability. Students will evaluate how health care delivery systems are organized and financed, and the effect this has on patient care.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
General Education Curriculum: Applications Area
- SNHP 330 Research and Evidence-Based PracticeIntroduces fundamentals of research design, methods, data collection, analyzing results, and discussion of findings. Focuses on the entire research cycle from forming a research question, drafting a proposal, designing protocols, understanding research ethics such as IRB guidelines, patient safety and rights, to presenting or disseminating findings in professional and scientific settings. Outcomes include development of a student research project.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: C or better in MATH 110
Gen Ed V: Capstone Seminar
Junior Year, Second Semester (15 credits)
- COM 290 Public SpeakingExamines theory and practice of public speaking. Students will prepare and present informative and persuasive speeches. Audience analysis, research, speech organization, delivery and effective persuasive strategies will be covered.
3 credits
FLC Area I
Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
- SNHP 228 Patient AdvocacyThe focus of this course is on patient advocacy. The course considers patient advocacy within the background and development of the health care delivery system in the United States and the forces associate d with q uality of care. The course explores trends and issues impacting health care delivery and the role of the advocate in health promotion and health education in a complex health care delivery landscape.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 301 Introduction to EpidemiologyFocuses on how diseases are spread within human populations and in communities. Applies epidemiologic methods and procedures to the study of determinants and distribution of health and disease markers, injuries, disability, morbidity and mortality. Discussion topics range from sudden-onset infectious diseases (such as some foodborne illnesses) to non-infectious chronic diseases, and U.S. and global approaches to epidemiologic research.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: Admittance into the Public Health Program or Premission by Department Chair
- SOCY 320 Sociology of Health and Illness (Medical Sociology)The course presents an in-depth conceptual and topical introduction of medical sociology, based on the premise that we cannot understand health by focusing only on the biomedical factors, rather we must also consider the social, cultural, political and economic forces that are instrumental in shaping health outcomes. The course applies the sociological perspective to understand the experience and social distribution of health and illness as well as the organization of health care and health care delivery systems and associated patient outcomes.
3 credits
Prerequisite: SOCY 100
- General Education Course:
Senior Year, First Semester (15 credits)
- JAMS 301 Media EthicsThis course looks at the tough ethical decisions that journalists and other media professionals routinely face. Using real life case studies students will explore fundamental ethical principles, and seek to understand the conflicts that arise when duties and responsibilities of the professionals conflict with their obligations to their employers and/or their audiences. There are often instances in which there is no right or wrong answer but the use of decision-making processes and standards.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- JAMS 320 PhotojournalismFundamentals of still photography in the print and audiovisual mass media with primary focus on print journalism. Student must have a digital camera. By the end of the course, students will be able:
To analyze, recognize, and evaluate the elements of a good photograph, photojournalistic image.
To develop the technical skills, comprehend the ethical responsibilities, and discern the social, political, and linguistic implications of being a photojournalist.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 230 Community Health Workers in the U.SThis course focuses on the role of Community Health Workers in different populations. Students will focus on advocacy, cultural awareness, and access of services in communities. The course will include various group activities and simulations for conflict resolution, client-centered outreach, and behavior change.
3 credits
- SNHP 490 Leadership Skills in Health ProfessionsEquips students in health professions with leadership skills necessary for effective and ethical practice. Explores aspects of successful leadership with emphasis on application in the healthcare context. Utilizes theoretical frameworks, case studies, interactive discussions, and practical exercises to develop the leadership skills that contribute to a dynamic and ever-evolving field. Satisfies the Internship/Leadership requirement for Health Services in the School of Professional Studies. Open to all majors as an elective.
- SNHP 491 Health InternshipFosters connections between academic coursework, applied experiences in health professions, and relations with client communities through internships in healthcare organizations such as local, state, or federal public health agencies, not-for-profit entities, or private sector companies. Provides supervised observation or application of skills and knowledge in health services and/or public health fields. May include opportunities for project-based service-learning with a community-based organization to uniquely enhance knowledge and professional development and practice entry-level skills in community settings.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Senior status
Senior Year, Second Semester (12 credits)
- JAMS 400 Introduction to PodcastingThis course covers the basic steps to creating content, recording and marketing an audio podcast broadcast. The layout of the basic technology and equipment needed for podcasting is reviewed. The podcasting medium is examined as the distribution of specially encoded multimedia content delivered to subscribed devices via the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) 2.0 protocol. Governing and legal implications are discussed. This course is a prerequisite to the JAMS podcasting studio lab course.
3 credits
- SNHP 321 Health & Wellness ProgrammingThe course focuses on theoretical approaches to behavior change while examining public health issues. Students will examine various methods of planning and implementing programs to fit various populations, paying attention to underserved populations and how to be culturally competent. Formally EXSC 321.
*3 credits
- SNHP 342 Health Care FinanceThis course focuses on the concepts, principles, tools, finances and strategies used in managing operations within a performance improvement model. Students will explore problem solving and decision making models as well as tools and techniques for planning, organizing, directing, controlling, reporting, and improving the productivity and performance of resources within a healthcare system. Additionally, topics will include healthcare finance reimbursement, budgeting processes (capital and operating), and cost/benefits analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 499 Senior Health SeminarInterdisciplinary capstone focuses on analysis of health-related issues from local, national, and global perspectives with the goal of recommending interventions for various specific problems. Practical applications include producing a scholarly thesis identifying and critically evaluating theories and empirical findings regarding hypothesized relationships between biological, sociopolitical, psychological, behavioral, and environmental variables and outcomes in a topic area. Various leadership theories will be introduced to promote understanding of one?s own and others? leadership styles as entry-level health professionals.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Graduating Senior status; Health Services or Public Health major; C or better in SNHP 330
Total Degree Credits = 122
HEALTH POLICY AND DATA ANALYTICS TRACK
Junior Year, First Semester (15 credits)
- CMSC 111 Introduction to ProgrammingIntroduces fundamentals of computer programming for beginners. Covers basics of programming logic, problem-solving techniques, and Python syntax. Formerly MAT 141 Introduction to Programming.
- GLBL 201 Intro to Global AffairsIntroduces students to the interdisciplinary field of global affairs through a format that both imparts knowledge on compelling contemporary issues, and assists students to acquire and improve research, writing, and presentation skills that contribute to successful, upper-level coursework. Formerly INS 201 Introduction to International Affairs, INAF 201 Intro to International Affairs.
General Education Curriculum: Civic Knowledge
- PEH 121 Nutrition & WellnessIdentifies nutritional challenges affecting overall health. Topics include making conscious choices regarding nutrition, incorporating new food groups, identifying signs of emotional eating, body image issues, stress and time management, online tools to evaluate one?s food consumption and activity levels, and finding and utilizing available nutrition resources.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 220 Health Promotion, Policy and PoliticsThis course explores political factors that influence patient outcomes and health promotion strategies to enhance health and health care systems. Students are engaged in understanding how health care policy shapes health care systems, determining accessibility, accountability and affordability. Students will evaluate how health care delivery systems are organized and financed, and the effect this has on patient care.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
General Education Curriculum: Applications Area
- SNHP 330 Research and Evidence-Based PracticeIntroduces fundamentals of research design, methods, data collection, analyzing results, and discussion of findings. Focuses on the entire research cycle from forming a research question, drafting a proposal, designing protocols, understanding research ethics such as IRB guidelines, patient safety and rights, to presenting or disseminating findings in professional and scientific settings. Outcomes include development of a student research project.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: C or better in MATH 110
Gen Ed V: Capstone Seminar
Junior Year, Second Semester (15 credits)
- ITEC 100 Introduction to Data AnalyticsCovers basics of how data are used to reduce uncertainty in decision-making. Introduces a set of widely used data mining tools, techniques, and applications using R software. Presents a variety of case studies and practical examples to demonstrate use of these tools.
3 credits
Pre: MATH 110
- PHIL 281 Ethical and Legal Issues in Information TechnologyExplores the ethical and legal considerations arising from rapid advancements in information technology. Addresses the complex intersection of technology, ethics, and the law, examining the ethical implications of IT practices and legal frameworks governing technology use. Formerly PHIL 281: The Ethics of Data Analytics
- POLS 244 Law, Justice and Human RightsInvestigates notions of law and justice through the evolution of human rights and the extent to which legal systems embrace and promote such rights. Utilizes case studies to examine theory and practice of human rights and associated legal structures, including major intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations, and international and national legal frameworks.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 224 Health Care Systems and Global HealthThis course provides an interdisciplinary overview of approaches to global public health. Students will interpret how issues related to public health can be understood from local, state, national, and international perspectives. Students will synthesize the evidence about leading and managing people in health care organizations and systems. Issues addressed included how health care systems are organized and administered in varying national and local contexts; the impact of cultural, economic and political factors on public health outcomes; and key policy and ethical debates related to the provision of global public health. Formerly Health Care Systems and Global Health
Prerequisites: None
3 credits
- General Education Course:
Senior Year, First Semester (15 credits)
- ITEC 210 Data Visualization and CommunicationExplores the role of data visualization in a variety of academic fields, differentiating the types of visualization techniques available. Uses Excel and R to create static and interactive data visualizations including tables, graphs, maps, and trees. Communicates a deeper understanding of how to critically approach a problem and evaluate best fit visualization for various audiences. Using case-study scenarios and data structures, examines the data visualization and communication techniques important in many career fields, including but not limited to business analytics, statistics, and STEM.
3 Credits
Prerequisite: ITEC 100 Introduction to Data Analytics
- PHIL 260 Ethics of International Conflict & PeacemakingThis course begins by exploring the principles that justify the limited use of force in international relations. We will discuss the elements of just war theory and test their application to a variety of international conflicts. Students will investigate whether just war theory can accommodate preemptive strikes. We will subsequently contrast just war theory and realism, exploring the ways in which both concepts could be applied to specific historical conflicts involving resources, human rights violations, and political ideologies. The course also examines the pacifist alternative to both just war theory and realism. Students will then discuss the rationale behind and the limits to humanitarian intervention, an armed response to the violation of human rights. The course also investigates the conditions under which just military action should be concluded. We will examine the ideal foundations for lasting peace versus the conclusion of coercive treaties subjecting the losing side to the political will of the victor. Finally, the course will treat the moral quandaries related to the use of advanced technology on international battlefields.
3 credits
- POLS 305 Public PolicyFocuses on the overall policy-making process including its various stages and actors. Integrates material on the presidency, Congress, political parties, interest groups, courts, and public administration courses into an understanding of the whole policy process. Formerly PSC 352 Public Policy.
3 credits
- SNHP 301 Introduction to EpidemiologyFocuses on how diseases are spread within human populations and in communities. Applies epidemiologic methods and procedures to the study of determinants and distribution of health and disease markers, injuries, disability, morbidity and mortality. Discussion topics range from sudden-onset infectious diseases (such as some foodborne illnesses) to non-infectious chronic diseases, and U.S. and global approaches to epidemiologic research.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: Admittance into the Public Health Program or Premission by Department Chair
- SNHP 491 Health InternshipFosters connections between academic coursework, applied experiences in health professions, and relations with client communities through internships in healthcare organizations such as local, state, or federal public health agencies, not-for-profit entities, or private sector companies. Provides supervised observation or application of skills and knowledge in health services and/or public health fields. May include opportunities for project-based service-learning with a community-based organization to uniquely enhance knowledge and professional development and practice entry-level skills in community settings.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Senior status
Senior Year, Second Semester (12 credits)
- POLS 343 United States Foreign Policy IExamines the processes and content of US foreign policy. Topics include roles of the three branches of government in US foreign policy; the historical background of US foreign policy; major events in US foreign policy; and contemporary US foreign policy towards major regions and global issues.
*3 credits
- SNHP 342 Health Care FinanceThis course focuses on the concepts, principles, tools, finances and strategies used in managing operations within a performance improvement model. Students will explore problem solving and decision making models as well as tools and techniques for planning, organizing, directing, controlling, reporting, and improving the productivity and performance of resources within a healthcare system. Additionally, topics will include healthcare finance reimbursement, budgeting processes (capital and operating), and cost/benefits analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 405 Informatics and Data ManagementThe focus of this course is on the integration of nursing, computer, and information science for the support of professional nursing practice including critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Discussion and examination will be conducted of: ethical considerations in nursing informatics use of social networking tools, handheld computers and e-portfolios in health care environments.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 499 Senior Health SeminarInterdisciplinary capstone focuses on analysis of health-related issues from local, national, and global perspectives with the goal of recommending interventions for various specific problems. Practical applications include producing a scholarly thesis identifying and critically evaluating theories and empirical findings regarding hypothesized relationships between biological, sociopolitical, psychological, behavioral, and environmental variables and outcomes in a topic area. Various leadership theories will be introduced to promote understanding of one?s own and others? leadership styles as entry-level health professionals.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Graduating Senior status; Health Services or Public Health major; C or better in SNHP 330
Total Degree Credits = 122
Transition from B.S.N. and B.S. OTA into B.S. Public Health
Former nursing students may apply to the B.S. Public Health program and will be formally accepted into the program after successfully completing SNHP 201 Introduction to Public HealthIntroduces the population health approach to public health, including a history of public health and an overview of core disciplines, current events, and issues in the field. Topics range from infectious disease outbreaks and control, the role of diet and physical activity in chronic disease, and the intersection of emergency services and preparedness with public health. Examines public health institutions and systems at the local/state, federal and global levels, and explores the future of public health.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None which can be taken the first semester of the BSN to BSPH transition semester. Former OTA students may apply to the B.S. Public Health program after successfully completing BIOL 130 Microbiology for the Health ProfessionsAn introduction to the study of microorganisms with emphasis on disease-causing bacteria. Topics include the nature of microorganisms, their relationships with humans, infectious diseases, and immunity. Three hours of lecture and three hours of lab per week. Does not fulfill microbiology requirement for Biology major. There is an additional laboratory fee.
4 credits, CHEM 113 Chemistry for the Health SciencesIntroduces students to basic concepts in chemistry, including the nature of matter, chemical reactions, stoichiometry, solutions, principles of organic chemistry, and the chemistry of the most important biomolecules. The course also introduces students to the proper use of basic laboratory equipment as well as basic laboratory techniques. Lab experiments are designed to provide the student with the tools to understand connections between theory and results found in the lab.
4 credits
General Education Requirements: Knowledge and Inquiry (Science and Mathematics)
Prerequisites: MATH 108, and SNHP 201 Introduction to Public HealthIntroduces the population health approach to public health, including a history of public health and an overview of core disciplines, current events, and issues in the field. Topics range from infectious disease outbreaks and control, the role of diet and physical activity in chronic disease, and the intersection of emergency services and preparedness with public health. Examines public health institutions and systems at the local/state, federal and global levels, and explores the future of public health.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None.
Generalist Track
(General Education and one semester of Nursing or Occupational Therapy Assistant Major completed)
Junior Year, Second Semester (15 credits)
- BADM 210 Is Globalization Good?This course takes a systems approach to understanding and analyzing the complex forces that result in globalization. Students will explore competing definitions/concepts that are used to support as well as critique the consequences of increased global forces in economic, cultural and social terms. The material for this course will be drawn from current topical readings as well as analytic journals. (Note: Although the implications for global business will be discussed, this is not the primary focus of the course discussion. This course will be open to all students who have completed degree hours for sophomore status.)
3 credits
Prerequisite: ECON 100
- COM 290 Public SpeakingExamines theory and practice of public speaking. Students will prepare and present informative and persuasive speeches. Audience analysis, research, speech organization, delivery and effective persuasive strategies will be covered.
3 credits
FLC Area I
Core Area I: Skills for Work and Life
- PHIL 281 Ethical and Legal Issues in Information TechnologyExplores the ethical and legal considerations arising from rapid advancements in information technology. Addresses the complex intersection of technology, ethics, and the law, examining the ethical implications of IT practices and legal frameworks governing technology use. Formerly PHIL 281: The Ethics of Data Analytics
- SNHP 201 Introduction to Public HealthIntroduces the population health approach to public health, including a history of public health and an overview of core disciplines, current events, and issues in the field. Topics range from infectious disease outbreaks and control, the role of diet and physical activity in chronic disease, and the intersection of emergency services and preparedness with public health. Examines public health institutions and systems at the local/state, federal and global levels, and explores the future of public health.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 330 Research and Evidence-Based PracticeIntroduces fundamentals of research design, methods, data collection, analyzing results, and discussion of findings. Focuses on the entire research cycle from forming a research question, drafting a proposal, designing protocols, understanding research ethics such as IRB guidelines, patient safety and rights, to presenting or disseminating findings in professional and scientific settings. Outcomes include development of a student research project.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: C or better in MATH 110
Gen Ed V: Capstone Seminar
Senior Year, First Semester (15 credits)
- COM 265 Introduction to Mass CommunicationIntroduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- GLBL 201 Intro to Global AffairsIntroduces students to the interdisciplinary field of global affairs through a format that both imparts knowledge on compelling contemporary issues, and assists students to acquire and improve research, writing, and presentation skills that contribute to successful, upper-level coursework. Formerly INS 201 Introduction to International Affairs, INAF 201 Intro to International Affairs.
General Education Curriculum: Civic Knowledge
- SNHP 301 Introduction to EpidemiologyFocuses on how diseases are spread within human populations and in communities. Applies epidemiologic methods and procedures to the study of determinants and distribution of health and disease markers, injuries, disability, morbidity and mortality. Discussion topics range from sudden-onset infectious diseases (such as some foodborne illnesses) to non-infectious chronic diseases, and U.S. and global approaches to epidemiologic research.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: Admittance into the Public Health Program or Premission by Department Chair
- SNHP 491 Health InternshipFosters connections between academic coursework, applied experiences in health professions, and relations with client communities through internships in healthcare organizations such as local, state, or federal public health agencies, not-for-profit entities, or private sector companies. Provides supervised observation or application of skills and knowledge in health services and/or public health fields. May include opportunities for project-based service-learning with a community-based organization to uniquely enhance knowledge and professional development and practice entry-level skills in community settings.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Senior status
- SOCY 320 Sociology of Health and Illness (Medical Sociology)The course presents an in-depth conceptual and topical introduction of medical sociology, based on the premise that we cannot understand health by focusing only on the biomedical factors, rather we must also consider the social, cultural, political and economic forces that are instrumental in shaping health outcomes. The course applies the sociological perspective to understand the experience and social distribution of health and illness as well as the organization of health care and health care delivery systems and associated patient outcomes.
3 credits
Prerequisite: SOCY 100
Senior Year, Second Semester (12 credits)
- POLS 343 United States Foreign Policy IExamines the processes and content of US foreign policy. Topics include roles of the three branches of government in US foreign policy; the historical background of US foreign policy; major events in US foreign policy; and contemporary US foreign policy towards major regions and global issues.
*3 credits
- SNHP 321 Health & Wellness ProgrammingThe course focuses on theoretical approaches to behavior change while examining public health issues. Students will examine various methods of planning and implementing programs to fit various populations, paying attention to underserved populations and how to be culturally competent. Formally EXSC 321.
*3 credits
- SNHP 342 Health Care FinanceThis course focuses on the concepts, principles, tools, finances and strategies used in managing operations within a performance improvement model. Students will explore problem solving and decision making models as well as tools and techniques for planning, organizing, directing, controlling, reporting, and improving the productivity and performance of resources within a healthcare system. Additionally, topics will include healthcare finance reimbursement, budgeting processes (capital and operating), and cost/benefits analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 499 Senior Health SeminarInterdisciplinary capstone focuses on analysis of health-related issues from local, national, and global perspectives with the goal of recommending interventions for various specific problems. Practical applications include producing a scholarly thesis identifying and critically evaluating theories and empirical findings regarding hypothesized relationships between biological, sociopolitical, psychological, behavioral, and environmental variables and outcomes in a topic area. Various leadership theories will be introduced to promote understanding of one?s own and others? leadership styles as entry-level health professionals.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Graduating Senior status; Health Services or Public Health major; C or better in SNHP 330
Trinity degrees require a minimum of 120 credits. If a student completes this track and has earned fewer than 120 credits, they must take additional electives to make up the difference. Students may take additional credits over the minimum of 120 to meet program requirements.
Generalist Track
(General Education and two semesters of Nursing or Occupational Therapy Assistant Major completed)
Senior Year, First Semester (15 credits)
- COM 265 Introduction to Mass CommunicationIntroduces students to the history of mass communication. Reviews basic mass communication theory with a goal of understanding how media institutions and government regulation influence mass media and the public.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 201 Introduction to Public HealthIntroduces the population health approach to public health, including a history of public health and an overview of core disciplines, current events, and issues in the field. Topics range from infectious disease outbreaks and control, the role of diet and physical activity in chronic disease, and the intersection of emergency services and preparedness with public health. Examines public health institutions and systems at the local/state, federal and global levels, and explores the future of public health.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 301 Introduction to EpidemiologyFocuses on how diseases are spread within human populations and in communities. Applies epidemiologic methods and procedures to the study of determinants and distribution of health and disease markers, injuries, disability, morbidity and mortality. Discussion topics range from sudden-onset infectious diseases (such as some foodborne illnesses) to non-infectious chronic diseases, and U.S. and global approaches to epidemiologic research.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: Admittance into the Public Health Program or Premission by Department Chair
- SNHP 321 Health & Wellness ProgrammingThe course focuses on theoretical approaches to behavior change while examining public health issues. Students will examine various methods of planning and implementing programs to fit various populations, paying attention to underserved populations and how to be culturally competent. Formally EXSC 321.
*3 credits
- SNHP 491 Health InternshipFosters connections between academic coursework, applied experiences in health professions, and relations with client communities through internships in healthcare organizations such as local, state, or federal public health agencies, not-for-profit entities, or private sector companies. Provides supervised observation or application of skills and knowledge in health services and/or public health fields. May include opportunities for project-based service-learning with a community-based organization to uniquely enhance knowledge and professional development and practice entry-level skills in community settings.
3 credits
Prerequisite: Senior status
Senior Year, Second Semester (12 credits)
- BADM 210 Is Globalization Good?This course takes a systems approach to understanding and analyzing the complex forces that result in globalization. Students will explore competing definitions/concepts that are used to support as well as critique the consequences of increased global forces in economic, cultural and social terms. The material for this course will be drawn from current topical readings as well as analytic journals. (Note: Although the implications for global business will be discussed, this is not the primary focus of the course discussion. This course will be open to all students who have completed degree hours for sophomore status.)
3 credits
Prerequisite: ECON 100
- POLS 343 United States Foreign Policy IExamines the processes and content of US foreign policy. Topics include roles of the three branches of government in US foreign policy; the historical background of US foreign policy; major events in US foreign policy; and contemporary US foreign policy towards major regions and global issues.
*3 credits
- SNHP 342 Health Care FinanceThis course focuses on the concepts, principles, tools, finances and strategies used in managing operations within a performance improvement model. Students will explore problem solving and decision making models as well as tools and techniques for planning, organizing, directing, controlling, reporting, and improving the productivity and performance of resources within a healthcare system. Additionally, topics will include healthcare finance reimbursement, budgeting processes (capital and operating), and cost/benefits analysis.
3 credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 499 Senior Health SeminarInterdisciplinary capstone focuses on analysis of health-related issues from local, national, and global perspectives with the goal of recommending interventions for various specific problems. Practical applications include producing a scholarly thesis identifying and critically evaluating theories and empirical findings regarding hypothesized relationships between biological, sociopolitical, psychological, behavioral, and environmental variables and outcomes in a topic area. Various leadership theories will be introduced to promote understanding of one?s own and others? leadership styles as entry-level health professionals.
3 credits
Prerequisites: Graduating Senior status; Health Services or Public Health major; C or better in SNHP 330
Trinity degrees require a minimum of 120 credits. If a student completes this track and has earned fewer than 120 credits, they must take additional electives to make up the difference. Students may take additional credits over the minimum of 120 to meet program requirements.
Minor Requirements
Students interested in a minor in Public Health will complete a total of 18 credits. Students pursuing a degree in Public Health may not minor in Health Services.
Required Core Courses (19 credits)
All of the following:
- ENVS 280 Environmental Justice SeminarThis course explores the connections between environmental justice, local and global communities, and different career fields. In this course, students will find and attend local environmental justice events during the semester. The class meets once per week to discuss topics including: defining environmental justice, how environmental justice connects to different careers, how to attend a scientific meeting, what they learned from events attended, and applying knowledge to solving real-world environmental justice problems.
*3 credits or ENVS 281 Environmental PollutionUsing historical environmental disasters due to chemical pollutants as case studies, this course centers on developing a framework for analyzing pollution-related problems. Applies toxicological and chemical principles while assessing societal pressures to determine causes, human impacts, and possible solutions to pollution issues, including local environmental justice issues in the Dc metro area. Because environmental problems are multi-disciplinary, considers historical background, public health, politics, and the interaction between science and policy. Engages students in utilizing the framework in an individual project to address a chemical pollution problem the student chooses from anywhere in the world.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
Gen Ed: Capstone
- HPNU 120 Medical TerminologyThis is an 8-week course designed for individuals interested in learning the language of medicine required to work within a variety of health care fields. The student will acquire word-building skills in the field of medicine and will have a solid understanding of basic medical language and a foundational start on basic medical science and health related concepts that will be useful for other courses within the health professions.
1 credit
Prerequisites: None
- HUMR 343 Conflict ResolutionThis course will explore the nature and origins of human conflict in modern life. It will emphasize an understanding of conflict and resolution methods useful in professional counseling and other settings such as organizational development and interpersonal facilitation.
3 credits
Prerequisites: PSYC 101 and SOCY 100
- SNHP 201 Introduction to Public HealthIntroduces the population health approach to public health, including a history of public health and an overview of core disciplines, current events, and issues in the field. Topics range from infectious disease outbreaks and control, the role of diet and physical activity in chronic disease, and the intersection of emergency services and preparedness with public health. Examines public health institutions and systems at the local/state, federal and global levels, and explores the future of public health.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: None
- SNHP 224 Health Care Systems and Global HealthThis course provides an interdisciplinary overview of approaches to global public health. Students will interpret how issues related to public health can be understood from local, state, national, and international perspectives. Students will synthesize the evidence about leading and managing people in health care organizations and systems. Issues addressed included how health care systems are organized and administered in varying national and local contexts; the impact of cultural, economic and political factors on public health outcomes; and key policy and ethical debates related to the provision of global public health. Formerly Health Care Systems and Global Health
Prerequisites: None
3 credits
- SNHP 301 Introduction to EpidemiologyFocuses on how diseases are spread within human populations and in communities. Applies epidemiologic methods and procedures to the study of determinants and distribution of health and disease markers, injuries, disability, morbidity and mortality. Discussion topics range from sudden-onset infectious diseases (such as some foodborne illnesses) to non-infectious chronic diseases, and U.S. and global approaches to epidemiologic research.
3 Credits
Prerequisites: Admittance into the Public Health Program or Premission by Department Chair
- SOCY 320 Sociology of Health and Illness (Medical Sociology)The course presents an in-depth conceptual and topical introduction of medical sociology, based on the premise that we cannot understand health by focusing only on the biomedical factors, rather we must also consider the social, cultural, political and economic forces that are instrumental in shaping health outcomes. The course applies the sociological perspective to understand the experience and social distribution of health and illness as well as the organization of health care and health care delivery systems and associated patient outcomes.
3 credits
Prerequisite: SOCY 100
Accelerated Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) Degree Program
During their senior year, Public Health majors who have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA have the opportunity to enroll into up to two Master of Public Health courses (one course each semester). These course will be counted as electives for the undergraduate program, while also satisfying MPH graduate curriculum requirements. Students must meet with the program director to obtain approval to enroll in the courses. Approval for undergraduate enrollment in individual courses does not confer admission to the graduate program. Students wishing to continue to the MPH must apply to the program through admissions. Click here to learn more.
Program Policies
I. Application Process
Applying to the BS in Public Health is a 2-step process:
Step One: Apply to Trinity. Upon admission to Trinity, pre-health students complete their prerequisite coursework before applying for acceptance into the Public Health program.
Step Two: Apply to the Public Health program. Pre-health students apply for formal acceptance into the Public Health program when completing their last semester of prerequisite coursework.
Public Health program application deadlines:
- Spring admission – October 1
- Fall admission – February 1
Students wishing to apply to the public health program should contact their advisor or the Program Director.
A student’s application should contain the following:
- Public Health Program Application (completed online by the student)
- Pre-Public Health Curriculum Plan (from applicant’s academic advisor)
- Transcripts (from all institutions where pre-requisite and general education/core curriculum courses have been taken)
- Essay about their interest in the field of public health how the major will relate to their professional goals (students will be contacted via email with instruction on completing the essay after applications have been received)
II. Acceptance Criteria
Overall GPA of at least 2.75
Science GPA of at least 2.75
Personal Essay reflecting on how this degree will further the applicant’s personal and professional goals.
Pre-health students interested in Public Health should direct any questions about the process for formal acceptance into the Public Health program to their academic advisor in the Center for Student Success or the Program Director.
Students will be notified by the Director of the Public Health Program of the results of their application after all criteria for considering the application have been received and evaluated.
III. Transfer Policy
Students transferring to Trinity in or after Fall 2002 from another appropriately accredited institution of higher learning for a bachelor’s degree must earn a minimum of 45 of their final 60 credits through course work at Trinity, excluding credits for experiential learning. (See Transfer Policies)
Current Trinity students who were dismissed from clinical programs (nursing or OTA) may be permitted to transfer into the B.S. in Public Health. Former nursing students must apply to the B.S. in Public Health program and will be formally accepted after successfully completing SNHP 201 which can be taken the first semester of the BSN to BSPH transition semester. Former OTA students must apply to the B.S. in Public Health program after successfully completing BIO 130, CHEM 113, and SNHP 201.
IV. Public Health Senior Assessment
Students are required to take SNHP 499 in their last semester prior to graduation. Students must take and pass SNHP 330 with at least a C or better before registering for SNHP 499. Students must earn a C+ or above in Senior Seminar.
V. Internship
Students are required to obtain their own internship placement which must be approved by the internship professor. Students may not start any internship hours until the start of the semester in which they are enrolled in internship. Students and their internship supervisor must sign a learning agreement prior to starting hours. Internship placement sites may have additional health or safety requirements that students must meet prior to receiving access to the internship site.
NOTE: No student will be allowed to participate in internship experiences unless and until these requirements have been satisfied.
VI. Transportation
Students are required to provide their own transportation to and from internship placement sites. Trinity’s free shuttle service connects the Main campus with the Brookland Metro station.
VII. Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through AP examinations do not fulfill the requirements of the Public Health major.
VIII. CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP examinations do not fulfill requirements of the Public Health major.
IX. Grades in Major Courses
A minimum of a 2.75 (“B-”) cumulative GPA average must be earned in the required courses for the major. A grade of C- may be counted toward fulfilling the requirements, at the discretion of the program faculty, if the overall average in the required courses is at least a 2.75. This policy applies to the required Public Health Service core courses except MATH 110 and PHIL 251. Students must earn an overall cumulative 2.0 GPA in all courses to graduate from Trinity.
X. Pass/No Pass
The pass/no pass grading option is not accepted for courses within the major.
XI. TELL Policy:
Students applying for credit in experiential learning should consult with the program faculty.