Public Health Minor Program
The public health minor is a 15-credit program that allows pre-professional students to acquire public health knowledge that is complementary to their chosen career path. It is specifically designed for students going into careers other than public health who can benefit from public health knowledge in the delivery of their services. A few examples of these careers include medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physician assistant, dentistry, nutritional sciences, health education, anthropology, psychology, and environmental engineering. For students in the College of Public Health and Health Professions, successful completion of the minor satisfies the 9-credit college elective requirement. Therefore, it is anticipated that no additional hours beyond the 120 will be required for graduation with a minor in public health.
Students interested in public health as a career should explore the combined degree program rather than the minor.
Core Public Health Courses
The Public Health Minor requires completion of 15 credit hours, which may be fulfilled by selecting one of the following two options.
Option One: In their senior year, students complete the five graduate level courses offered by the MPH program that represent core public health knowledge areas. These core areas include: Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, Health Management and Policy, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. The courses comprising Option One are briefly described below.
PHC 6050—Statistical Methods for Health Science I (3 credits)
Appropriate use of data summarization and presentation of basic statistical
methods, including ANOVA, nonparametric methods, inference on discrete data,
inference on survival data, and regression methods for continuous, binary,
and survival data. Click
here for a full syllabus
PHC 6001—Principles of Epidemiology in Public Health (3 credits)
Overview of epidemiology methods used in research studies that address disease
patterns in community and clinic-based populations. Includes distribution
and determinants of health-related states or events in specific populations
and applications to control of health problems. Click
here for a full syllabus
PHC 6102—Introduction to Public Health Administrative Systems
(3 credits)
Overview of the public health system, including public health concepts and
practice and health care delivery and financing. Focus on understanding
of organization and administration of health services, structure and functions
of U.S. public health system, and health insurance programs. Click
here for a full syllabus
PHC 6313—Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health (3
credits)
Survey of major topics of environmental health. Sources, routes, media,
and health outcomes associated with biological, chemical, and physical agents
in environment. Effects of agents on disease, water quality, air quality,
food safety, and land resources.
Current legal framework, policies, and practices associated with environmental
health and intended to improve public health. Click
here for a full syllabus
PHC 6410 (formerly 6406)- Psychological, Behavioral, and Social
Issues in Public Health (3)
Health and behavior from an ecological perspective; includes primary, secondary,
and tertiary prevention across a variety of settings; incorporates behavioral
science theory and methods. Click
here for a full syllabus
Option Two: In their junior year, students complete the 3-credit Public Health Concepts course (PHC 4101), described below. In their senior year, students complete four of the five core graduate level public health courses listed under Option One. The courses selected will depend on student interest, course availability, and course scheduling.
PHC 4101 – Public Health Concepts (3 credits)
Public Health Concepts is a junior level course intended to introduce undergraduates
in a variety of disciplines to the basic tenets, applications, and foci
of public health, including integrating public health with other health
professions. The course provides a history of public health, an overview
of the five core disciplines (Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Environmental
Health, Social and Behavioral Science, and Health Policy and Management)
with special emphasis on Epidemiology, and current events and issues in
the field. In addition, a number of guest speakers provide insight into
their areas of expertise within public health. Click
here for a full syllabus.
Counting Credits
For the vast majority of students, the graduate credits taken for the public health minor will count towards fulfillment of undergraduate degree requirements. Therefore, these credits will not count towards a UF graduate degree. In the event that a student changed his or her professional career path to public health while still an undergraduate, he or she would need to apply and be accepted to the combined degree program or take 15 additional credits that are above and beyond credits used towards his or her undergraduate major. This action would allow the public health core coursework to count towards the master of public health degree.
Student Eligibility
Juniors and seniors with at least a 3.0 GPA are eligible for the minor in public health. Students must have completed STA 2023, BSC 2007 or BSC 2010, and PSY 2012 or SYG 2000 to be eligible for admission to the minor. Students should double check with the dean’s office for current prerequisites.
How to Apply for the Minor
The application process differs somewhat depending upon the college in which the student is currently enrolled.
- For Students in the College of Public Health and Health Professions: Bachelor of Health Science students interested in the minor should submit to the Dean’s Office the required University of Florida form entitled Application to Add or Cancel a Minor, and a copy of their proposed plan of study which includes the MPH courses. Students can obtain the University form to add a minor at 222 Criser Hall.
- For Students in any college except Public Health and Health
Professions: Students interested in the minor need to submit
the required University of Florida form entitled Application to Add
or Cancel a Minor, and a UF transcript. Minor application materials
should be submitted to the Dean’s Office in the College of Public
Health and Health Professions (HPNP 4101). Students can obtain the University
form to add a minor at 222 Criser Hall. Minors are considered on a space
available basis.
Tuition
Please remember that the public health minor requires graduate level courses. Financial aid typically only pays for the undergraduate portion of the cost of public health courses. However, please check with financial services regarding your specific financial aid package or if you have questions regarding tuition coverage for these courses.
Start Date
Students can initiate the minor once they have reached junior standing and have been accepted to the minor program. Most students begin the minor in the fall although occasionally students begin minor coursework in the spring depending upon the expected graduation term.
Student Questions
Students should feel free to contact Dr. Stephanie Hanson if they have questions regarding the public health minor (352-273-6377 or shanson@phhp.ufl.edu).
