Undergraduate Programs

The OHSU-PSU School of Public Health’s multidisciplinary undergraduate programs provide students with the opportunity to customize a focus of study and to create a trajectory toward careers of interest in the health field.

Undergraduate degrees in the School of Public Health are offered in Public Health Studies and in Applied Health & Fitness. The Public Health Studies curriculum is designed around a common core and five specialized concentrations: healthy aging, community health promotion, pre-clinical health science, school health educator, and health services administration. 

The Applied Health & Fitness degree has 3 specialized focus areas: fitness & exercise, fitness for special populations, and health coaching.

Degree Maps and Learning Outcomes

Admission requirements

Applied Health Fitness B.A./B.S.

Human Lactation Certificate

Public Health Studies B.A./B.S.

Aging Services Minor

Community Health Minor

Health Studies Secondary Education Program

Community Health Courses

PE Courses

Public Health Studies B.A./B.S.

Requirements

Core requirements

In addition to meeting the general University degree requirements all majors in health studies must take the following core coursework plus choose a concentration area:

Core coursework

PHE 250Our Community: Our Health

4

PHE 350Health and Health Systems

4

PHE 363Communicable Diseases and Chronic Health Problems

4

PHE 404Cooperative Education/Internship

4-8

PHE 450Epidemiology

4

PHE 452UGender, Race, Class and Health

4

Stat 243Introduction to Probability and Statistics I

4

Healthy Aging Concentration

In the Healthy Aging concentration, students will learn about the societal, community, and individual-level strategies needed to support our aging population. Students will build foundations in gerontology while also acquiring skills in administration and finance, prevention of chronic disease, and health promotion programming, which will position students to enter careers as assisted living or nursing home facilities administrators, long-term care coordinators, health promotion program implementers, or senior health promotion specialists.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in aging services must complete the following:

Required coursework (28 credits)

PHE 325UNutrition for Health

4

PHE 354USocial Gerontology

4

PHE 416Families and Aging

4

PHE 423Business and Aging

4

PHE 456Health Aspects of Aging

4

PHE 478Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions

4

PHE 479Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation

4

Choose one of the following:

PHE 328UHealth and Housing Across the Life Course

4

PHE 369Public Health Law, Policy, and Ethics

4

Psy 462Psychology of Adult Development and Aging

4

Soc 469Sociology of Aging

4

Choose one of the following:

BA 306UEssentials of Finance for Non-Business Majors

4

BA 316UEssentials of Marketing for Non-Business Majors

4

BA 326UEssentials of Management for Non-Business Majors

4

16 credits from the following courses

BA 101Introduction to Business and World Affairs

4

BA 306UEssentials of Finance for Non-Business Majors

4

BA 316UEssentials of Marketing for Non-Business Majors

4

BA 326UEssentials of Management for Non-Business Majors

4

BA 336UEssentials of Information Technology for Non-Business Majors

4

BA 346UEssentials of Entrepreneurship for Non-Business Majors

4

Comm 318UFamily Communication

4

Ec 316UIntroduction to Health Care Economics

4

PHE 328UHealth and Housing Across the Life Course

4

PHE 369Public Health Law, Policy, and Ethics

4

PHE 445Men's Health

4

PHE 446UHealth Equity and Social Justice

4

PHE 451Women and Holistic Health

4

Phl 313ULife and Death Issues

4

Psy 311UHuman Development

4

Psy 462Psychology of Adult Development and Aging

4

Soc 459Sociology of Health and Medicine

4

Soc 469Sociology of Aging

4

SW 301UIntroduction to Social Work

4

PHE 320UHealth Ethics: Contemporary Issues

4

Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.

Community Health Promotion Concentration

Students pursuing the Community Health Promotion concentration  will learn the societal, community, and individual-level factors that create risk -- or promote good health -- in populations.  In particular, students will build skills to identify and address health disparities across populations, define health problems, and learn to design and implement strategies to promote health in the larger community.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in community health promotion must complete:

Required coursework (24 credits)

PHE 369Public Health Law, Policy, and Ethics

4

PHE 443UEnvironmental Health

4

PHE 444UGlobal Health

4

PHE 472Marketing Public Health

4

PHE 478Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions

4

PHE 479Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation

4

Twenty (20) credits from the following courses:

PHE 275Stress Management

4

PHE 325UNutrition for Health

4

PHE 326UDrug Education

4

PHE 335UHuman Sexuality

4

PHE 351UFilm and Health

4

PHE 355UConsumer Health Issues

4

PHE 361Care and Prevention of Injuries

4

PHE 365Health Promotion Programs for Children and Youth

4

PHE 445Men's Health

4

PHE 446UHealth Equity and Social Justice

4

PHE 448Health Education Techniques and Strategies

4

PHE 451Women and Holistic Health

4

PHE 453Women's Reproductive Health

4

PHE 456Health Aspects of Aging

4

PHE 466Mind/Body Health: Disease Prevention

4

PHE 467Mind/Body Health: Human Potential

4

PHE 480Controversial Issues in Community Health

4

PHE 320UHealth Ethics: Contemporary Issues

4

Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.

Health Services Administration Concentration

The health services administration concentration is designed for individuals who wish to develop or enhance a career in health systems administration, including such activities as health program management, health policy analysis, patient support, health finance, quality improvement, and other administrative functions.

Students who complete the course work required for the concentration will possess a basic understanding of health systems with particular knowledge and skills in administration and finance, health policy, and health systems.

The program of study includes common core requirements, required courses, and elective course options.  Students pursuing a concentration in health services administration must complete the following:

Required Courses (44 credits)

BA 101Introduction to Business and World Affairs

4

BA 306UEssentials of Finance for Non-Business Majors

4

Ec 316UIntroduction to Health Care Economics

4

PA 425Grantwriting for Nonprofit Organizations

4

PHE 320UHealth Ethics: Contemporary Issues

4

PHE 321UIntroduction to Health Policy

4

PHE 322UHealth Services Administration

4

PHE 426Advanced Topics in Health Services Administration

4

PHE 427Introduction to Health Informatics

4

PHE 478Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions

4

PHE 479Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation

4

Elective Courses (8)

Two electives from the following:

Comm 329UIntroduction to Health Communication

4

PA 315UManaging People for Change

4

PA 320UIntroduction to Nonprofit Management

4

PA 399Special Studies

1-4

PHE 354USocial Gerontology

4

PHE 423Business and Aging

4

PHE 472Marketing Public Health

4

Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.

Indigenous Health Concentration

To acknowledge the rich cultural histories and resilience of Indigenous peoples in the places that are home to the present-day universities of Oregon Health Sciences University and Portland State University, the Indigenous health concentration will emerge from—and be supported by—an Indigenous and decolonizing  and healing-justice praxis that draws on the strengths of Indigenous peoples and other communities of color that have been historically underserved and oppressed by white supremacy and colonialism. This new concentration is designed to support and strengthen Indigenous sovereignty and self-determination of Native peoples, and build a network of non-Native allyship for a healing-centered justice movement to emerge and sustain health equity for all.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in Indigenous Health must complete:

Required Coursework (36 credits)

NAS 201Introduction to Native American Studies

4

NAS 392Indigenous Ways of Knowing

4

NAS 399Cultural Ecology & Indigenous Science

4

NAS 426Tribal Critical Race Theory

4

NAS 442Decolonizing Methodologies: Insurgent Research and Indigenous Education

4

PHE 215Why Public Health Needs Indigenous Values: Intro to Decolonizing Public Health

4

PHE 415Native American Health: Decolonizing Health Equity

4

PHE 478Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions

4

PHE 479Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation

4

NAS 404 may be substituted for PHE 404 Internship in the core requirements.

16 credits from the following courses:

NAS 342Indigenous Gardens and Food Justice

4

NAS 407Traditional Ecological Healing Practices

4

NAS 411Nationhood: Tribal Sovereignty, Governance & Policy

4

PHE 315Justice in Public Health: The Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Peoples

4

SW 340Advocacy for Policy Change

4

SW 341Social Justice Practice

4

SW 339Introduction to Oppression and Privilege

4

WS 381Queer of Color Theorizing and Perspectives

4

WS 451Interrupting Oppression

4

Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.

Pre-Clinical Health Science Concentration

The Pre-Clinical Health Science concentration prepares students for continued clinical study in one of the many licensed health professions.  Students will gain a foundation in public health while also completing prerequisites for their chosen clinical path, including medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, dentistry, dental hygienics, ophthalmology, and others.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in health sciences must select one of the following options: pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-physical therapy, pre-occupational therapy, pre-chiropractic medicine, pre-osteopathy, pre-podiatry, pre-nursing, pre-naturopathic medicine, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, and pre-physician assistant and pre-physician assistant or adviser approved option. In choosing courses to complete, students should verify the specific prerequisites required by the professional school(s) to which an application for admission is being submitted. Advising sheets summarizing prerequisites for professional schools in Oregon and selected schools in the Pacific Northwest can be found online at http://www.pdx.edu/clas/prepro.html . Students must complete all prerequisites required by the professional school to which an application is being submitted to receive a Health Science degree. Please consult regularly with your pre-health adviser.

In addition to the previously listed core courses, students must also complete 16 credits from the following upper-division courses:

16 credits from the following upper-division courses:

PHE 325UNutrition for Health

4

PHE 351UFilm and Health

4

PHE 354USocial Gerontology

4

PHE 355UConsumer Health Issues

4

PHE 361Care and Prevention of Injuries

4

PHE 365Health Promotion Programs for Children and Youth

4

PHE 370Applied Kinesiology

4

PHE 410Selected Topics

1-8

PHE 444UGlobal Health

4

PHE 445Men's Health

4

PHE 446UHealth Equity and Social Justice

4

PHE 451Women and Holistic Health

4

PHE 453Women's Reproductive Health

4

PHE 456Health Aspects of Aging

4

PHE 466Mind/Body Health: Disease Prevention

4

PHE 467Mind/Body Health: Human Potential

4

PHE 473Physiology of Exercise

4

PHE 474Exercise Prescription and Training

4

PHE 475Exercise Testing Techniques

4

PHE 320UHealth Ethics: Contemporary Issues

4

Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.

School Health Educator Concentration

The School Health Educator concentration is a pre-licensure program, preparing students according to state guidelines for “best practices” in school health education. School health educators teach in middle school and high school settings covering a variety of topics from safety to preventive health behaviors and decision-making. Upon completion of the bachelor degree (BA/BS), students will be eligible to apply to the fifth-year Graduate Teacher Education Program or the Secondary Dual Education Program in the Graduate School of Education at PSU.

In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in school health education must complete the following:

Required coursework (36 credits)

PHE 275Stress Management

4

PHE 295Health Promotion/Disease Prevention

4

PHE 325UNutrition for Health

4

PHE 326UDrug Education

4

PHE 335UHuman Sexuality

4

PHE 365Health Promotion Programs for Children and Youth

4

PHE 448Health Education Techniques and Strategies

4

Psy 311UHuman Development

4

Ed 420Introduction to Education and Society

4

It is required that students who intend to apply to the GTEP program complete an anatomy/physiology sequence.

8 Credits of electives from the following list:

CFS 390USex and the Family

4

CI 432Computer Applications for the Classroom

3

Psy 346Learning

4

Soc 337UPrejudice, Privilege, and Power

4

SpEd 418Survey of Exceptional Learners

3

PHE Elective Classes as approved by advisor

Women's Studies courses on Violence and Sexuality