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 225 | Finding Your Path Within Public Health | 1 |
| PHE 250 | Our Community: Our Health | 4 |
| PHE 350 | Health and Health Systems | 4 |
| PHE 363 | Communicable Diseases and Chronic Health Problems | 4 |
| PHE 404 | Cooperative Education/Internship | 4-8 |
| PHE 450 | Epidemiology | 4 |
| PHE 452U | Gender, Race, Class and Health | 4 |
| Stat 243Z | Elementary Statistics I | 4 |
| Bi XXX | One course in biological sciences* | 3-6 |
*Course suggestions include but are not limited to:
Bi 101,
Bi 102,
Bi 103,
Bi 201,
Bi 202,
Bi 203,
Bi 207,
Bi 234,
Bi 301,
Bi 302, and
Bi 303
Healthy Aging Concentration
In our Health Aging concentration, you will learn about the societal, community, and individual-level strategies needed to support our aging population. You will build foundations in gerontology while also acquiring skills in administration and finance, prevention of chronic disease, and health promotion programming, which will position you 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 325U | Nutrition for Health | 4 |
| PHE 354U | Social Gerontology | 4 |
| PHE 416 | Families and Aging | 4 |
| PHE 423 | Business and Aging | 4 |
| PHE 456 | Health Aspects of Aging | 4 |
| PHE 478 | Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions | 4 |
| PHE 479 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation | 4 |
Choose one of the following:
| PHE 328U | Housing is Health | 4 |
| PHE 369 | Public Health Law, Policy, and Ethics | 4 |
| Psy 462 | Psychology of Adult Development and Aging | 4 |
| Soc 469 | Sociology of Aging | 4 |
Choose one of the following:
| BA 306U | Essentials of Finance for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| BA 316U | Essentials of Marketing for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| BA 326U | Essentials of Management for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
16 credits from the following courses
| BA 101 | Introduction to Business and World Affairs | 4 |
| BA 306U | Essentials of Finance for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| BA 316U | Essentials of Marketing for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| BA 326U | Essentials of Management for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| BA 336U | Essentials of Information Technology for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| BA 346U | Essentials of Entrepreneurship for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| Comm 318U | Family Communication | 4 |
| Ec 316U | Introduction to Health Care Economics | 4 |
| PHE 328U | Housing is Health | 4 |
| PHE 369 | Public Health Law, Policy, and Ethics | 4 |
| PHE 445 | Men's Health | 4 |
| PHE 446U | Health Equity and Social Justice | 4 |
| PHE 451 | Women and Holistic Health | 4 |
| Phl 313U | Life and Death Issues | 4 |
| Psy 311U | Human Development | 4 |
| Psy 462 | Psychology of Adult Development and Aging | 4 |
| Soc 459 | Sociology of Health and Medicine | 4 |
| Soc 469 | Sociology of Aging | 4 |
| SW 301U | Introduction to Social Work | 4 |
| PHE 320U | Health Ethics: Contemporary Issues | 4 |
Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.
Community Health Promotion Concentration
In our Community Health Promotion concentration, you will learn the societal, community, and individual-level factors that create risk — or promote good health — in populations. In particular, you 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 369 | Public Health Law, Policy, and Ethics | 4 |
| PHE 443U | Environmental Health | 4 |
| PHE 444U | Global Health | 4 |
| PHE 472 | Marketing Public Health | 4 |
| PHE 478 | Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions | 4 |
| PHE 479 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation | 4 |
Twenty (20) credits from the following courses:
Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.
Health Services Administration Concentration
In our Health Services Administration concentration, you will learn the policy, organizational, administrative, and financial foundations for health care systems and health services delivery. Our graduates are ready to enter the workforce in hospital or health provider administration, as project managers, and as patient support and health policy advocates.
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 101 | Introduction to Business and World Affairs | 4 |
| BA 306U | Essentials of Finance for Non-Business Majors | 4 |
| Ec 316U | Introduction to Health Care Economics | 4 |
| PA 425 | Grantwriting for Nonprofit Organizations | 4 |
| PHE 320U | Health Ethics: Contemporary Issues | 4 |
| PHE 321U | Introduction to Health Policy | 4 |
| PHE 322U | Health Services Administration | 4 |
| PHE 426 | Advanced Topics in Health Services Administration | 4 |
| PHE 427 | Introduction to Health Informatics | 4 |
| PHE 478 | Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions | 4 |
| PHE 479 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation | 4 |
Elective Courses (8)
Two electives from the following:
Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.
Indigenous Health Concentration
In partnership with the Native American community of Portland, Oregon, the Indigenous Nations Studies (INST) Department at Portland State University and beyond, we offer the nation’s only undergraduate concentration that centers learning about health equity and public health from Indigenous peoples.
This concentration is a collaborative model that compliments the Indigenous Nations Studies (INST) major and minor, intersects with STEAM disciplines, and can serve as a post baccalaureate pathway to the health sciences professions (nursing, medicine, dentistry).
Our Indigenous Health concentration offers students (Native and non-Native) the opportunity to learn about the functions and tools of public health within anti-racist, decolonizing and liberatory frameworks. We cultivate a future workforce ready to address the lasting impacts of colonialism for health-justice that is beneficial for all. It prepares students to understand the health issues impacting Indigenous peoples, and uplift community-based and community-driven solutions for health-justice, wellness, and equity.
In addition to the previously listed common core requirements, students pursuing a concentration in Indigenous Health must complete:
16 credits from the following courses:
| NAS 342 | Indigenous Gardens and Food Justice | 4 |
| NAS 407 | Traditional Ecological Healing Practices | 4 |
| NAS 411 | Nationhood: Tribal Sovereignty, Governance & Policy | 4 |
| PHE 315 | Justice in Public Health: The Epidemic of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Peoples | 4 |
| SW 340 | Advocacy for Policy Change | 4 |
| SW 341 | Social Justice Practice | 4 |
| SW 339 | Introduction to Oppression and Privilege | 4 |
| WS 381 | Queer of Color Theorizing and Perspectives | 4 |
| WS 451 | Interrupting Oppression | 4 |
Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.
Required Coursework (36 credits)
| NAS 201 | Introduction to Native American Studies | 4 |
| NAS 392 | Indigenous Ways of Knowing | 4 |
| NAS 424 | Cultural Ecology: Indigenous Science and the Natural World | 4 |
| NAS 426 | Tribal Critical Race Theory | 4 |
| NAS 442 | Decolonizing Methodologies: Insurgent Research and Indigenous Education | 4 |
| PHE 215 | Why Public Health Needs Indigenous Values: Intro to Decolonizing Public Health | 4 |
| PHE 415 | Native American Health: Decolonizing Health Equity | 4 |
| PHE 478 | Program Planning and Evaluation: Needs Assessment and Interventions | 4 |
| PHE 479 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Implementation and Evaluation | 4 |
NAS 404 may be substituted for
PHE 404 Internship in the core requirements.
Pre-Clinical Health Science Concentration
Our Pre-Clinical Health Science concentration prepares you for continued clinical study in one of the many licensed health professions, including medicine, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, dentistry, dental hygienics, ophthalmology, and others. Students pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Studies with a Clinical Health Sciences concentration should verify specific prerequisites required by any professional school(s) to which an application will be submitted. Students must complete specified prerequisites to earn this degree.
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:
Required Course:
| PHE 471 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Theory and Skill Development | 4 |
16 credits from the following upper-division courses:
Other electives may be taken with advisor approval.
School Health Educator Concentration
Our School Health Educator concentration is a pre-licensure program, preparing you 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), you 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 (40 credits)
| PHE 275 | Stress Management | 4 |
| PHE 295 | Health Promotion/Disease Prevention | 4 |
| PHE 325U | Nutrition for Health | 4 |
| PHE 326U | Drug Education | 4 |
| PHE 335U | Human Sexuality | 4 |
| PHE 365 | Health Promotion Programs for Children and Youth | 4 |
| PHE 448 | Health Education Techniques and Strategies | 4 |
| PHE 471 | Program Planning and Evaluation in Health Education: Theory and Skill Development | 4 |
| Psy 311U | Human Development | 4 |
| Ed 420 | Introduction 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 390U | Sex and the Family | 4 |
| CI 432 | Computer Applications for the Classroom | 3 |
| Psy 346 | Learning | 4 |
| Soc 337U | Prejudice, Privilege, and Power | 4 |
| SpEd 418 | Survey of Exceptional Learners | 3 |
| | PHE Elective Classes as approved by advisor | |
| | Women's Studies courses on Violence and Sexuality | |