BU College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences: Sargent College offers a minor in public health in collaboration with BU School of Public Health. The public health minor is open to all Boston University undergraduate students on the Charles River Campus. Approval of the minor is through the Health Science Program Office located at 635 Commonwealth Avenue, room 405, phminor@bu.edu.
Public Health Minor Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of six (6) courses to fulfill the public health minor requirements. This is achieved by taking four (4) required courses (Introduction to Public Health, a course in International Health, a course in Epidemiology, and a course in Statistics). The remaining two (2) courses will be selected from the list of public health electives (below). Students must earn a grade of B- or better in PH 510 Introduction to Public Health and a C or better in the remaining courses.
The Following Four Courses are Required
1. The following Introduction to Public Health course:
SPH PH510: Essentials of Public Health
Students will gain an understanding of public health as a broad, collective enterprise that seeks to extend the benefits of current biomedical, environmental, social, and behavioral knowledge in ways that maximize its impact on the health status of a population. The course will provide an overview of the public health approach including epidemiology, disease surveillance, sustainable solutions, social determinants of health, and disease prevention. Through active learning, students will learn skills in identifying and addressing an ever-expanding list of health problems that call for collective action to protect, promote and improve our nation's health, primarily through preventive strategies. Specific topics will include: food safety, toxics reduction, HIV/AIDS & COVID-19, vaccines, and tobacco control and prevention. PH510 is a requirement for obtaining an undergraduate minor in public health. It is appropriate for undergraduates and others who are not in an SPH degree program. It does not carry degree credit for MPH students. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Social Inquiry II, Critical Thinking. (Credits: 4)
2. One of the following International Health courses:*
SAR HS325: Introduction to Global Health
This course will provide students with an overview of the complex social, economic, political, environmental, and biological factors that structure the origins, consequences, and possible treatments of illness worldwide, as well as the promotion of health. Students will learn about the major themes and concepts shaping the interdisciplinary field of global health, and will gain an understanding of solutions to health challenges that have been successfully implemented in different parts of the world. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS346: Global Health Nutrition
What we eat and our underlying nutritional status is inextricably linked to almost every major health outcome. Under-nutrition increases the risk of maternal and child mortality, death due to infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, and also has important consequences for child development, education and ultimately economic development. Over-nutrition is on the rise globally; the burden of obesity, diabetes and diet-related chronic diseases are beginning to overwhelm health systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. This course will provide a framework for understanding the relationship between nutrition and global health. Topics include: the epidemiology of nutrition-related risk factors for poor health worldwide; methods for measuring nutritional status in low-resource settings; interventions to improve nutrition globally; and evaluating the impact of nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive programs and policies. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS348: Global Mental Health
This course provides an overview of critical issues in mental health and mental illness worldwide from a public health perspective. Globally, mental and neurological conditions are the leading cause of disability, and the World Health Organization estimates depression to be the largest contributor to the global disease burden by 2030. The burden of mental disorders on low- and middle-income countries is especially great while a large treatment gap persists. The course covers the concept of mental health, conceptualization and classification of disorders, cultural context, social determinants, causes and consequences of mental health disorders, strategies for intervention, policy development and implementation, human rights, women's mental health and research priorities. Special attention will be paid to the unmet need for mental health care globally (using case studies), disparities in access and use of services, stigma and attitudes towards treatment seeking. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS442: Healthcare Interventions in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries
This course will introduce students to healthcare delivery in low (LICs) and lower middle income countries (LMICs). Students will become familiar with aspects of surgical interventions, pharmaceutical provision, cell phone technology, and global health programming. We will examine healthcare delivery and practices through case studies focused on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Through this course, students will learn from past and existing healthcare delivery techniques, difficulties, and successes for some of the largest global health challenges such as: cholera, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, tobacco use, aging populations, and malnutrition. Students will use these skills to develop healthcare delivery strategies of their own. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS450: Non-Infectious Diseases
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Seniors only. - This course will examine the four most common preventable non-infectious diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, upper respiratory diseases), which accounted for nearly 60 of all deaths in the world and 80 in the developing world. Estimates predict that the "second wave" of non-infectious diseases in the coming years will have a detrimental impact on global health and economies. Despite the enormous global burden of non-infectious (or non-communicable) diseases, adequate programs for prevention and treatment do not exist and challenges faced are complex. This course will focus on the preventable risk factors (diet, exercise, tobacco, alcohol, lifestyle, etc), growing burden of disease, and current issues and challenges in control of the four most common diseases, and include discussion, field trips to examine the issues, and the ability for students to be a part of the solution through design of their own intervention. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS463: Beyond Germs and Genes
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Seniors only. - This course will focus on the social determinants of health--the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, age and die. We will examine case studies from around the globe that reveal the ways in which health inequities are shaped by the distribution of resources, money, and power at the local, national and global level, and the critical role played by social policies in reducing or exacerbating these inequities. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Digital/Multimedia Expression, Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)
*Any of these courses not taken to fulfill the International Health requirement may be applied towards the Public Health Elective requirement
3. The following Epidemiology course:
SAR HS300: Epidemiology 1
Undergraduate Prerequisites: none - Examines the distribution of health and diseases across the population, and the factors that impact health. Which group of people is more likely to experience a heart attack or develop diabetes' Do our level of education, race or income impact our health and our life expectancy' This course studies how we approach understanding disease distribution within the population. Through in class presentations, real world examples, exercises and discussions students become proficient in research methods, disease screening, and infectious disease outbreak investigation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Scientific Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)
4. One of the following Statistics courses:
CAS EC203: Empirical Economics 1
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASEC101 & CASEC102) - First semester of a two-semester sequence of empirical techniques used in economic analysis. Statistical concepts are presented and applied to a variety of economics problems. Extensive use of the statistical software package STATA will be made. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning I. (Credits: 4)
CAS MA113: Elementary Statistics
CAS MA 113 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, MA 115, or MA 213. Basic concepts of estimation and tests of hypotheses, ideas from probability; one-, two-, and multiple-sample problems. Applications will be in social sciences and students will be able to understand the basics of using a sample to predict uncertainty. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning II. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. (Credits: 4)
CAS MA115: Statistics I
CAS MA 115 may not be taken for credit by any student who has completed any MA course numbered 300 or higher. Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, MA 115, or MA 213. Numerical and graphical summaries of univariate and bivariate data. Basic probability, random variables, binomial distribution, normal distribution. One- sample statistical inference for normal means and binomial probabilities. Primarily for students in the social sciences with limited mathematics preparation. Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning II. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking. (Credits: 4)
CAS MA213: Basic Statistics and Probability
Undergraduate Prerequisites: good background in high school algebra. - Students may receive credit for not more than one of the following courses: CAS MA 113, MA 115, or MA 213. Elementary treatment of probability densities, means, variances, correlation, independence, the central limit theorem, confidence intervals, and p-values. Students will be able to answer questions such as how can a pollster use a sample to predict the uncertainty of an election' Carries MCS divisional credit in CAS. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Teamwork/Collaboration. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Quantitative Reasoning II, Critical Thinking, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)
CAS PS211: Introduction to Experimental Design
Undergraduate Prerequisites: (CASPS101) - Introduction to the logic and processes involved in descriptive and inferential statistics for psychology. Topics include statistical inference, significance, t-tests, ANOVAs, correlation, regression, and statistical software analysis. This is a hybrid class - class time is reserved for hands on activities. Does not count toward the principal courses required for the major or minor. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Scientific Inquiry II, Quantitative Reasoning I. (Credits: 4)
QST QM221: Probabilistic and Statistical Decision-Making for Management
Undergraduate Prerequisites: QST SM131; CAS MA120, MA121 or MA123 previous or concurrent. - Exposes students to the fundamentals of probability, decision analysis, and statistics, and their application to business. Topics include probability, decision analysis, distributions, sampling, estimation, hypothesis testing, and chi-square. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Quantitative Reasoning I. (Credits: 4)
Two courses from the following list of Public Health electives are required
CAS SO215: Sociology of Health Care
Social, cultural, and intercultural factors in health and illness. Training and socialization of medical professionals, roots of medical power and authority, organization and operation of health care facilities. U.S. health care system and its main problems. Comparison of health care systems in the U.S. and in other countries. Effective Fall 2018, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry I, Ethical Reasoning. (Credits: 4)
QST PL325: Introduction to the Health Sector: Issues and Opportunities
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Sophomore standing - Formerly PL425. This course provides a dynamic introduction to the health sector, beginning with the burden and distribution of disease and current patterns of expenditures. While the primary emphasis will be on the U.S. healthcare system, a global context will be developed. The basic elements of insurance and payment, service organization and delivery, and life sciences products (drugs, diagnostics, and devices) will be described, and placed in the context of the unique economic structure of the sector. The intense challenges of the sector will be explored, including ethical, social and organizational dilemmas that arise as well as business opportunities that emerge. The roles that government policy, rapid technology growth, and practice development play as drivers of system change will be addressed throughout. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)
QST PL330: The U.S. Healthcare System in Transition
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Sophomore standing - Formerly PL430. The U.S. health care system has undergone sweeping change as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. Knowledge of how the reform law is affecting health care organizations, health professionals, consumers, and American businesses is essential for everyone, especially those planning careers in management or business. This rigorous seminar, which counts toward the Health & Life Sciences concentration and the Law and Public Policy concentration, provides an in-depth look at the economic, political, social and organizational challenges facing the nation as attempts to repeal-and-replace the ACA are debated by Congress. Students read and analyze articles, business cases, issue briefs, and legal opinions from diverse perspectives to learn how the U.S. health care system came to be and how it will change in the future. Effective Spring 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Social Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)
SAR HP353: Organization and Delivery of Health Care in the U.S.
Undergraduate Prerequisites: First Year Writing Seminar (e.g., WR 100 or WR 120) - The focus of this interdisciplinary course is on increasing the student's understanding of the health care system, the social, environmental, and behavioral factors that affect health care, and on increasing the student's ability to work in interdisciplinary teams. The student will actively engage in individual work, group discussion and teamwork through written, oral, and web site assignments. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Writing-Intensive Course. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS332: Analyzing Bias and Discrimination in Medicine, Health, & Science
This interdisciplinary course will take a scientific approach, within an antiracist, anti-imperialist, intersectional framework, to uncover instances of bias and discrimination in medicine, health, and science; will commit to confronting these injustices; and will discuss how to move forward. We will work together to develop skills to help us recognize discrimination in our surroundings, understand systemic patterns of oppression, self-reflect on our own implicit biases, and advocate for social change. Effective Spring 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in the following BU Hub area: Individual in Community (Credits: 2)
SAR HS333: Queering Health
This course is about the unique physical and mental health needs, health disparities, and resiliency within the LGBTQ community. Students will learn about the psychology of sexual orientation and gender diversity, intersectionality in LGBTQ communities, gender identity and sexual orientation development models, queer families and relationships, minority stress, hetero/cis-sexism, and other relevant topics. Students will also learn about LGBTQ affirming therapies, healthcare, public policy, and legislation. This course will take a constructively critical lens to medicalized/pathologizing constructions of sexual and gender diversity and examine topics within historical and modern social context. This course will explore strategies for advocacy, improving the healthcare experience of LGBTQ people, and addressing barriers to accessing healthcare from local, national, and global perspectives. Effective Fall 2023, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Social Inquiry II. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS345: Global Environmental Public Health
Environmental health is associated with recognizing, assessing, understanding and controlling the impacts of people in their environment and the impacts of the environment on the public health. The complexity of the problems requires multidisciplinary approaches. This course will provide an introduction to the principles, methods, and issues related to global environmental health. This course examines health issues, scientific understanding of causes, and possible future approaches to control of the major environmental health problems internationally. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS395: Food, Supplements, and Consumer Health
Students will conduct a detailed "aisle by aisle" review of foods available in today's marketplace with special attention to functional foods. Students will gain an understanding of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and become familiar with methods for evaluating dietary supplements with regards to product quality, safety and effectiveness. The influence of nutrition marketing on consumer purchasing patterns will be explored. Students will apply the knowledge and skills gained throughout the course by comparing the nutrient content of specific foods and dietary supplements to the nutrient needs of consumers according to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI). The role of nutrients, foods, supplements, and dietary patterns in the promotion, prevention and treatment of several chronic diseases will also be explored. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS400: Gender and Healthcare
This course focuses on strengthening students' knowledge, skills, and ability to construct a critical appraisal of all the determinants, distribution, causes, mechanisms, systems, and consequences of health inequities related to gender including how gender influences and is influenced by healthcare systems. Effective Summer 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: The Individual in Community, Research and Information Literacy. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS405: Health Science Practicum
Undergraduate Prerequisites: Senior standing - Practical experience in health care setting (health policy, administrative, constituent advocacy) in hospital, clinic, public health setting, government or non-governmental health agency setting. 2 or 4 credits. (Credits: Var)
SAR HS425: Healthcare Policy and Practice in Ireland
Available in Dublin Health Science program onlyHow can healthcare policy and practice in Ireland be described' What are its origins and how has it evolved, specifically related to cultural, political, social and economic developments' How can the current fragmented and two-tiered system be improved' These are key questions, especially following the launch in 2017 of the ten-year Sl¿intecare healthcare programme. During this course students will discuss these questions, using the six building blocks of the World Health Organisation (WHO) health system framework, comparing the Irish health systems with other health systems. Effective Fall 2020, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry I. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS440: Qualitative Research Strategies in Global Health
Qualitative research methods are increasingly used in public health, and provide valuable insights into the local perspectives of study populations. This course provides practical strategies and methods for using qualitative research and includes the basic assumptions, approach and rationale for making qualitative research decisions, framing qualitative research questions, and designing appropriate research strategies. Examples will be drawn from current global health issues. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Social Inquiry II, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS442: Healthcare Interventions in Low and Lower-Middle Income Countries
This course will introduce students to healthcare delivery in low (LICs) and lower middle income countries (LMICs). Students will become familiar with aspects of surgical interventions, pharmaceutical provision, cell phone technology, and global health programming. We will examine healthcare delivery and practices through case studies focused on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition, infectious diseases, and non-communicable diseases. Through this course, students will learn from past and existing healthcare delivery techniques, difficulties, and successes for some of the largest global health challenges such as: cholera, malaria, HIV/AIDS, Type 1 and 2 Diabetes, tobacco use, aging populations, and malnutrition. Students will use these skills to develop healthcare delivery strategies of their own. Effective Fall 2019, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Digital/Multimedia Expression, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS444: Child Health Programs in Low Resource Settings
This health science senior seminar will explore programs and policies that impact child health in Low and Middle Income Countries. We will cover infectious diseases - including HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhea - as well as major non-infectious causes of child morbidity and mortality, including nutrition, early child development and mental health. We will discuss the full life cycle of global health programs from building the evidence base through epidemiological studies through implementation science and monitoring and evaluation. Effective Fall 2021, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Ethical Reasoning, Teamwork/Collaboration. (Credits: 4)
SAR HS480: Comparative Healthcare Systems
Health systems play an important role in improving life and well-being. Yet there is a profound gap between the potential of health systems and their actual performance. Today, countries around the globe face difficult choices and increasing challenges in organizing, delivering, and funding high- quality health care. In this course students will: understand the components, determinants, and approaches to the structure and outcomes of health care systems in low- and middle-income countries; learn trends in global health care reform and reform outcomes in country-specific contexts; and gain basic knowledge and skills to understand health care systems evaluations with a goal toward designing effective policy strategies that would improve health system performance. Effective Fall 2022, this course fulfills a single unit in each of the following BU Hub areas: Global Citizenship and Intercultural Literacy, Social Inquiry II, Creativity/Innovation. (Credits: 4)
SPH MC725: Women, Children and Adolescents: A Public Health Approach
This survey course introduces students to public health theories, methods, and topics central to maternal, child and family health research and practice. Grounded in a life course perspective, this course examines how the health of infants, children, birthing parents, women, and families are shaped by the complex interplay of biologic and social determinants of health, over a lifetime and across generations. Through a case method teaching approach, select current topics tailored to student interest (e.g., asthma, adolescent pregnancy, infant mortality, vaccination, and food access) will be studied in depth and used to illustrate how the most urgent maternal, family and child health outcomes are monitored and addressed through research and practice. Throughout the course, special attention will be given to key drivers of health inequities, as well as multilevel, strengths-based approaches designed to address these. By the end of the course students will be able to formulate an MCH-related public health question, conduct and write a literature review, and craft a policy slide deck. Taking MC 725 is the most common way students introduce themselves to MCH studies and the MCH context certificate. (Credits: 4)