Public Health - BS

St. Kate's offers four concentrations for the public health major to provide students with opportunities to integrate and apply core knowledge in public health to a specific area of study.  A major in public health prepares students for employment in public health, strengthens the background of health professionals who are interested in public health practice areas, and provides an excellent foundation for students who are interested in pursuing graduate study in public health, pre-professional degrees (e.g. pre-Med, pre-PA) or related areas. Students will have opportunities for service learning, practicum, capstone projects, structured research and study abroad courses.

Public health majors will get a strong foundation in public health and liberal arts, select a concentration that fits their unique interests, and prepare for a career or graduate study through internship and seminar experiences. St. Kate's was selected to participate in the first joint collaboration of the Association of American Colleges & Universities (AACU) and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) to support development of three public health courses into the liberal arts curriculum. The public health major emphasizes working with academic, community and global partners to make a difference. The public health major was developed over several years and in response to student interests. The curriculum will help students develop knowledge and skills to improve health through education, health promotion and research. The strength of the public health major will be built upon the varied interests and backgrounds of students in the major. The design of the major also makes it possible to obtain a double major or a minor in another discipline.

In March 2020, the St. Catherine University Public Health Program was accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. The undergraduate degrees in the College for Women and College for Adults are the first undergraduate public health programs in the State of Minnesota to receive CEPH accreditation. 

* The Health Promotion and Education concentration is not currently accepting new students. St. Catherine's will re-evaluate our ability to offer the program's curriculum, in future years. All students who were previously enrolled in this concentration have already finished their degree.  Any questions or concerns should be sent to the Program Director or the Dean of the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences.

Public health at St. Kate's is an interdepartmental major. Students will complete seven core public health courses and a minimum of six additional courses in a specific concentration. St. Kate's offers four concentrations for the public health major: health sciences, public policy, health promotion and education, and community health worker.  

Courses for a concentration are selected in consultation with an advisor, with a minimum of half of the major courses numbered at the 3000 level or above. Students may take approved ACTC courses to fulfill some requirements for the concentration. Transfer courses, substitutions, and other ACTC courses require the approval of the department. Recommended courses for each concentration will be published on an annual basis. Students who want a double major or minor must meet with an advisor in both departments. Students must refer to specific planning guides for each concentration, available from the department.

A minimum grade of a C is required for major courses and supporting courses. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 is required in the major, including supporting courses.

Curriculum

Public Health Courses
HLTH 2050Foundations in Public Health4
HLTH 3150Epidemiology4
HLTH 3250Global Health4
HLTH 3350Environmental Health4
HLTH 4700Practicum Preparation2
HLTH 4754Practicum4
HLTH 4800WSenior Seminar in Public Health4
Total Credits26
Supporting Courses
IPE 1020Medical Terminology1-2
or IPE 1030 Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology
Select one of the following statistics courses:4
Biostatistics
Statistical Analysis for the Social Sciences
Statistical Analysis for Decision Making
Statistical Methods in Psychology
Statistical Analysis with Corequisite
Statistical Analysis
MGMT 3850Healthcare Policy4
or ECON 3250 Healthcare Economics
Total Credits9-10

A minimum grade of C is required for supporting courses.

Health Sciences Concentration

Designed for:

  1. pre-professional students (e.g., pre-med, pre-pharmacy, pre-PA, pre-DPT)
  2. students who want a strong background in human and biological science and public health

This major is offered in the College for Women only.

Required Courses
Select five 2000 level or higher courses in the area of human health and biological impacts on human health:20
Introduction to Microbiology with Lab
Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
Understanding Medical Research: Drugs, Devices and Complementary Therapies
Introduction to Ecology with Lab
Human and Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy with Lab
Human and Comparative Animal Physiology with Lab
Biology of Microorganisms with Lab
Cell Biology with Lab
Histology with Lab
Biopsychology with Lab
Immunology with Lab
Chemical Dependency/Addiction and Recovery - Assessment and Intervention
Organic Chemistry I with Lab
Organic Chemistry II with Lab
Nutritional Biochemistry
Biochemistry with Lab
Health Behavior Psychology
Nutrition Foundations
One 2000 level or higher course related to the social, behavior, legal, ethical or economic dimension of health 14
Total Credits24
1

 See course options under Public Policy Concentration below (or departmental approval)

Public Policy Concentration

Designed for:

  1. students who are interested in health policy, social sciences and population health but not a specific health profession
  2. pre-professional students (e.g., pre-law, pre-occupational therapy)
  3. students who want a strong background in the underlying social and political conditions that impact public health and health disparities

This major is offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults (CFA). NOTE: Not all of the courses are available in CFA. Students should consult their academic advisor.

Required Courses
Five courses focused on the underlying social and political factors that shape health and health disparities selected as noted below
Select two 2000 level or higher courses on social and behavioral impacts on health and health disparities8
Chemical Dependency/Addiction and Recovery - Assessment and Intervention
Foundations of Critical Studies of Race and Ethnicity
Women's Issues from Global Perspectives
Analyzing Social Issues with Data
Health Behavior Psychology
Ethics
Biomedical Ethics
Lifespan Developmental Psychology
Understanding Psychological Disorders
Health Psychology with Lab
Psychology of Adulthood and Aging
Challenging Oppressions, Civic Engagement and Change
Sociology of Health and Medicine
Principles and Concepts of Sociology
Rule-makers and Rule-breakers: Deviance and Social Control
Social Movements-Social Change
Migration, Citizenship, Community
Cultural Anthropology
Sociology of Race and Ethnicity
Human Behavior and the Social Environment
Social Policy for Social Change
Foundations of Gender and Women's Studies
The Anatomy of Violence
Select two courses from COMM 1030 or 2000 level or higher courses on the legal, economic or communication dimensions of health care and public policy8
Speaking to Lead and Influence
Foundations in Leadership
Media, Culture and Society
Rhetoric, Civic Participation and Social Justice
Communicating across Cultures, Identities and Differences
Leadership and the Art of Persuasion
Telling Stories with Data - Introduction to Data Visualization
Introduction to Programming: Applied Computing I
Database Management
Analyzing Social Issues with Data
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics
Healthcare Economics
Haves and Have Nots: Development, Poverty, and Inequality
Global Financial Issues
International Economics: Trade and Immigration
Food is Medicine
Lifelong Nutrition
Twentieth Century America
History of Civil Liberties and Civil Rights in the U.S.
U.S. Women Since 1920
Healthcare Teams: Opportunities and Challenges in Aging
Healthcare Teams - Evidence-Based Practice
Introduction to World Politics
Public Policy
Select one additional 2000 level or higher course from any course listed above or departmental approval4
Select one 2000 level or higher course on the science of human health and the biological impacts on human health 14
Introduction to Microbiology with Lab
Human Anatomy and Physiology I with Lab
Human Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab
Immunology with Lab
Organic Chemistry I with Lab
Organic Chemistry II with Lab
Biochemistry with Lab
Nutrition Foundations
Total Credits24
1

 Students in the College for Adults may fulfill this requirement with BIOL 1120 Biology of Women with Lab

Health Promotion and Education Concentration1

*The Health Promotion and Education concentration is currently on hold for the 2023-2024 academic year.

Designed for:

  1. students who are interested in becoming a health educator in a health or community setting
  2. students who want to obtain a credential in community health education and have a background in public health

This major is offered in the College for Women only.

Required Courses
Six courses in health education24
Biology of Women with Lab
Health Behavior Psychology
Nutrition Foundations
Health Promotion Competencies
Health Promotion Planning and Management
Critical Issues in Health Promotion
Total Credits24

Community Health Worker Concentration

Designed for:

  1. students with linguistic and cultural competency in a community and interest in serving as advocates in health and community systems
  2. students who want to obtain a credential as a community health worker and have a background in public health

This major is offered in the College for Women and the College for Adults.

Required Courses
BIOL 1120Biology of Women with Lab4
HLTH 1964Community Health Worker Role, Advocacy, Outreach and Resources3
HLTH 1966Health Communication and Cultural Competence, Teaching and Capacity Building3
HLTH 1968Documentation, Legal and Ethical Issues in Community Health Work3
HLTH 1974Health Promotion Competencies I3
HLTH 1975Health Promotion Competencies II2
One elective course 2000 level or higher. See recommended list of courses under the Public Policy Concentration4
Total Credits22

Public health majors satisfy the Writing Requirement for Majors by completing HLTH 4800W Senior Seminar in Public Health. They complete the Liberal Arts and Sciences Core Writing Requirement with three other writing-intensive courses (CORE 1000W The Reflective WomanCORE 3990W Global Search for Justice, and any other writing-intensive course in another department).

This program plan provides a general overview of the public health: health sciences major and the public health: public policy major.  Students are advised to refer to the Major Requirements tab for a list of courses that can be used to complete the concentration they have declared.

Spring Term
IPE 1030Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology1-2
or IPE 1020 Medical Terminology
Fall Term
HLTH 2050Foundations in Public Health4
Select one from:4
Biostatistics
Statistical Analysis for the Social Sciences
Statistical Analysis for Decision Making
Statistical Methods in Psychology
Statistical Analysis with Corequisite
Statistical Analysis
Spring Term
HLTH 3150Epidemiology4
Course for concentration4
Fall Term
HLTH 3250Global Health4
Two courses for concentration8
Spring Term
HLTH 3350Environmental Health4
ECON 3250Healthcare Economics4
or MGMT 3850 Healthcare Policy
Course for concentration4
Fall Term
HLTH 4700Practicum Preparation2
Two courses for concentration8
Spring Term
HLTH 4754Practicum4
HLTH 4800WSenior Seminar in Public Health4
Total Credits59-60

*The Health Promotion and Education concentration is not currently accepting new students. St. Catherine's will re-evaluate our ability to offer the program's curriculum, in future years. All students who were previously enrolled in this concentration have already finished their degree.  Any questions or concerns should be sent to the Program Director or the Dean of the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health Sciences.​

Spring Term
IPE 1030Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology1-2
or IPE 1020 Medical Terminology
BIOL 1120Biology of Women with Lab4
Fall Term
HLTH 2050Foundations in Public Health4
Select one from:4
Biostatistics
Statistical Analysis for the Social Sciences
Statistical Analysis for Decision Making
Statistical Methods in Psychology
Statistical Analysis with Corequisite
Statistical Analysis
Spring Term
EXSS 3200Health Behavior Psychology4
HLTH 2045Health Promotion Competencies4
HLTH 3150Epidemiology4
Fall Term
HLTH 3250Global Health4
HLTH 3400Health Promotion Planning and Management4
Spring Term
HLTH 3350Environmental Health4
HLTH 3450Critical Issues in Health Promotion4
ECON 3250Healthcare Economics4
or MGMT 3850 Healthcare Policy
Fall Term
FSNU 2300Nutrition Foundations4
HLTH 4700Practicum Preparation2
Spring Term
HLTH 4754Practicum4
HLTH 4800WSenior Seminar in Public Health4
Total Credits59-60
Fall Term
HLTH 2050Foundations in Public Health4
Select one from:4
Biostatistics
Statistical Analysis for the Social Sciences
Statistical Analysis for Decision Making
Statistical Methods in Psychology
Statistical Analysis with Corequisite
Statistical Analysis
Spring Term
HLTH 3150Epidemiology4
HLTH 3250Global Health4
IPE 1030Healthcare Teams Foundations and Medical Terminology1-2
or IPE 1020 Medical Terminology
Fall Term
BIOL 1120Biology of Women with Lab4
HLTH 1964Community Health Worker Role, Advocacy, Outreach and Resources3
HLTH 1966Health Communication and Cultural Competence, Teaching and Capacity Building3
HLTH 1968Documentation, Legal and Ethical Issues in Community Health Work3
Spring Term
ECON 3250Healthcare Economics4
or MGMT 3850 Healthcare Policy
HLTH 1974Health Promotion Competencies I3
HLTH 1975Health Promotion Competencies II2
One elective course 2000 level or higher. See recommended list of courses under the Public Policy concentration.4
Fall Term
HLTH 3350Environmental Health4
HLTH 4700Practicum Preparation2
Spring Term
HLTH 4754Practicum4
HLTH 4800WSenior Seminar in Public Health4
Total Credits57-58