B.S. in Public Health

Mission of B.S. Public Health, SJSU

The mission of the undergraduate public health program is to foster an environment that embraces diversity and inspires active, critical, interdisciplinary teaching and learning to improve population health. 

Why pursue a degree in Public Health? 

Public Health is the study and promotion of the health and wellbeing of all populations, recognizing that health is a fundamental human right. The Public Health lens is concerned with more than healthcare, biology, and behavior: it focuses on how environmental, social, economic, behavioral, biological and political factors influence human health. Public Health practitioners aim to work collaboratively with diverse communities to conduct research and create relevant interventions that strengthen community capacity, promote health, and reduce health inequities.

Our department offers three undergraduate degrees pathways.  The general pathway, B.S. in Public Health with a minor, is for students who are interested in public health and wish to pair it with a minor.  Public Health touches many disciplines and almost any minor pairs well with public health.

If you are more interested in working collaboratively with the community to improve health, then the B.S. in Public Health, Concentration in Community Health Education may be the pathway for you!   Alternatively, if you enjoy analyzing data and learning more about root causes of disease, then the B.S. in Public Health, Concentration in Population Data Science may be the best fit!

We also offer two minors: Minor in Public Health and the Minor in Health Professions

Interested in changing your major to Public Health?  See Public Health as a major below.

• Public Health as a Major

  • Consider Public Health as a major!

    Our department offers fours undergraduate degree pathways in Public Health: the general pathway has two options and we offer two concentrations. All students must choose one pathways to complete the degree. 

    General Pathway

    1) The B.S. in Public Health with either Upper Division Public Health Elective or a minor is for students who are interested in Public Health and want to choose electives from an approved list or pair the major with a complementary minor. 

    Concentrations

    1) If you are drawn to working collaboratively with a community to improve health, then the B.S. in Public Health with a Concentration in Community Health Education may be the pathway for you! Alternatively, if you enjoy analyzing data and thinking about research then the B.S. in Public Health with a Concentration in Population Data Science may be the best fit!

    If you are a student with catalog rights to our previously offered programs: 1) B.S. in Public Health with upper division electives, or 2) B.S. in Public Health, with the Health Services Administration concentration, please see an advisor to verify your pathway to graduation.  

• Admission to the Public Health Major

  • Admission to the Public Health Major

    Complete our online application. Applications are reviewed monthly. Students accepted into the major will be notified via email.

    Current SJSU students who have completed at least 12 units at SJSU or another college are invited to apply to any of the Public Health majors. In the 2023-2024 Academic Year, we will admit students who have a GPA of 2.7 or higher. Students with a GPA below 2.7 will be considered on an individual basis and, if they have done well in the Public Health preparatory classes, will be considered for admision.

    This is a rolling admissions cycle. Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis during the fall and spring semesters. To complete the application, you will need to upload a completed advising worksheet documenting your course plan. If you are in your first or second year at SJSU, you may be able to follow the 4-year advising roadmap available in the catalog. Others may need to compare the roadmap to completed coursework to tailor a more individualized plan through the major. 

    Additional information on our Change of Major Process can be found here.

• PH Advising Forms

  • Public Health Advising Forms

    PH Program Roadmap Links

    Roadmap for Public Health, BS (2023-2024)

    Roadmap for Public Health, Community Health Education Concentration, BS (2023-2024)

    Roadmap for Public Health, Population Data Science Concentration, BS (2023-2024)

    MyProgress online tutorial > https://www.sjsu.edu/ue/student-resources/myprogress.php 

    Additional Questions should be directed to the program coordinator or schedule an appointment with a Faculty Advisor. 

    Link to the Public Health Minor Form

    B.S. Public Health Program Advising

    In addition to university advising services, the undergraduate public health program, provides support to students in navigating the major and pursuing a career in public health. We offer online tutorials and self-guided information, peer advising, and faculty advising for all public health majors.

• Meeting with an Advisor

  • Public Health Peer Advisors (PHPA)

    PHPAs are available to meet with students one-to-one to develop an academic plan through the major. Our PHPA's are a crucial components of teh team and should be the first point of contact for all students wanting an academic plan. PHPAs host weekly drop-in hours for students in person and online. For their current calendar, please see the Advising Blog or learn more on the PHPA website. 

    Faculty Advisors

    Faculty advisors offer appointments and drop-in advising throughout the fall and spring semester. All faculty advising appointments are scheduled through Spartan Connect. See here for additional information related to faculty advising and scheduling an appointment. 

    Public Health Advising Blog

    The Advising Blog is a central location for current announcements and advising updates. Please subscribe to the blog and bookmark the page. 

• Declaring a Concentration

  • Decalaring a Concentration

    All current PH Majors are invited to join one of our two concentrations: Community Health Education (CHE) and Population Data Science (PDS). Students interested in pursing a concentration should connect with the concentration coordinator. Coordinators can discuss the concentration, answer questions, and assist with the declaring a concentration:

    CHE, Anji Buckner, anji.buckner@sjsu.edu 
    PDS, Miranda Worthen, miranda.worthen@sjsu.edu  

• Undergraduate Forms

  • Undergraduate Advising Worksheet

    Electronic Advising Forms

    B.S. Public Health (General Pathway)

    B.S. Public Health, Community Health Education concentration

    B.S. Public Health, Population Data Science concentration

    Note: to use the electronic forms, copy the file and save it into your personal SJSU Google Drive account.

    Downloadable Excel Advising Forms

    B.S. Public Health (General Pathway)

    B.S. Public Health, Community Health Education concentration

    B.S. Public Health, Population Data Science concentration

    Note: these forms require a desktop application for Excel (or the equivalent)

• Public Health as a Minor

  • Public Health as a Minor

    We currently offer tow minors for non-Public Health Majors: Minor in Public Health and Minor in Health Professions

    To declare one of our minors, please schedule an appointment with a Faculty Advisor. 

Interested in changing your major to Public Health?

There are 4 options:

1. Public Health with Upper Division Public Health Electives, or
2. Public Health with a Minor, or
3. Public Health, Concentration in Community Health Education, or
4. Public Health, Concentration in Population Data Science