Public Health
Overview
Public health seeks to improve human health through the development and application of knowledge that prevents disease, protects the public from harm, and promotes health throughout local communities, the state, the nation, and the world. The field of public health confronts complex health issues, such as improving access to health care, controlling infectious disease, and reducing environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse, and injury.
Through the Public Health Minor at Occidental College, students develop and apply knowledge from multiple disciplines for the promotion and protection of the health of the human population, giving due consideration to principles of human rights and cultural perspectives that abound in our multicultural country and world. The minor, like the field itself, is interdisciplinary. Students will learn about the scientific aspects of disease as well as the political and policy issues involved in improving people’s health and well-being. The minor is jointly administered by the departments of Biology, Kinesiology, and Urban & Environmental Policy (UEP), with course offerings from multiple departments.
Requirements
Five courses are required to complete the Public Health minor.
Minor
Required Courses
| PUBH 203 | Introduction to Public Health | 4 units |
| PUBH 238 | Epidemiology | 4 units |
Statistics Requirements
Students must complete one of the following courses:
| BIO 268 | Biostatistics | 4 units |
| COMP 146 | Statistics | 4 units |
| MATH 150 | Statistical Data Analysis | 4 units |
| PSYC 201 | Statistics in Psychological Science | 4 units |
| SOC 305 | Quantitative Research Methods | 4 units |
| UEP 305 | Urban Data Analysis | 4 units |
Electives
Students must complete two additional courses from the list below. Each elective course must be from a different department.
| AMST 130 | Dis/ability Theory | 4 units |
| HIST 274 | Medicine and Disease in Western Society | 4 units |
| HIST 277 | Reproductive Justice Histories | 4 units |
| KINE 104 | Introduction to Kinesiology | 4 units |
| KINE 210 | Nutrition and Homeostasis | 4 units |
| KINE 299 | Women's Sports and Empowerment | 4 units |
| KINE 304 | Human Physiology | 4 units |
| PHIL 233 | Bioethics | 4 units |
| PHIL 332 | Public Health Ethics | 4 units |
| PSYC 334 | Health Psychology | 4 units |
| PUBH 220 | Public Health Nutrition | 4 |
| PUBH 248/DWA 248 | Global Public Health | 4 units |
| PUBH 249 | Public Health and Human Rights: Global and Local Practices | 4 units |
| PUBH 301 | Women's Health | 4 units |
| PUBH 307 | Public Health Practicum | 2 or 4 units |
| SOC 320 | Health and Illness | 4 units |
| UEP 201 | Environmental Health and Policy | 4 units |
| UEP 209/PUBH 209 | Health Policy | 4 units |
*The electives must be from two different departments.
As new courses develop, more options may be added to this list. Students will be strongly encouraged to participate in internship, volunteer, or research opportunities within the field of public health (e.g. PUBH 307) before they graduate.
Transfer Credit Policies
The two required core courses for the Public Health minor, including PUBH 203 Introduction to Public Health and PUBH 238 Epidemiology, must be taken at Occidental College. Transfer credit will not be accepted for these two courses.
Transfer credit for the statistics and elective requirements will be considered to apply toward the Public Health minor. However, courses must be approved by the appropriate department or program. Students should reference the Transfer Credit section for details.