Public Health – Albright College

Public Health

Passionate about preventing disease, promoting health or prolonging life among populations? Study public health.

The field of public health requires individuals who understand local, national and international politics; the impact of the environment on health; socio-economic contexts; human biology; and personal behaviors.

Recognizing that public health education is a powerful and relevant way to shape the intellectual and civic capacities of undergraduate students, Albright’s public health program offers a co-major and a minor intended to provide students with a stepping stone to a variety of careers in government, nonprofit and private-sector work, and to advanced study in public policy, urban affairs, business, economics and law.

public-health

Hilary Aquino, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
610-921-7697
haquino@albright.edu

public-health

Bridget A. Hearon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
610-929-6556
bhearon@albright.edu

public-health

Brenda Ingram-Wallace, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
610-921-7585
bingramwallace@albright.edu

public-health

Irene Langran, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Political Science; Program Director, International Relations; Program Director, Public Health
610-921-7570
ilangran@albright.edu

public-health

Michael A. Armato, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science, Director of the Public Policy and Administration Program
610-929-6622
marmato@albright.edu

public-health

Lisa Bellantoni, Ph.D.
Department Chair; Associate Professor in Philosophy
610-921-7709
lbellantoni@albright.edu

Interdisciplinary Combined Major in Public Health

The interdisciplinary combined major in public health is a liberal arts program in which students will gain a greater understanding of public health on local, national and global levels. The study of public health not only combines perspectives from the social sciences, sciences, mathematics and humanities, it also cultivates critical and analytical skills across disciplines, written and oral communication, teamwork ability, ethical reasoning, and civic knowledge and engagement. This major will benefit students who wish to pursue careers related to public health and the health sciences, law and policy, and other career paths that draw upon multidisciplinary approaches and critical engagement.  To study public health is to engage human biology, socio-economic contexts, personal choices and behaviors, environmental determinants, and political processes on local and global scales. 

Requirements

  • PUH 101: Introduction to Public Health
  • PUH 330: Global Health
  • Statistics: choose from BIO 200, ECO 207, MAT 110, POL 207, PSY 200 (PSY co-majors only), or SOC 211
  • Biology requirement. Take one of the following courses:
    • BIO 101, Concepts and Connections in Biology
    • BIO 151, General Biology 1: Structure & Function
    • BIO 203, Introduction to Genetics
    • BIO 321, Microbiology (prerequisites: BIO 151 and 203, co-requisite CHE 207, or instructor permission)

    BIO 101 and 151 can also fulfill the Foundations-Natural Science requirement. BIO 101 is recommended for non-BIO co-majors. BIO 321 should be taken by BIO co-majors, as BIO 151 and 203 are already required for BIO co-majors.

  • PUH 310: Epidemiology Prerequisites: PUH 101 and Statistics
  • PUH 382: Public Health Internship Prerequisite: PUH 101
  • PUH 440: Capstone
  • Public Health Elective (choose one, if the statistics requirement above counts towards another co-major, take an additional)
    • ANT 206, Food and Culture
    • BIO 234, Anatomy and Physiology I
    • BIO 235, Anatomy and Physiology II. A passing grade in BIO 234 is required to take this class.
    • BIO 321, Microbiology. This course can serve as an elective if not taken to satisfy the Biology requirement noted above.
    • ESS 325, Geographical Information Systems
    • HIS 205, Social History of Medicine and Public Health in the US
    • HIS 206, History of Urban Public Health
    • LAS 299, Disease, Death and Society in Latin America 1850-1990
    • PHI 260, Biomedical Ethics
    • POL 214, Public Policy
    • POL 302, Public Administration
    • PSY 206, Social Psychology. A passing grade in PSY 100 or special permission is required to take this class.
    • PSY 210, Health Psychology
    • PSY 215, Positive Psychology
    • PSY 220, Theories and treatment of addictive behaviors
    • PSY 230, Human Development. A passing grade in PSY 100 or special permission is required to take this class.
    • PSY 290, Human Behavior and Diversity Issues
    • PSY 310, Health behavior change. Prerequisite: PSY 210.
    • PSY 330, Human Sexuality. Prerequisite: PSY 200 or permission.
    • PSY 390, Adult Psychopathology and Behavior. This course is only an elective for Psychology co-majors.
    • PUH 240, Special Topics in Public Health
    • PUH/HIS/SYN/WGS 309, Pandemics: Power and Equity in an Interconnected World
    • PUH 340, Special Topics in Public Health
    • REL 236, Gods and Doctors: Religion, Health and Medicine
    • SOC 201, Social Problems
    • SOC 203, Human Services for Families and Children. A passing grade in SOC 201 is required to take this class.
    • SOC 262, Stratification and Structured Inequality
    • SOC 291, Environmental Sociology
    • SYN 332, Disability Studies

Public Health Minor

Requirements

  • PUH 101: Introduction to Public Health
  • PUH 330: Global Health
  • Statistics: choose from BIO 200, ECO 207, MAT 110, POL 207, PSY 200 (PSY co-majors only), or SOC 211
  • PUH 310: Epidemiology Prerequisites: PUH 101 and Statistics
  • Public Health Internship Prerequisite: PUH 101