School of Public Health and Tropical MedicineHome /Programs & Degrees /Undergraduate Public Health Degree Program /The BSPH Degree
The Tulane Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BSPH) degree is an academic degree addressing the health of populations and communities through instruction, service, and community based research. Grounded in a background of humanities, social science, and the liberal arts, the degree fulfills Tulane University’s campus-wide undergraduate core proficiency while stressing an additional commitment to quantitative and scientific skills. This degree program is nationally accredited and has specific competencies, or educational targets. Competencies for the BSPH cover core concepts and structures of public health, along with university-required proficiencies, writing and math skills, and a foreign language.
BSPH Degree Competencies
Newcomb-Tulane Core Proficiencies
Additional BSPH Proficiencies
* MATH 1150 & 1160 (Long Calculus) count as 1 MATH class. Neither BIOS 3160 nor PHIL 1210 (Symbolic Logic) count as mathematics class for BSPH requirements.
Students must fulfill the Newcomb-Tulane core requirement and the BSPH degree requirements. Students must complete 120 hours total for a bachelors degree program at Tulane.
| Degree Requirements by Credit Hour | ||
|---|---|---|
| Newcomb-Tulane Core | 45-55 hours (excludes AP credit) | Varies by student |
| BSPH Core | 24 hours | All BSPH students take these |
| BSPH Electives | 18 hours | Up to 9 hours from other departments or study abroad |
| BSPH Capstone | 3 or 7 hours | 7 hours for honors thesis |
| Total Hours | 89 to 104 | Varies by student, depending on AP credit, other majors, and/or minors |
The BSPH Degree requires a total of 45 credits, consisting of the public health core, a public health capstone, and electives that complement the student's core knowledge.
Public Health Basic Core (24 credits)
SPHU 1010 - Introduction to Public Health
SPHU 1020 - Cell, Individual & Community
SPHU 2150 - Foundations of Environmental Health (Previously SPHU 3150)
SPHU 3010 - Foundations of Health Care Systems
SPHU 3110 - Social and Behavioral Perspectives In Public Health
SPHU 3160 - Biostatistics Applications in Public Health
SPHU 3170 - Foundations in Epidemiology
SPHU 4010 - Foundations of Public Health Policy
SPHU 4540, 4550, 4560 or 4580 - Public Health Capstone (3 credits)
Students are eligible to complete their capstone after five semesters as an undergraduate, and with a majority of their other program requirements completed. The capstone is a student-driven academic and professional experience. See capstone options here.
As part of their BSPH Degree, students are required to complete 18 credit hours of electives. Electives provide an opportunity to focus on specialized knowledge that will complements core coursework. In recognition of the multi-disciplinary nature of public health, students may consider classes in other academic fields and consult with academic and faculty advisors to discuss ways to integrate fields in the liberal arts and sciences into their curriculum. Certain pre-medical classes are acceptable for this requirement with permission of a public health advisor.
Students must complete a minimum of six classes for a minimum of 18 credit hours in order to complete this requirement.
A minimum of 3 elective courses for a minimum of 9 credit hours must be completed in classes offered by public health faculty.
Public Health Electives:
SPHU 2050 - Arthropods & Public Health
SPHU 2016 - Evolution, Microbes & Disease Emergence
SPHU 2220 - Concepts of Health & Wellness
SPHU 2333 - Introduction to Global Maternal Child Health
SPHU 3020 - Data and Information in Public Health Practice
SPHU 3015 - Public Health Program Implementation
SPHU 3120 - Issues & Strategies in Public Health
SPHU 3200 - Nutrition and Chronic Disease
SPHU 3250 - Global Food Security & Public Health
SPHU 3300 - Sustainable Nutrition
SPHU 3400 - Nutrition, Cooking & Public Health
SPHU 3410 - Food Safety, Communication & Policy
SPHU 3500 - Public Health Approaches to Sexual Violence
SPHU 4160 - Introduction to Statistical Packages
SPHU 4200 - Evidence Based Public Health
SPHU 4210 - Environmental Risk Assessment
SPHU 4240 - Epidemiology of Sexually Transmitted Infections
SPHU 4260 - Organizational Leadership & Management
SPHU 4300 - Public Health Communication
SPHU 4330 - Resilience in International Disasters
SPHU 4340 - Public Health Genomics
SPHU 4350 - Zoonotic Infections, Outbreaks, Emerging and Reemerging Diseases
SPHU 4400 - Bioinformatics and Genomics
SPHU 4410 - Data & Information Management in Public Health
SPHU 4570 - Internship (non-capstone)
SPHU 4910 - Independent Study (non-capstone)
SPHU 1940, 2940, 3940, 4940 - Transfer credit class codes
Any other SPHU class that is not a core class
Additional Electives:
Any 2000 or higher level MATH class
SOCI 3030 Introduction to Research Design
SOCI 3040 Introduction to Research Analysis
HISU 3541 History of Reproductive Health
POLC 4392 Controversies in Global Health
CELL 2050 Genetics
ECON 3980 Economics and Health Care Reform
EENS 3150 Intro to Geographic Information Systems
Graduate level Public Health classes taken as a senior or BSPH/MPH combined degree student
Study Abroad credits as approved by faculty advisor or from pre-approved list
Additional classes above the 2000-level as approved by the student’s faculty advisor.
* MATH 1150 & 1160 (Long Calculus) count as 1 MATH class. PHIL 1210 (Symbolic Logic) does not count as mathematics class for BSPH requirements.
HLWL courses are not accepted as electives for the public health degree.
Accreditation
The Tulane BSPH degree is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs.
Tulane University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, masters, doctorate, and professional degrees.