About the BS in Community Health
The public health field is one of the fastest growing, most exciting, and versatile areas of study on college campuses across the United States. Mason students are prepared for this dynamic field through our Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH)-accredited BS in Community Health program.
Community Health students acquire the competencies and skills necessary to develop, apply, and evaluate evidenced-based approaches to improving public health. Students explore all aspects of public health, including community health, global health, health education, health promotion, advocacy, program planning, and epidemiology.
Graduates work with a variety of health-related organizations and are expected to confront complex behavioral, cultural, and social challenges affecting populations. Graduates are employed in a variety of professional settings, including local, state, and federal health and social service agencies, non-governmental health organizations, health care delivery, and private industry. We strongly encourage our students to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES®) exam, which provides an additional credential making our students more competitive in the job market.
The BS in Community Health is unique in that it provides a solid foundation for students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in public health or advanced training in a health profession like medicine or dentistry (see the Clinical Science concentration).
Concentrations
Students may wish to complete an optional concentration in Clinical Science, Global Health, Nutrition, or Physical Activity and Public Health. Selection of a concentration is not required. Compare concentrations.
Clinical Science Concentration
The Clinical Science concentration prepares students for graduate clinical training in a health profession field such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, occupational and physical therapy, and pharmacy. This concentration provides students the flexibility to design their curriculum to satisfy prerequisites for these programs. Students choosing this option are encouraged to check coursework requirements for their desired health profession because such requirements vary.
Global Health Concentration
The Global Health concentration focuses on understanding diseases and other health security threats reflecting the new global landscape, such as tobacco use and obesity, and emerging pandemics such as COVID-19, avian influenza, and Ebola. Students complete the required coursework for the BS in Community Health and specialized coursework in global health in addition to interdisciplinary coursework. This concentration is designed for students interested in public health at the global level and is particularly focused on improving health conditions in less developed countries.
Nutrition Concentration
The Nutrition concentration provides students interested in nutritional health with a strong knowledge base in factors affecting individual, community, and global nutrition, as well as the tools to plan effective interventions.
Physical Activity and Public Health Concentration
Numerous public health burdens such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and depression can be prevented, delayed, or managed with proper physical activity. The Physical Activity and Public Health concentration prepares students to effectively advocate for policies, programs, and legislation that enables equitable opportunities for physical activity across all levels of society. The completion of this concentration prepares students to take the Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist certification.
Degree Requirements
Degree requirements are designated by the academic year during which they were published in the University Catalog. Students are responsible for meeting the degree requirements that were stipulated in the catalog at the time of enrollment into the program. View degree requirements for the BS in Community Health. Links for degree requirements from previous academic years can be found in the archive of undergraduate catalogs.
Program of Study
Students must complete 120 credits of undergraduate course work. A minimum grade of C must be obtained in all courses in the major including those courses required for an optional concentration. Students should make an appointment with an academic advisor upon being accepted into the program and before registering for courses each semester.