Overview

The public health major is an interdisciplinary major that engages students with the diverse field of public health.  The major serves as a foundation for students interested in a broad range of public health careers, from biostatistics and epidemiology to health education and health policy to global and environmental health.  It also prepares students for graduate training in these fields or in related professional health careers such as medicine, nursing, or social work.  Students are strongly urged to do an internship as part of the major.

Careers in Public Health

• Research epidemiologist
• Health educator
• Medical social worker
• Policy advisor
• Communications specialist
• Federal environmentalist
• Public health lawyer
• Nutritionist

See job placement rates for Calvin grads.

Student involvement

Research global health in Hungary and learn how to fight the spread of HIV/AIDS and extreme poverty. Discover how to influence health care policies by doing an internship in Washington, DC. Partner with SafeWater Ghana and bring clean water to people at risk from poor water consumption.

Course Requirements 2012-13

Public Health Major

The interdisciplinary public health major consists of 15 courses.  Seven of these courses are required and four courses meet distribution requirements.  An additional four advisor- approved and program-approved elective courses are intended to deepen student learning in a key area of public health.

(44-47 semester hours)

• PUBH 101 Introduction to Public Health
• PUBH 248 Epidemiology
• PUBH 295 Public Health Seminar
• PUBH 395 Advanced Seminar in Public Health
• ECON 241 Health Economics and Health Policy
• PHIL 212 Ethical Dimensions of Health Care
• SOC/SOWK 250 Diversity and Inequality in the United States
• One course from: 
  • MATH 145 Biostatistics
  • MATH 143 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
  • PSYC 255 Statistics and Research Design
  • SOC/SOWK 255 Social Science Statistics
• One course from:
  • HE 265 Basic Health Concepts: Mental Health, Fitness, Sexuality, Aging, Addictive Behaviors, and Death
  • HE 266 Basic Health Concepts: Diseases, Substance Abuse, Community, and Environment
  • PSYC 335 Health Psychology
• One course from:
  • POLS 212 American Public Policy
  • SOWK 360 Social Welfare Policy Analysis
  • POLS 295 Special Topics: Evaluating Health Care Reform
• One course from:
  • BIOL 364 Global Health, Environment, and Sustainability
  • ENST 210 Human Modifications of the Global Environment
  • IDIS 212 Global Health
• Four 200- or 300-level advisor- approved and program-approved electives

Public Health Minor

The public health minor is intended for students who are following a disciplinary or professional major and who also have an interest in studying public health at local, national, and global levels. Because the study of health issues is truly interdisciplinary in scope, the public health minor is appropriate for students majoring in the humanities, the social sciences, or the natural sciences. While disciplinary or professional majors with health interests are encouraged to complete the entire minor, the public health courses also may be taken singly as electives to enrich a program of study.

(23 semester hours)

• PUBH 101 Introduction to Public Health
• PUBH 248 Epidemiology
• PUBH 295 Public Health Seminar
• PUBH 395 Advanced Seminar in Public Health
• One course from:
  • MATH 145 Biostatistics
  • MATH 143 Introduction to Probability and Statistics
  • PSYC 255
  • SOC/SOWK 255
• One course from:
  • BIOL 364 Global Health, Environment, and Sustainability
  • ENST 210 Human Modifications of the Global Environment
  • HE 265 Basic Health Concepts: Mental Health, Fitness, Sexuality, Aging, Addictive Behaviors, and Death
  • HE 266 Basic Health Concepts: Diseases, Substance Abuse, Community, and Environment
  • IDIS 212 Global Health
  • PSYC 335 Health Psychology
• One course from:
  • ECON 241 Health Economics and Health Policy
  • POLS 212 American Public Policy
  • SOWK 360 Social Welfare Policy Analysis
  • SOC/SOWK 250 Diversity and Inequality in the United States
  • POLS 295 Special Topics: Evaluating Health Care Reform
• One additional course from previous two categories or one additional advisor-approved elective

Scholarships

New students are automatically considered for general academic scholarships ranging from $1,000-15,000 based on a careful review of their application materials.

For a complete listing of departmental scholarships available to first-year students, use the Scholarship Search ».

Faculty