The University of Toledo offers a bachelor of science degree in public health. This degree requires 120 credit hours for graduation. The public health program is designed to prepare students to work in non-profit health organizations, in local, state and national government health agencies, or in worksite wellness. The mission of the undergraduate public health program is to prepare students to use theory-driven approaches to promote health and prevent disease within specific populations.

Public health majors help people improve their quality of life. Studying public health teaches students how to design, implement, and evaluate programs to promote health and prevent disease. The program explores critical health issues such as nutrition, substance abuse, human sexuality, health behaviors, environmental health, and disease prevention. Students learn through hands-on practice by shadowing health professionals in their first year. In their second year, students earn credit through a “mini-internship” with a community agency or organization. Finally, fourth year students gain real-world experience through a 400-hour internship with the agency or organization of their choice.

Public Health Pre-Medical track

The public health pre-medical track is a 120 credit hour option within the existing bachelor of science in public health degree program. The pre-medical track is targeted toward those students who are interested in impacting the health and well-being of communities and want to build upon that with a medical degree following completion of the bachelor’s degree. This track provides several options upon completion of the degree:

• meet requirements for admission into most medical schools and also have additional coursework that will provide a strong foundation for a physician;
• obtain a career in the field of public health education; or
• seek graduate education in a public health field.

The public health field is growing increasingly competitive. To enroll in the core requirement courses, including the sophomore level practicum and 400-hour senior internship, a minimum 2.7 GPA is required. Because of the strong engagement with the community, students are held to a high level of professionalism. Students are expected to:

• perform with excellence in the classroom;
• act with a high level of professionalism in all areas;
• join and actively participate in Eta Sigma Gamma, our student organization;
• attend local, state, and/or regional professional conferences;
• get involved in research with faculty members; and
• participate in community service.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
General Education Core Courses Required
ENGL 2950	Technical Writing	3
or ENGL 2960	Professional and Business Writing
MATH 2640	Statistics for Applied Science	3
or MATH 2600	Introduction To Statistics
EXSC 1460	Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology Lab	1
EXSC 1560	Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology	3
EEES 1130	Down To Earth: Environmental Science	3
Additional General Education courses to meet university core requirements
Public Health Core Required Courses (36cr):
HEAL 2700	Introduction to Public Health	3
HEAL 2750	Introduction to Epidemiology	3
HEAL 2940	Public Health Internship I	3
HEAL 3000	Global Health	3
HHS 3100	Introduction to Social Determinants of Health	3
HEAL 3500	Environmental Health	3
HEAL 3600	Prevention And Control Of Disease	3
HEAL 4200	Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Programs	3
PUBH 4620	Introduction to Health Policy and Health Systems	3
HEAL 4800	Public Health Research And Statistics	3
HEAL 4940	Public Health Internship II	6
Public Health Support Courses (Select 24cr from the list)		24
HEAL 2100	Living Well
HEAL 2500	Personal Health
HEAL 2600	Mental Health
HEAL 2800	Principles Of Nutrition
HEAL 3200	Consumer Health
HEAL 3300	Drug Awareness
PUBH 3650	Zombie Apocalypse 101: Outbreak Response
HEAL 3700	Foundations Of Human Sexuality
HEAL 4100	Health Behavior
PUBH 4150	Health Coaching
PUBH 4420	Social Marketing in Health
HEAL 4500	Women's Health Care
HEAL 4700	Nutritional Science
PUBH 4700	Risk Assessment
DATA 2500	Data Science I
DATA 4500	Data Science II
HHS 3600	Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice in Health Science
HIM 2260	Legal Issues in HIM
HIM 4230	Compliance and Ethical Issues
HIM 4500	Health Informatics & Information Management
COMM 3760	Health Communication
EEES 2150	Biodiversity
EEES 2160	Biodiversity Laboratory
EEES 3050	General Ecology
EEES 3060	General Ecology Laboratory
EXSC 2590	Microbiology and Infectious Diseases
EXSC 3240	Concepts of Exercise Fitness and Health Strategies
Take additional credits to meet university requirements of 120cr		47
Total Hours		120

• Bachelor of Science in Public Health
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health: Pre-Medical track

BS in Public Health

Below is a sample plan of study. Consult your degree audit for your program requirements.

Plan of Study Grid

First Term		Hours
ENGL 1110	College Composition I	3
HHS 1000	Health And Human Services/College Orientation	1
EEES 1130	Down To Earth: Environmental Science	3
HEAL 2700	Introduction to Public Health	3
Fine Arts / Humanities Elective		3
Social Sciences Elective		3
	Hours	16
Second Term
MATH 2640	Statistics for Applied Science	3
ENGL 2960	Professional and Business Writing	3
HHS 3100	Introduction to Social Determinants of Health	3
Diversity of Non-US class		3
Fine Arts / Humanities Elective		3
	Hours	15
Third Term
EXSC 1460	Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology Lab	1
EXSC 1560	Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology	3
HEAL 2750	Introduction to Epidemiology	3
HEAL 3300	Drug Awareness	3
Elective		3
Social Sciences Elective		3
	Hours	16
Fourth Term
PUBH 3650	Zombie Apocalypse 101: Outbreak Response	3
HEAL 2940	Public Health Internship I	3
Diversity of US course		3
General Education Core Elective		3
Elective		3
	Hours	15
Fifth Term
HEAL 2800	Principles Of Nutrition	3
HEAL 3000	Global Health	3
HEAL 3600	Prevention And Control Of Disease	3
EXSC 2590	Microbiology and Infectious Diseases	3
General Core Elective		5
	Hours	17
Sixth Term
PUBH 4420	Social Marketing in Health	3
HHS 3600	Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice in Health Science	3
HEAL 3500	Environmental Health	3
Elective		5
	Hours	14
Seventh Term
HEAL 3200	Consumer Health	3
EXSC 3240	Concepts of Exercise Fitness and Health Strategies	3
HEAL 4200	Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Programs	3
Elective		6
	Hours	15
Eighth Term
HEAL 4800	Public Health Research And Statistics	3
PUBH 4620	Introduction to Health Policy and Health Systems	3
HEAL 4940	Public Health Internship II	6
	Hours	12
	Total Hours	120

Courses noted with FL or SP are only offered in those semesters.

BS in Public Health – Pre-Medical track

Below is a sample plan of study.  Consult your degree audit for your program requirements.

All students must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher to remain in good standing in the pre-medical track.

Plan of Study Grid

First Term		Hours
BIOL 2170	Fundamentals of Life Science: Biomolecules, Cells, and Inheritance	4
BIOL 2180	Fundamentals of Life Science Laboratory: Biomolecules, Cells, and Inheritance	1
CHEM 1230	General Chemistry I 1	4
CHEM 1280	General Chemistry Lab I 1	1
ENGL 1110	College Composition I	3
HHS 1000	Health And Human Services/College Orientation	1
	Hours	14
Second Term
BIOL 2150	Fundamentals Of Life Science: Diversity Of Life, Evolution And Adaptation	4
BIOL 2160	Fundamentals Of Life Science Laboratory: Diversity Of Life, Evolution And Adaptation	1
CHEM 1240	General Chemistry II 1	4
CHEM 1290	General Chemistry Lab II 1	1
ENGL 1130	College Composition II: Academic Disciplines And Discourse	3
Humanities Core		3
	Hours	16
Third Term
CHEM 2410	Organic Chemistry I 1	3
CHEM 2460	Organic Chemistry Laboratory I for Non-Majors 1	1
HEAL 2700	Introduction to Public Health	3
EXSC 2560	Anatomy and Physiology I	3
EXSC 2460	Human Anatomy And Physiology I Lab	1
MATH 1340	College Algebra And Trigonometry 1	5
	Hours	16
Fourth Term
CHEM 2420	Organic Chemistry II 1	3
CHEM 2470	Organic Chemistry Laboratory II for Non-Majors 1	1
EXSC 2570	Human Anatomy and Physiol II	3
EXSC 2470	Human Anatomy And Physiology II Lab	1
PSY 1010	Principles Of Psychology	3
COMM 2840	Interpersonal Communication	3
	Hours	14
Fifth Term
CHEM 3510	Biochemistry I (FL)	3
HEAL 2750	Introduction to Epidemiology (FL)	3
PHYS 2070	General Physics I (FL) 1	4
PHYS 2075	General Physics I - Lab (FL) 1	1
HHS 3100	Introduction to Social Determinants of Health	3
	Hours	14
Sixth Term
HEAL 3500	Environmental Health (SP)	3
HEAL 3600	Prevention And Control Of Disease	3
PHYS 2080	General Physics II (SP)	4
PHYS 2085	General Physics II - Lab	1
HEAL 3000	Global Health	3
SOC 1010	Introduction To Sociology	3
	Hours	17
Seventh Term
HEAL 4200	Planning, Implementing, and Evaluating Public Health Programs (FL)	3
PUBH 4620	Introduction to Health Policy and Health Systems	3
US Diversity course		3
Non-US Diversity course		3
Elective Course		3
	Hours	15
Eighth Term
HEAL 4940	Public Health Internship II	6
HEAL 4800	Public Health Research And Statistics	3
Elective Course		3
Elective Course		2
	Hours	14
	Total Hours	120

¹

 A “C” or better is required in this course.

 Courses noted with FL or SP are only offered in those semesters.

• PLO 1. Explain the history, philosophy, core functions, essential services, and major systems/actors of public health at local, national, and global levels.
• PLO 2. Apply foundational epidemiologic concepts (measures of disease frequency/association, study designs, causation, bias/confounding) to interpret population health patterns and evidence.
• PLO 3. Analyze global health challenges using a population-based lens, including social, economic, political, and environmental drivers of health inequities across countries.
• PLO 4. Evaluate how social determinants of health shape outcomes and inequities, and propose strategies that improve health equity across communities and populations.
• PLO 5. Assess major environmental exposures and hazards (biological, chemical, physical) and describe public health strategies for prevention and risk reduction.
• PLO 6. Describe mechanisms of disease transmission and prevention, and recommend evidence-based strategies for communicable and chronic disease control.
• PLO 7. Design public health programs using needs assessment, theory-informed planning, implementation strategies, and evaluation methods aligned with priority populations and outcomes.
• PLO 8. Explain how public health and healthcare systems operate, and evaluate how policies influence access, quality, costs, and population health outcomes.
• PLO 9. Use quantitative reasoning to interpret public health research, including basic statistical concepts, data interpretation, and translating results for decision-making.
• PLO 10. Demonstrate professional public health practice skills through supervised field experiences, including communication, ethical conduct, teamwork, and delivering outputs that meet stakeholder needs.