Temple University Department of Public Health Undergraduate Major in Public Health

1. Temple University Department of Public HealthUndergraduate Major in Public Health Dr. Sarah Bauerle Bass, AssistantProfessor of Public Health and Undergraduate Program Director, Department of Public Health, Temple University

2. Undergraduate Degree • The Public Health major trains entry-level public health educators to provide front-line preventive health information, services, and health behavior interventions at the community level, particularly in communities with high-risk populations. • Temple is the only CEPH accredited university in the Philadelphia metropolitan area offering training in undergraduate public health education.

3. Overview • Changed its name in 2001(from Community Health Education); resulted in 42% higher admissions • Currently has 120 active PH majors • In a Department of Public Health, housed in College of Health Professions

4. Curriculum of Public Health Major • 76 credits in public health core; 23 in cognate core; 25 university core = 124 total credit hours for graduation. • University core is required of all students = 25 credits. • The cognate core includes courses outside the department but considered essential for a professional understanding in public health. Courses are in psychology, statistics, anatomy and physiology, health care management, business writing and public speaking = 23 credits.

5. Overview Continued The public health major core includes content courses, health professions courses, and upper level public health courses. • Content courses are in drugs and alcohol, human sexuality, environmental health, nutrition, disease control and prevention, and electives (these are open to all university students) = 29 credits. • Health profession courses are on the overall health care system and professions, health psychology, teaching techniques and professional skills – 21 credits. • Upper level public health courses are in epidemiology, counseling techniques, program planning and two internship experiences (these are open only to public health majors) = 26 credits.

6. Competency Exams Public Health majors are also required to successfully pass two competency exams; one general health content exam and then a major-specific exam. • The Content Competency Exam is a 140-question multiple choice test which measures the knowledge obtained and retained in content courses. Students must take and successfully pass (70%) this exam before Internship I. • The Public Health Program Planning Exam is an essay exam to be taken the semester before Internship II. It tests knowledge and competency in developing public health programs.

7. Capstone Courses - PHw321; PHw340 • Two semester course that teaches how to develop and implement public health education programs. Requires each student to pick a health topic and a target community and write a grant proposal. • Proposal includes: literature review, community assessment, goals and objectives, program description, community involvement plan, marketing plan, budget and budget justification and evaluation plan.

8. Internships • Students are required to complete two internships: a five (5) credit Internship and a nine (9) credit Internship in their last two semesters. • Together the student gets 600 contact hours with public health professionals. • Students are placed in public health agencies, health departments, hospitals or other community based organizations that do public health or health education activities.

9. Public Health Minor Requires 21 credit hours • Introduction to Health Professions • Health Psychology & Human Behavior • Epidemiology • Environmental Health • Contemporary Health issues • And two electives in the department (content areas) • Most students are from nursing, pre-med, liberal arts such as psychology, sociology and anthropology • Program has approximately 30+ students a year

10. Potential Jobs Once Graduated • Our students do a variety of things… • Approximately 30% go on to graduate education in other health professions, such as nursing, medical school, PT, PA etc. • Rest work in variety of public health venues, such as: public health departments, community based organizations, hospitals, non-profit organizations, insurance companies

11. The Classroom • Content courses are open to all university students and range from 20 to 100 students (taught by faculty and TAs) • Upper level public health courses are all taught by faculty and size is generally 20-30 students • All types of teaching models are used

12. Articulation of Graduate and Undergraduate Programs • At this time, no articulation between programs, although we are pursuing the possibility of a 5 year BS/MPH program • Courses do not overlap, although three electives can be taken by both BS and Graduate students (International Health, Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Understanding Stress) • Both levels can also participate in a summer abroad program doing public health work and study in Costa Rica

13. Administrative Structure and Control • Undergrad program is under direction of a full-time faculty member who also serves as the undergraduate program director • Also full-time student advisor • Department and College undergraduate program committees made up of faculty

14. Current Issues • Recently closed the BS is School Health Education program • Curricular changes to be more public health focused • Looking to develop BS/MPH program, perhaps a “clinical track”, new electives in sanitation or disease control

15. To Contact Me… Sarah Bass 215-204-5110 sbass@temple.edu