Bachelor’s Degree Programs
The University of Michigan School of Public Health offers two upper-level bachelor’s degree programs for students interested in majoring in public health. The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Community and Global Public Health and the Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health Sciences each provide an interdisciplinary undergraduate liberal education through the lens of public health.
Undergraduate students take a variety of courses to build general public health knowledge and develop a broad, interdisciplinary understanding of how to address existing and emerging public health problems. Both degrees require a set of integrated core courses with additional requirements that encourage students to explore a breadth of coursework.
Learn More about Undergraduate Degree Requirements
BA in Community and Global Public Health
The BA is for students who:
- Have an interest in the complex interplay of cultural, ethical, social, economic, political, and social justice forces that shape human health globally and locally
- Are interested in working in public health or other health-related related fields
- Would like to pursue careers in health education and promotion, public health policy and administration, or non-profit/governmental work
Students will:
- Gain an understanding of key determinants of health from a socio-ecological perspective, and explore socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
- Investigate approaches to addressing major public health concerns with cultural humility within the constraints of limited resources and health infrastructure
- Examine and explore the range of public health interventions that are focused on improving the health and well-being of communities both globally and locally
- Examine and explore the types of infrastructure that are needed to ensure that global, federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local health-related agencies and organizations have the capacity to provide essential public health services
BS in Public Health Sciences
The BS is for
- Are interested in exploring public health problems from a science based or clinical perspective
- Plan to continue at the graduate level in public health disciplines including epidemiology, environmental health sciences, and data sciences
- Intend to pursue future training in the health sciences, such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, kinesiology, pharmacy, and social work
BS Students will
- Gain an understanding of the natural history of infectious and chronic diseases, their environmental and biological origins, their distributions among populations, and strategies for their prevention and management
- Examine and explore multiple aspects of infectious and chronic diseases, including
biological, environmental, and genetic factors that contribute to their origin and
distribution among populations
Understand the basic biology, transmission, and natural history of important human infectious and chronic diseases - Examine methodologies that are used in public health to study the underlying causes and impact of various aspects of infectious and chronic diseases, including surveillance, epidemiological investigations, and mathematical modeling
- Explore multi-tiered public health strategies for the prevention, treatment, and potential eradication of infectious and chronic diseases
- Be able to complete other pre-health requirements
Ready to Apply?
Start with our Admissions page to learn about specific degree application deadlines and requirements.
EXPLORE THE BACHELOR'S OF PUBLIC HEALTH
Questions?
For more information about the undergraduate admissions process, contact our admissions team at sph-inquiries@umich.edu or 734-764-5425.
If you would like to receive more information about a specific department or program, please join our interest list. You can also request a phone, zoom or in-person appointment.