Public Health

Alice Hausman, M.P.H., Ph.D., Chair
1700 N. Broad St.
Suite 304
Philadelphia, PA 19122
Public Health Main Office Number: 215-204-8726
Public Health Fax: 215-204-1854
www.temple.edu/publichealth

The Department of Public Health's curriculum prepares students for diverse careers in the public health field that focus on creating, implementing, and evaluating interventions and programs designed to improve health status and quality of life for all individuals.  Accredited by CEPH (Council on Education in Public Health) as one of the few undergraduate public health programs in the country, the department offers a Bachelor of Science degree in public health for undergraduate students in which students study the broad range of public health concerns, including individual disease prevention and injury/harm reduction behaviors, distribution and development of disease through epidemiological assessment and community program development, implementation, and evaluation.  Students learn to use educational interventions to provide health information, gain experience in assessing the needs of target populations, clarify program goals and objectives, and develop strategies to motivate and involve their clients/patients in educational interventions.  The department has a national reputation in all curricular areas and meets appropriate accreditation standards.  Graduates from the program are eligible to sit for the national certifying exam.  They can also apply for Temple's accredited Master of Public Health, Master of Science in Epidemiology, or Master of Science in Environmental Health programs.

The Public Health major trains entry-level health educators to provide frontline preventive health information, services, and health behaviors interventions at the community level, particularly in communities with high-risk populations.  Graduates typically work in: voluntary health agencies, public health departments, hospitals, rehabilitation centers, corporate work sites, community health organizations, family planning clinics, and managed care facilities.

Mission of the Department

The mission of the department emphasizes the principles and practices of applied social-behavioral science of public health by creating and evaluating applied interventions, programs, curricula, and policies designed to improve the health status and quality of life of individuals and communities. The department strives to contribute to the rapidly-changing knowledge base in the applied social-behavioral sciences. The department’s strong service mission ensures that faculty and students are available to the communities served by Temple University; thus the department emphasizes scholarly service to regional, state, and national institutions and organizations, including schools, hospitals, and voluntary and government health agencies. Because of the pressing needs for health services in the region, coupled with our urban location, the program emphasizes public health and health education for diverse populations.

The Department of Public Health follows the requirements set forth by Temple University regarding General Education. The department has also established additional core and cognate requirements for all Public Health majors.

University Requirements

All students are required to complete a set of university requirements: GenEd or Core.

New freshman starting in the 2008-2009 academic year are required to complete the GenEd curriculum.

New transfer students starting in the 2008-2009 academic year are required to complete the Core curriculum.

All Temple students must take a minimum of two writing-intensive courses as part of the major. See below for a list of the specific courses that are required for Public Health majors.

Public Health Requirements for New Freshmen

Public Health requirements for new Transfer Students

Minor in Public Health

Certificate in Emergency Management with Special Populations

Temple University’s Department of Public Health, in collaboration with Temple’s Center for Research Preparedness Education and Practice (C-PREP), is offering classes for preparing the public health workforce and emergency managers to address the needs of special populations in a competency-based and practice-oriented framework. In emergency management a special population is any group of people that needs extra support to be prepared for an emergency, as well as those needing community support to successfully respond and recover in disasters or emergency situations. These classes are for practitioners in emergency preparedness and response, public health professionals, undergraduate students, and recent graduates with an interest in emergency preparedness and response. This program consists of a four or five course sequence, depending on previous coursework. For current public health majors and minors at Temple University, two of these courses can be used to fulfill elective requirements. The certificate program can be finished in either one or two years part time, and the courses are all offered online so that students from all over the globe and at different stages in their career can take advantage of the program. This certificate will be listed on your transcript upon completion. FEMA Higher Ed calls this program a national first in their April 11, 2008 program report.

PRE-REQUISITE (1): This course may be waived if the student can demonstrate either NIMS certification or similar coursework taken at a college or university with a grade of B or better.

            Public Health 2207: Principals of Emergency Management

CORE (3): The core courses will address the basic competencies in emergency preparedness, response, and mitigation. Within these core competencies the needs of special populations will be addressed.

            Public Health 2202: Man-Made Disasters: Radiological, Chemical & Biological Terrorism

            Public Health 2208: Natural Disasters: Response and Recovery

            Public Health 2215: Special Populations: Strategic Community Outreach

ELECTIVE (1): The electives will allow the student to customize the certificate program to meet their educational objectives and professional needs within the rubric of emergency preparedness and special populations. This includes the option to take graduate-level electives as appropriate. Recommended electives include:

            Public Health 2201 or Public Health 5105: Health Communication; graduate or undergraduate credits; in-person

            Public Health 2205 or Public Health 5004: Stress and Change; graduate or undergraduate credits; online

For More Information Contact:

Sylvia Twersky-Bumgardner, MPH
Temple University Department of Public Health
Phone: 215-204-9316
Email: sylviatb@temple.edu