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What is Public Health?
Public Health is a growing field of study that challenges students to tackle complex health issues, such as improving access to health care, confronting infectious diseases, reducing environmental hazards, and reducing violence, chronic disease and substance abuse. The main focus is on disease and injury prevention through behavior and educational interventions, disease surveillance to assess morbidity and mortality and disease control through environmental efforts in populations than individuals. It has been said that “health care is vital to all of us some of the time, but public health is vital to all of us all of the time”. The mission of public health is to fulfill society’s interest in assuring conditions in which people can be healthy.
What program of study does Temple offer in Public Health?
Temple’s Bachelor of Science (BS) is a four year program and offers expertise in public health, including the five key disciplines: health psychology and human behavior, epidemiology, environmental health, biostatistics and healthcare administration. The program has an emphasis on community-based program planning and health education, but students will get a well-rounded education to practice public health. The department also has a minor in public health for students majoring in other disciplines. Temple offers the only BS in Public Health in the region.
At the graduate level, the department offers a Master in Education (Ed. M.), a Master of Science in Epidemiology, and a Master of Science (MS) in Environmental Health with concentrations in Occupational Health/Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health/Environmental Technology. The department also offers a Master of Public Health (MPH), and five dual degrees with Medicine (MD/MPH), Osteopathy (DO/MPH), Podiatry (DPM/MPH), Social Work (MSW/MPH) and Dentistry (DMD/MPH). The program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Finally, the department offers a doctoral program (Ph.D.) with a concentration in a variety of public health specialties.
What are the career opportunities in Public Health?
Public Health professionals are highly valued and are employed in a variety of settings locally, nationally, and internationally in health departments, hospitals, non-profit agencies, family planning clinics, health insurance companies, voluntary health organizations, corporate health settings, pharmaceutical companies, research organizations, healthcare foundations, schools and colleges and universities.
Examples of Public Health practice include: promoting healthy lifestyles to prevent chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity; preventing pollution of air, land and drinking waters; improving nutrition and access to healthy foods; preventing smoking among adolescents; reducing sexually transmitted diseases, teen pregnancy and infant mortality; preventing infectious diseases and outbreaks such as measles, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Public health professionals are also uniquely qualified to respond to and develop plans around bioterrorism threats and national emergencies.
In addition, the BS in Public Health is an excellent undergraduate major for those students interested in graduate education in Public Health, medicine or other health professions.
What do students study as Public Health majors?
Undergraduate students take courses in English Composition, Intellectual Heritage, Writing Intensives and CORE Electives in the areas of American Culture, Individual & Society, Arts, Foreign Language/International Studies, Science & Technology, Studies in Race and Electives. Students are also required to take courses in Kinesiology, Healthcare Management and Speech Communications, as well as professional health content and application courses in the Public Health Department.
Professional courses completed in the Public Health Department include:
- Introduction to Public Health
- Drugs and Alcohol in Society
- Disease Prevention and Control
- Nutrition and Health
- Human Sexuality
- Health Psychology and Human Behavior
- Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation
- Research Methods
- Public Health Marketing and Administration
- Counseling Techniques for Health Professionals
- Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
- Teaching Techniques
In addition, students may choose public health electives to supplement their interests. These include,
to name a few:
- AIDS and Society
- Health Communication
- International Health
- Bioterrorism
- Stress Management
- Contemporary Health Issues
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine
In addition to coursework, Public Health majors complete two internships in a variety of public health settings. Internships enable students to apply their knowledge and skills to health issues in a supervised real-world setting. Public Health students graduate with more than 600 hours of hands-on, practical experience. Finally, Public Health students complete a capstone project where they develop and plan a public health education program and write an entire grant proposal.
What is the application process for Public Health?
Incoming freshmen and transfer students must apply at the Undergraduate Admissions Office at Temple University and designate Public Health as the intended major. Students currently enrolled at Temple University should contact the Undergraduate Academic Advisor in the College of Health Professions to obtain an Intra-University Transfer Application and for a personal interview. Students must possess a minimum GPA of 2.0 before transferring into the Department of Public Health.
What high school preparation is recommended for a major in Public Health?
Students should take college preparatory courses in high school. Special emphasis should be given to math, science, communications and psychology.
Where can I find more information?
You can find more information at the Public Health department web site: www.temple.edu/publichealth
What is a Master's of Public Health?
The Master's of Public Health (MPH) in Community Health Education is a 45 semester hour degree designed to train graduates to work effectively as health educators in a wide variety of health-related community agencies and institutions such as public health departments, voluntary health agencies, hospitals and out patient clinics.
What do students study as Community Health Educators?
Students must be familiar with the organization, administration and economics of public and private health care settings; understand how knowledge, attitudes, and behavior are related to health, possess the skills to plan and implement programs using appropriate educational strategies to improve health behavior and service delivery. A working knowledge of biostatistics and epidemiology are needed to understand the scientific literature.
Professional courses completed in the Public Health Department include:
Statistical Methods in Health
Epidemiology
History, Philosophy, and Bio-ethical issues of Public Health
Contempory Environmental and Public Health Issues
Foundations of Health Behavior
Program Planning and Evaluation
Research DesignWhat is the application Process?
Students must apply to the Graduate School and designate Public Health. Applicants typically have a BS in a related field and must meet admission requirements of the Department of Public Health and CEPH.
Where can I find more information?
You can find more information at the Public Health department web site: www.temple.edu/publichealth
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR STUDIES IN PUBLIC HEALTH?
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What is Environmental Health?
Environmental Health is the multidisciplinary endeavor to promote public health through a healthy and sustainable environment. It works at the intersection of environmental factors and human health. Environmental Health is concerned with such broad-ranging issues as chemicals and microbes in the air, water and soil; physical factors such as noise and radiation; food safety and sanitation; and the health impacts of global climate change.
What program of study does Temple offer in Environmental Health?
Temple offers a Master of Science (MS) degree in Environmental Health, with concentrations in Occupational Health/Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health/Environmental Technology. A dual degree program leading to the MS in Environmental Health and Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Management is also available.
What are the career opportunities in Environmental Health?
Environmental Health professionals are employed in a variety of settings both public and private sectors. Opportunities range from working at a local health department to the World Health Organization, and from working at a small consulting company to a multi-national corporation.
What do students study as Environmental Health majors?
Students enrolled in the Environmental Health/Industrial Hygiene concentration will study the application of basic scientific and engineering principles to recognize, evaluate and control workplace health and safety hazards. Students who opt for the Environmental Health/Environmental Technology emphasis focus on the broader, community environment and deal with the evaluation, control and mitigation of environmental pollution.
Professional courses completed in the Public Health Department include:
- Analytic Instrumentation
- Environmental Noise
- Epidemiology
- Industrial Hygiene
- Industrial Safety
- Ergonomics and Human Factors
- Environmental Toxicology
- Radiological Health
- Medical Aspects of Occupational Health
What is the application process for Environmental Health?
Students must apply to the Graduate School at Temple University and designate Environmental Health as the intended major. Applicants typically have a baccalaureate degree in the natural sciences, engineering or other areas related to the program curriculum. Applicants must meet the admission requirements of the Department of Public Health and the Graduate School. Applications are evaluated on factors including the undergraduate transcript, letters of recommendation, a personal statement and the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Graduate School Applications are available on-line.
What high school preparation is recommended for a major in Environmental Health?
Students should take college preparatory courses in high school. Special emphasis should be given to math and sciences (especially biology and chemistry).
Where can I find more information?
You can find more information about the Environmental Health program at the Public Health department web site: www.temple.edu/publichealth
ARE YOU PREPARED FOR STUDIES IN PUBLIC HEALTH?
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The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Health Studies
The College of Health Professions offers students from diverse professional backgrounds the opportunity to pursue a Ph.D. with a concentration in health communication, health education and therapeutic recreation. The 82 semester-hour Ph.D. integrates the applied social and behavioral health sciences with education in the areas of prevention, health promotion, rehabilitation over the life cycle
The Ph.D. graduates to design and conduct research and organize and supervise research related activates in both clinical and community settings. They are prepared to hold positions as faculty members in colleges and universities that offer accredited/certified practitioner in health communication, health education and therapeutic recreation. Graduates also hold positions as researchers, practitioners and administrators in community health agencies, hospitals, and managed care organizations.
What do students study?
The core curriculum includes course work in health behavior, epidemiology, historical and ethical foundations, and individual and individual and community intervention strategies in health education, health communication and therapeutic recreation. The student works closely with an advisor to select cognate courses and develop a research agenda. Courses in research methods and statistics, comprehensive examinations and a dissertation are required. Up to 30 semester hours of course work from a master's degree may be applied toward the degree which must be completed in seven years.
Core Courses:Epidemiology
History and Philosophy and Bioethical Issues in Health
Theoretical Foundations of Health Behavior
Program Planning and Evaluation
Research Design and Analysis of Health
Intermediate Educational Statistics
Multivariate Research Methods
Advanced Analysis of Variance
What is the application process?
Applicants are reviewed only in February (for fall admission) and applications are due January 15th. The application packet (transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and writing sample) must be completed to be reviewed. Admission is competitive and based on evaluation of the student's portfolio. The following are requirements for admission:
Undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and are current (i.e. within 5 years)
Letters of recommendation.
Statement of Purpose
Samples of writing.
TOEFL Test: Graduates form a non speaking country must take the test.
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