Description and Purpose

The Public Health minor will provide undergraduate students with an understanding of population-level approaches to protecting and improving health. The minor is particularly desirable to students preparing to pursue a health-related career. Public health covers a broad range of disciplines and issues, including such topics as environmental pollution, access to health insurance, behavioral health, substance abuse, spread of infectious disease, bioterrorism, and obesity. The minor can serve as a precursor to further study in public health, other health professions, or any fields in which the health of persons and populations is a relevant concern. In addition, public health can be a component of a rigorous liberal arts education.

Public Health Minor Declaration Form

Program Goals:

Students who complete the minor in Public health will demonstrate the following:

  • Knowledge of key content regarding epidemiology and biostatistics, major health conditions, disease prevention strategies, and health disparities.
  • Knowledge of key determinants of health and disease, including biological factors, individual behavior, and social, political, and cultural influences.
  • Ability to communicate orally and in writing about concepts in epidemiology and biostatistics, disease prevention, and health disparities.
  • Demonstrate an enhanced set of skills by participation in a service learning or internship experiences.

Minor Requirements

The Public Health minor is available to any undergraduate student at Duquesne University, regardless of major. The minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0. A minimum of 12 semester hours of the minor must be completed in residence at Duquesne University, and credit earned through Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, CLEP, and Credit-by-Exam may count as credits-in-residence. There is no restriction on credit-sharing between majors and minors, the University Core Curriculum, or a School's or the College's Core Curriculum.

Students taking the Public Health minor are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits. There are 4 required non-sequential courses and one elective course:

1. PBHL 205 - International Public Health, or
GLBH 185 - Introduction to Global Health - 3 credits
2. PBHL 301 - Introduction to Epidemiology - 3 credits
3. MATH 225 - Introduction to Biostatistics - 3 credits
4. PBHL 201 - Introduction to Public Health - 3 credits
5. Elective - 3 credits

Students may request credit for an elective course that is not on the list. Approval may be granted when the course includes at least 50% public health content. Such content may be added by requiring the student to complete written assignments/projects related to an approved public health topic. The public health advisors will make the final decision regarding such requests.

If you have additional questions about the elective, or about the minor, please email Heather%20Haskins, Student Success Coach, in the Rangos School of Health Sciences.