Bachelor of Science in Public Health
School of Adult & Graduate Studies
Begin your Public Health Career
Montreat College’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health is designed for students with a desire to become public health professionals, administrators, and educators. Students will be equipped with analytical skills, communication skills, public health sciences skills, and leadership skills that are imperative to a career in public health.
This program starts in Fall 2023. Admissions is currently accepting applications for this start.
Public Health Degree Highlights
- Develop essential skills that can be applied across a range of settings to work toward health equity and community wellness.
- Explore the fundamentals of public health, healthcare delivery, and theories of health behavior.
- Gain the competencies needed to pursue a career in local and state public health agencies, nonprofit agencies, wellness programs and departments, and health education from experienced faculty.
- Be equipped with the knowledge and skills to further your education through our online Bachelor of Public Health.
- Enjoy the benefits of receiving a Bachelor of Public Health through online learning. Study when it is convenient in the comfort of your personal environment, while learning from supportive professors who care about your success.
For over 25 years, Montreat College’s School of Adult and Graduate Studies has been helping adult students acquire essential skills, complete their degrees, and take their career to the next level. Montreat offers undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in a classroom or online.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When are the start dates for the Public Health degree program?
Please see the admissions page for specific enrollment and start dates.
How long does it take to complete the Public Health degree program?
A Bachelor’s Degree is 120 credit hours and can take one to four years to complete depending upon the amount of credits you transfer in.
How much does the Public Health degree program cost?
The cost is $425 per credit hour plus a $200 student fee per semester. In addition, there are multiple college and government financial aid programs available to help mitigate the cost of your education. You can learn more about your financial aid options.
What jobs can you pursue with a Public Health degree?
Specific career paths this degree prepares students to enter include:
- Public Health Educator
- Health Specialist
- Researcher
- Quality Advisor
- Patient Navigator
- Manager of Community Based Care
What are the length of online courses?
Starting Fall 2021, all courses will be eight-week sessions. There are 2 sessions in a semester. To be considered a full-time undergraduate student, a student must take 12 credit hours per semester. For the 12 credit hours, the student must take 2 courses (6 credit hours) the first eight-week session and 2 courses (6 credit hours) the second eight-week session. Semesters in this Online Bachelor of Public Health Program are Spring, Summer, and Fall.
What is the job market like for people with Public Health degree?
The regional outlook is strong, with 17.73% job growth expected over the next 10 years, and 8.79% job growth, nationally.
How much money do Public Health professionals typically make?
The average regional salary of graduates with a Bachelors in Public Health is $57,991. Additionally, given the COVID-19 Pandemic, public health will continue to be an important field in the foreseeable future.
What graduate programs does this degree prepare me to apply for?
What are the admissions requirements?
Applicants must submit the following for admissions consideration:
- Montreat College Application for Admission
- Official, final transcripts of all college courses taken*
- Overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or higher in all previous college work attempted.
- Official, final high school transcript or its equivalent (if transferring less than 12 semester credits of college credit)*
- American Council on Education (ACE) verification demonstrating any eligible CLEP and DSST examinations, and non-collegiate military training.
*All final transcripts must include graduation information
What are the degree requirements?
Bachelor of Science in Public Health students must meet graduation requirements and are found in the AGS Academic Catalog.
Courses
HLTH1100 Introduction to Public Health
This course introduces agencies, facilities, and programs that play a role in the prevention of disease and the promotion of health in the public. Special emphasis is placed on the competencies needed for public health professionals to function in a variety of settings. Public health career opportunities are discussed. A Christian theological understanding of health is explored.
HLTH2100 Survey of Healthcare Delivery and Administration
This course addresses how the public health system and the broader health care system function to promote health and treat illness, as well as how governments function to address public health issues. Major topics addressed will include the structure and function of the public health system in the United States, how those functions are provided for by law and financed by governments; the structure of the health care delivery system and how it relates to the public health system; policy design and implementation and the role of government in that design.
HLTH230 Ethics and Law in Healthcare
Examines the impact of health law and regulation on health care systems. Explores how to assess liability in the workplace, the impact of medical malpractice, risk management, and current ethical and legal dilemmas in the practice of medicine. Discusses how to manage the risk of the employer and patient through the use of medical records and specific behavior patterns, how to determine personal risk, religious factors impacting individual decisions in healthcare, and how to recognize potential litigious issues in the practice of medicine.
HLTH2500 Health Education
This course introduces the student to the discipline and profession of health education. Students will examine the concepts of health and wellness, the determinants of health behavior, national health status, the history of health education and health promotion. The student will recognize health education as an important foundation for population-based health care and learn to communicate key health concepts to others.
HLTH4100 Epidemiology and Infectious Disease
This course provides an overview of epidemiological methods and the application to understanding health related issues. Students will study the distribution of diseases and pathophysiological conditions of humans and of factors which influence their occurrence. The course requires an understanding of statistical principles. Pre-req: HLTH3000 Research Methods for Public Health.
HLTH3300 Pathophysiology for Public Health
The purpose of this course is to provide students with basic understanding of pathophysiology as a change from normal physiological functioning of the various systems of the human body. The course is based on illness and disease within a systems framework. Emphasis is put on select conditions most often encountered by occupational therapists and other health professionals. The course focuses on critical thinking used to analyze the signs and symptoms based on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms and integration of knowledge.
HLTH3500 Environmental and Occupational Health
This course provides students with an understanding of the scientific process used by governmental agencies to evaluate public health threats due to environmental contamination. Students are oriented to the fundamental and applied components of risk assessment within the overarching global environment and one’s occupational involvement including: hazard identification, toxicology/dose‐response, exposure assessment, and risk characterization.
HLTH3700 Public Health Promotion
This course provides health educators with the necessary skills for the development, delivery, and evaluation of health programs to targeted populations. Integrating a multicultural and Christ-centered framework of promoting public health is addressed. Case studies involving courses of study, workshop planning, and special programs will be developed for appropriate target groups.
HLTH2700 Public Health Nutrition and Physical Activity (Meals, Movement, and Motivation)
This course is designed to address associations between diet, exercise, lifestyle, and disease. Determinants of food habits and physical activity are addressed in relation to an individual’s cultural, sociological, psychological, spiritual, and economical reality. Nutrition policies are introduced to provide a deeper knowledge of policy documents, international agreements and regulations constituting the legal framework for national and international public health nutrition activities.
HLTH3200 Programmatic Curriculum Design in Health Education
Evaluation is one of the 10 essential public health functions, one of the 7 core competencies of health education, and is critical to effective practice. This course will cover the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct program evaluation. Students will be able to design appropriate process, impact, and outcome evaluation. They will also discuss the ethical issues involved in evaluation and design.
HLTH4000 Planning and Evaluation in Health Education
This course provides the framework for skill development in organization, planning, and implementing comprehensive health promotion programs. Key topics include: planning models, needs assessment, intervention theories/models, budgeting, marketing, and implementation practices. This course meets some requirements for taking the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.
HLTH3000 Research Methods for Public Health
This course is an introduction to scientific writing, assessment instruments, data collection, research design, and statistical analysis. This will help prepare students to take the CHES exam. Students will be able to define plagiarism and recognize when it is present in their own writing and in the writing of others. They will also be able to propose, design, and conduct a small research project, work collaboratively and effectively with other people to meet a common goal, and present their research findings through written and oral communication. Students will understand their relationship between scientific and spiritual inquiry, the strengths and limitations of each, and the role of each in the pursuit of truth.
HLTH4200 Behavioral Health
This course provides a foundational and theoretical understanding of the social, emotional/mental, spiritual, physical, and lifestyle factors related to human behavior. Practical strategies are used to identify barriers to behavior and to enhance and improve health. This course will prepare students to take the CHES exam.
HLTH4500 Contemporary Health Issues (Capstone)
This course is designed for students to explore today’s important health-related topics and issues. Using current events and evolving research, emphasis is on behavior change, drawing on principles of choice architecture, person-centered design, and social marketing approaches to influence positive health outcomes. Issues will vary based on current events and may include ‘lifestyle’ issues including drug and nicotine use, including e-cigarettes; sexual health; stress, anxiety and depression; the rising incidents of violence; the unique health needs of ethnic and sexual minorities; global pandemics; nutrition—with a look at extremes, from food deserts and food insecurity to abundance and the rising obesity epidemic; and decisions related to death and dying. The course will introduce social marketing, the consumer-buying process, and other more traditional behavior change tools to encourage students to assess and possibly change their own health behaviors and practices.
