Courses | B.S. in Public Health
Below are the course requirements for this academic program. In addition to these program-specific requirements, all majors include Biola's traditional undergraduate core curriculum. For more program details, including a sample course sequence, visit Biola's academic catalog.
GPA Requirements
All major requirements must be completed with a C- or better grade.
Curriculum Requirements
The number of credits required to graduate with a Public Health, B.S is the university minimum of 120, and the degree offers a concentration in Global Health, which is detailed below.
Concentration
Global Health
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health majors meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 9 credits in behavioral science, science, and mathematics within the major. The foreign language requirement is met by two years of high school study in the same language or four credits of college foreign language. PHIL 215 is the recommended Philosophy Core Curriculum course. | ||
| Concentration Core Courses | ||
| KNES 200 | Public Health Principles and Practice | 3 |
| KNES 307 | Measurement and Evaluation in Kinesiology | 3 |
| KNES 310 | Community and Global Health 1 | 3 |
| or PHLT 510 | Community and Global Health | |
| KNES 320 | Health Behavior and Health Promotion 1 | 3 |
| or PHLT 520 | Health Behavior and Health Promotion | |
| KNES 330 | Global Health Leadership 1 | 3 |
| or PHLT 530 | Global Health Leadership | |
| KNES 355 | Health Care Systems | 3 |
| KNES 432 | Global Health Ethics and Human Rights 1 | 3 |
| or PHLT 632 | Global Health Ethics and Human Rights | |
| KNES 475 | Public Health Capstone Practicum | 3 |
| Concentration Elective Courses (select 9 credits) | 9 | |
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Health Education and Health Promotion | ||
| Principles of Epidemiology | ||
| Principles of Biostatistics | ||
| Applied Public Health Research Methods | ||
| Current Issues in Global Health | ||
| Global Communicable Disease Control | ||
| Public Health Policy and Practice | ||
| Topics in Kinesiology and Public Health | ||
| Directed Study | ||
| Internship | ||
| Introduction to Psychopathology | ||
| Cross-Cultural/Ethnic Issues in Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychology: Lifespan | ||
| Biology Requirements | ||
| BIOS 236 | Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| or BIOS 254 | Human Anatomy | |
| or BIOS 281 | Physiology | |
| KNES 325 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| Math Requirement 2 | ||
| MATH 318 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| or MATH 210 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | |
| Psychology Requirement | ||
| PSYC 200 | Introduction to Psychology 3 | 3 |
| Concentration Course Requirements: 46 credits | ||
| Core Curriculum Requirements | 54-58 | |
| General Electives 4 | 16-20 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
Students planning to transition to the MPH program can take PHLT courses with department approval.
- 2
Either course fulfills the Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement.
- 3
Fulfills the Behavioral Science Core Curriculum requirement.
- 4
May be taken as additional Concentration Elective courses. May also be counted as prerequisites required for Concentration Elective courses.
Pre-Health Professions
As of March 2025, this concentration is in teach-out phase; it is not open to new or readmit students.
The Pre-Health Professions concentration helps prepare students for seven different Health Profession graduate/professional programs: (1) Pre-Medicine, (2) Pre-Veterinary Medicine, (3) Pre-Dental, (4) Pre-Optometry, (5) Pre-Pharmacy, (6) Pre-Physician Assistant, and (7) Pre-Podiatry. Each Health Profession graduate/professional program has slightly different prerequisite courses that students in the Pre-Health Professions concentration may take. Students are guided toward graduate/professional requirements during individual academic advising with their faculty advisor.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Public Health majors meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 9 credits in behavioral science, science, and mathematics within the major. The foreign language requirement is met by two years of high school study in the same language or four credits of college foreign language. PHIL 215 is the recommended Philosophy Core Curriculum course. | ||
| Concentration Core Courses | ||
| KNES 200 | Public Health Principles and Practice | 3 |
| KNES 300 | Health Education and Health Promotion | 3 |
| KNES 340 | Health Policy and Ethics | 3 |
| or KNES 355 | Health Care Systems | |
| KNES 475 | Public Health Capstone Practicum | 3 |
| Concentration Elective Courses (select 3 credits) 1 | 3 | |
| Microbiology | ||
| Nutrition and Metabolism | ||
| Genetics | ||
| General Biochemistry I | ||
or CHEM 411 | General Biochemistry I | |
| General Biochemistry II | ||
or CHEM 412 | General Biochemistry II | |
| Principles of Epidemiology | ||
| Measurement and Evaluation in Kinesiology | ||
| Community and Global Health | ||
| Principles of Biostatistics | ||
| Health Behavior and Health Promotion | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Applied Public Health Research Methods | ||
| Global Communicable Disease Control | ||
| Current Issues in Epidemiology | ||
| Molecular Epidemiology | ||
| Epidemiology of Chronic Disease | ||
| Outbreak and Emergency Preparedness | ||
| Cancer Epidemiology | ||
| Public Health Policy and Practice | ||
| Topics in Kinesiology and Public Health | ||
| Internship | ||
| Introduction to Psychopathology | ||
| Developmental Psychology: Lifespan | ||
| Chemistry Requirements | ||
| CHEM 107 | Introduction to Chemistry 2 | 3 |
| CHEM 105 | General Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 115 | General Chemistry I Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 106 | General Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 116 | General Chemistry II Lab | 1 |
| CHEM 301 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 311 | Laboratory in Organic Chemistry I | 1 |
| CHEM 302 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 312 | Laboratory in Organic Chemistry II | 1 |
| Physics Requirements 3 | ||
| PHSC 111 | Physics I 4 | 3 |
| or PHSC 100 | Physics I with Foundations | |
| PHSC 117 | Physics I Laboratory | 1 |
| PHSC 112 | Physics II | 3 |
| PHSC 118 | Physics II Laboratory | 1 |
| Biology Requirements | ||
| BIOS 111 | Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 113 | Fundamentals of Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOS 112 | Fundamentals of Organismal Biology | 3 |
| BIOS 114 | Fundamentals of Organismal Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIOS 236 | Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| or BIOS 254 | Human Anatomy | |
| or BIOS 281 | Physiology | |
| BIOS 312 | Cell and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| Math Requirement 5 | ||
| MATH 318 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| or MATH 150 | Calculus I | |
| or MATH 210 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | |
| Psychology Requirement | ||
| PSYC 200 | Introduction to Psychology 6 | 3 |
| Concentration Course Requirements: 60-63 credits | ||
| Core Curriculum Requirements | 54-58 | |
| General Electives 7 | 2-6 | |
| Total Credits | 120-121 | |
- 1
Approved transfer coursework may also fulfill this requirement.
- 2
CHEM 107 is waived for students who meet the qualifications to enter CHEM 105. See the current Placement Options for CHEM 105 for more information.
- 3
The recommended Physics sequence is PHSC 111 or 100/117 and PHSC 112/118, but it can be substituted with the PHSC 132/134 and PHSC 233/237 course sequence.
- 4
All students who do not meet one of the Physics 111 Placement Options must enroll in PHSC 100.
- 5
Fulfills the Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement.
- 6
Fulfills the Behavioral Science Core Curriculum requirement.
- 7
May be taken as additional Concentration Elective courses. Not required for students who take CHEM 107.
MPH Grad Track
As of March 2025, this concentration is in teach-out phase; it is not open to new or readmit students.
Students will earn a Public Health, B.S. and advance to the Master of Public Health in one of two specializations offered by completing a minimum of 150 credits for both degrees.
The mission of the Master of Public Health (MPH) program is to provide rigorous academic and practical experiences to equip public health agents of change: dedicated to improving population health, establishing preventative measures, and promoting health equality, with careers in government health agencies, healthcare systems, and non-profit organizations.
The MPH program at Biola University is focused on preparing public health professionals who are ethical leaders equipped to serve local and global communities. Our MPH program allows students to focus on one of two public health specializations:
1. Master of Public Health in Global Health
2. Master of Public Health in Epidemiology - As of March 2025, this specialization is in teach-out phase; it is not open to new or readmit students.
The Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) for the Undergraduate portion of the MPH Grad Track are located on the tab of this program page. The PLOs and Admission/Graduation Requirements for the Graduate (MPH) degree can be found on the program pages for the Master of Public Health in Global Health and the Master of Public Health in Epidemiology.
CEPH Accreditation Status
The MPH program at Biola University is a pre-candidate for accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Biola University is working with CEPH towards obtaining Public Health Program (PHP) CEPH accreditation.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Undergraduate Level Requirements | ||
| Public Health majors meet the Core Curriculum requirement of 9 credits in behavioral science, science, and mathematics within the major. The foreign language requirement is met by two years of high school study in the same language or four credits of college foreign language. PHIL 215 is the recommended Philosophy Core Curriculum course. | ||
| Public Health Requirements | ||
| KNES 200 | Public Health Principles and Practice | 3 |
| KNES 300 | Health Education and Health Promotion | 3 |
| KNES 340 | Health Policy and Ethics | 3 |
| KNES 355 | Health Care Systems | 3 |
| Concentration Elective Courses (Select 9 credits) | 9 | |
| Introduction to Development | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
or COMM 472 | Intercultural Communication | |
| Seminar: Topics in Intercultural Health Care 1 | ||
| Measurement and Evaluation in Kinesiology | ||
| Applied Public Health Research Methods | ||
| Topics in Kinesiology and Public Health | ||
| Internship | ||
| Introduction to Psychopathology | ||
| Cross-Cultural/Ethnic Issues in Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychology: Lifespan | ||
| Biology Requirements | ||
| BIOS 236 | Principles of Human Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| or BIOS 254 | Human Anatomy | |
| or BIOS 281 | Physiology | |
| BIOS 305 | Global Development and Ecological Sustainability | 3 |
| or BIOS 353 | Environmental Ethics | |
| Math Requirement 2 | ||
| MATH 210 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 3 |
| or MATH 318 | Biostatistics | |
| Psychology Requirement | ||
| PSYC 200 | Introduction to Psychology 3 | 3 |
| Graduate Level MPH Requirements | ||
| PHLT 505 | Principles of Epidemiology | 3 |
| PHLT 510 | Community and Global Health | 3 |
| PHLT 515 | Principles of Biostatistics | 3 |
| PHLT 535 | Public Health Policy and Practice | 3 |
| Concentration Course Requirements: 46 credits | ||
| Core Curriculum Requirements | 54-58 | |
| General Electives 4 | 16-20 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
Select from the following topics: Global Health Perspectives, Global Health Priorities, Global Health Begins with Personal Health, Communication in the Context of Culture.
- 2
Fulfills the Mathematics Core Curriculum requirement.
- 3
Fulfills the Behavioral Science Core Curriculum requirement.
- 4
May be taken as additional Concentration Elective courses. May also be counted as prerequisites required for Public Health Elective courses.
Graduate Level (MPH) Requirements
Public Health BS/MPH Advancement Requirements
In order to advance from the Public Health, B.S. to the MPH degree, students need to fulfill the following requirements prior to starting graduate coursework (by the beginning of their last year).
- Complete Biola University’s Graduate Education application
- Interview with an MPH graduate faculty
- Have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale
- Students with a 2.8 cumulative GPA or higher will be considered but the decision is highly weighted on their graduate faculty interview
- Write a statement of purpose and objectives
MPH, Global Health Specialization
Below are the detailed requirements for the MPH, Global Health specialization. Four 500-level PHLT courses are taken in the MPH Grad Track students’ last undergraduate year. As of March 2025, the MPH Grad Track concentration is in teach-out phase; it is not open to new or readmit students.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Global Health Core Requirements | ||
| Principles of Epidemiology 1 | ||
| Community and Global Health 1 | ||
| Principles of Biostatistics 1 | ||
| PHLT 520 | Health Behavior and Health Promotion | 3 |
| PHLT 525 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHLT 530 | Global Health Leadership | 3 |
| Public Health Policy and Practice 1 | ||
| PHLT 605 | Research Methods | 3 |
| PHLT 610 | Public Health Integrative Experience | 2 |
| PHLT 615 | Graduate Project | 4 |
| PHLT 620 | Public Health Practicum | 3 |
| Global Health Elective courses (select 9 credits from the following) | 9 | |
| Current Issues in Global Health | ||
| Global Health Ethics and Human Rights | ||
| Grant Writing | ||
| Integration of Global Health and Missions | ||
| International Program Design | ||
| Global Communicable Disease Control | ||
| Community Health Assessment, Planning and Evaluation | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Graduate MPH course taken in students' last undergraduate year.
MPH, Epidemiology Specialization
As of March 2025, this specialization is in teach-out phase; it is not open to new or readmit students.
Below are the detailed requirements for the MPH, Epidemiology specialization. Four 500-level PHLT courses are taken in the MPH Grad Track students’ last undergraduate year. As of March 2025, the MPH Grad Track concentration is in teach-out phase; it is not open to new or readmit students.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Epidemiology Core Requirements | ||
| Principles of Epidemiology 1 | ||
| Community and Global Health 1 | ||
| Principles of Biostatistics 1 | ||
| PHLT 520 | Health Behavior and Health Promotion | 3 |
| PHLT 525 | Environmental Health | 3 |
| PHLT 530 | Global Health Leadership | 3 |
| Public Health Policy and Practice 1 | ||
| PHLT 605 | Research Methods | 3 |
| PHLT 610 | Public Health Integrative Experience | 2 |
| PHLT 615 | Graduate Project | 4 |
| PHLT 620 | Public Health Practicum | 3 |
| Epidemiology Elective courses (select 9 credits from the following) | 9 | |
| Global Communicable Disease Control | ||
| Current Issues in Epidemiology | ||
| Molecular Epidemiology | ||
| Epidemiology of Chronic Disease | ||
| Outbreak and Emergency Preparedness | ||
| Cancer Epidemiology | ||
| Applied Methods in Epidemiology | ||
| Total Credits | 30 | |
- 1
Graduate MPH course taken in students' last undergraduate year.