The public health field is one of the fastest growing, most exciting, and versatile areas of study on college campuses across the United States today. The Bachelor of Science in Community Health, accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), prepares students for the exciting field of public health with the knowledge, understanding and application of evidence-based approaches to public health. The program explores community health, health promotion, health education, and disease prevention policies and practices. Graduates work with a variety of health-related organizations and are expected to confront complex behavioral, cultural, and social challenges affecting populations at the local, national, regional, and global levels.

Community Health students develop public health competencies and skills necessary for entry-level positions in a variety of professional settings, including local, state, and federal health and social service agencies and non-governmental and voluntary health organizations, health care delivery, and private industry. Students completing this degree are eligible for and strongly encouraged to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.

The BS in Community Health is unique in that it provides a solid foundation for students interested in pursuing graduate degrees in public health or advanced training in a health profession (see the Clinical Science concentration).

Optional Concentrations

Students may wish to complete an optional concentration in Global Health, Clinical Science, Nutrition, or Physical Activity and Public Health. Selection of a concentration is not required.

Global Health Concentration

The Global Health concentration is designed to increase students' awareness of the major health problems and issues that transcend national boundaries, including understanding diseases and other health security threats reflecting the new global landscape, such as tobacco use and obesity, and emerging infectious diseases such as the COVID-19 pandemic, avian influenza, and Ebola. Students complete the required coursework for the BS in Community Health and specialized coursework in global health in addition to interdisciplinary coursework. This concentration is designed for students interested in public health with a global perspective.

Clinical Science Concentration

The Clinical Science concentration prepares students for graduate clinical training in a health profession such as medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, occupational and physical therapy, and pharmacy. This concentration provides students the flexibility to design their curriculum to satisfy prerequisites for these programs. Students choosing this option are encouraged to check coursework requirements for their desired health profession as these requirements vary.

Nutrition Concentration

The Nutrition concentration provides students interested in nutritional health with a strong foundation of the factors affecting individual, community, and global nutrition, as well as the tools to plan effective interventions.

Physical Activity and Public Health Concentration

Numerous public health burdens such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and depression can be prevented, delayed, or managed with proper physical activity. The Physical Activity and Public Health concentration prepares students to effectively advocate for policies, programs, and legislation that enables equitable opportunities for physical activity across all levels of society. The completion of this concentration prepares students to take the Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist certification.

Policies

  • For all policies governing bachelor's degrees, see A.5.3.2 Requirements for Bachelor's Degrees.
  • A criminal background check and proof of vaccination status may be required of students prior to beginning the internship if required by the internship organization. 
  • A minimum grade of C must be earned in all major courses.
  • Students must check with their advisor to ensure that all requirements have been met prior to graduation and should assess their own degree evaluation in Patriot Web each semester.

Banner Code: PH-BS-COMH

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 120

Students must fulfill all requirements for bachelor's degrees, including the Mason Core requirements.

Mason Core

Foundation Requirements
Written Communication 1
ENGH 101Composition (Mason Core)3
Oral Communication
COMM 100Public Speaking (Mason Core)3
or COMM 101 Fundamentals of Communication (Mason Core)
Quantitative Reasoning
Any Mason Core Quantitative Reasoning course3-4
Information Technology
Any Mason Core Information Technology course3-6
Exploratory Requirements
Literature
Any Mason Core Literature course3
Arts
Any Mason Core Arts course3
Natural Science 2
Any Mason Core non-lab science course 33
Any Mason Core lab science course4
Global History
Any Mason Core Global History course3
Global Contexts
GCH 205Global Health (Mason Core)3
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Any Mason Core Social and Behavioral Sciences course3
Integration Requirements
ENGH 302Advanced Composition (Mason Core) (social science section recommended)3
Writing Intensive 4
Mason Apex 5
Total Credits30-41
1

Nonnative speakers of English with limited proficiency in the language may substitute ENGH 100 for ENGH 101. Students must attain a minimum grade of C in ENGH 100 or ENGH 101 to fulfill degree requirements.

2

Only for students who choose the Global Health concentration, Nutrition concentration, or no concentration. Students in the Clinical Science concentration complete the Mason Core Natural Science requirement within their concentration courses.

3

The recommended course for students in the Nutrition and Physical Activity and Public Health concentrations is NUTR 295 Introduction to Nutrition (Mason Core). This is a prerequisite for required courses in these concentrations.

4

This program includes the writing intensive course as a part of the major requirements; this course is therefore not counted towards the total required for Mason Core.

5

This program includes a capstone course as a part of the major requirements; this course is therefore not counted towards the total required for the Mason Core.

Required Courses

Select one of the following sequences:8
Applied Human Anatomy and Physiology I
and Applied Human Anatomy and Physiology II
Human Anatomy and Physiology I
and Human Anatomy and Physiology II

Community Health Major Core

Completion of this curriculum also prepares students to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam.

GCH 300Introduction to Public Health3
GCH 310Health Behavior Theories3
GCH 332Health and Disease3
GCH 335Applied Health Statistics3
GCH 350Health Promotion and Education3
GCH 360Health and Environment3
GCH 376Health Ethics, Leadership, and Advocacy3
GCH 380Public Health Research Methods3
GCH 411Health Program Planning and Evaluation (Mason Core) (fulfills writing intensive requirement)3
GCH 412Fundamentals of Epidemiology3
GCH 445Social Determinants of Health3
GCH 465Community Health Capstone (Mason Core)3
or GCH 466 Physical Activity in Public Health Capstone (Mason Core)
Total Credits36

Completing the Degree without a Concentration

Students completing the BS without a concentration follow the coursework outlined below. 

Additional Courses
Select nine credits of 300- or 400-level courses from the following9
Other 300- or 400-level course approved by advisor
General Electives
Select 30 credits of General Electives30
Total Credits39

Global Health Concentration (GLOH)

The optional global health concentration enables students to look at public health issues through a global lens and increases understanding of the differences in health, well-being, disease, and interventions that exist within an international context.

Concentration Courses
GGS 101Major World Regions (Mason Core)3
or GGS 103 Human Geography (Mason Core)
or GGS 340 Health Geography
GCH 305Introduction to OneHealth3
GCH 405Global Health Interventions: History and Systems3
GCH 406Global Health Interventions: Emerging Issues3
GCH 426Global Emerging Infectious Diseases3
One 3-credit 300- or 400-level GCH course3
General Electives
Select 21 credits of General Electives21
Total Credits39

Clinical Science Concentration (CLNS)

The optional clinical science concentration prepares students to apply for graduate programs in fields such as medicine, physical therapy, occupational therapy, dentistry, pharmacy, and optometry. This concentration does not guarantee entrance into a graduate health professional program. It is important to note that, depending on the type of graduate program in which a student is interested, additional coursework may be required. It is the student's responsibility to determine the essential criteria for admission to their target schools in consultation with the health professions advising office.

Concentration Courses
Select a minimum of 20 credits of the following:20
Introductory Biology II-Survey of Cell and Molecular Biology (Mason Core)
and Introductory Biology II Laboratory (Mason Core) 1
Cell Structure and Function (Mason Core) 1
Introductory Microbiology
and Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
Biology of Microorganisms
and Biology of Microorganisms Laboratory
General Genetics
General Biochemistry
General Chemistry I (Mason Core)
and General Chemistry Laboratory I (Mason Core) 1
General Chemistry II (Mason Core)
and General Chemistry Laboratory II (Mason Core) 1
Organic Chemistry I
and Organic Chemistry Lab I
Organic Chemistry II
and Organic Chemistry Lab II
College Physics I (Mason Core)
and College Physics I Lab (Mason Core) 1
College Physics II (Mason Core)
and College Physics II Lab (Mason Core) 1
General Electives
Select 26 credits of General Electives26
Total Credits46
1

At least 8 of these credits must be selected from these courses to fulfill the Mason Core Natural Science requirement.

Nutrition Concentration (NUTR)

The optional nutrition concentration provides students interested in nutritional health with a strong knowledge base in factors affecting individual, community, and global nutrition, as well as the tools to plan effective interventions.

Concentration Courses
NUTR 315Fundamentals of Cooking3
NUTR 410Introduction to Food Safety and Defense3
NUTR 420Strategies for Nutrition Education3
NUTR 421Community Nutrition3
NUTR 422Nutrition throughout the Life Cycle3
NUTR 423Nutrition and Chronic Illnesses3
NUTR 451Nutrition Assessment3
Nutrition Electives
Students should select from the following list or get advisor approval:3
Food and Human Evolution
Pre-Internship Seminar
Global and Community Health Internship
Taste and Place
Food, Culture, Nutrition and the Mediterranean Diet
Urban Agriculture
Nutrition and Weight Management: Obesity, Anorexia, and Bulimia
Special Topics in Nutrition and Food Studies
General Electives
Select 15 credits of General Electives15
Total Credits39

Physical Activity and Public Health (PAPH)

Numerous public health burdens such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and depression can be prevented, delayed, or managed with proper physical activity. The optional physical activity and public health concentration prepares students to effectively advocate for policies, programs, and legislation that enables equitable opportunities for physical activity across all levels of society. Students in this concentration should take GCH 466 Physical Activity in Public Health Capstone (Mason Core). The completion of this concentration prepares students to take the Physical Activity and Public Health Specialist certification. 

Concentration Courses
KINE 200Methods of Exercise Instruction3
KINE 310Exercise Physiology I3
NUTR 295Introduction to Nutrition (Mason Core)3
or KINE 295 Principles of Human Nutrition
KINE 340Exercise Testing and Evaluation3
KINE 350Exercise Prescription and Programming3
KINE 380Exercise Prescription and Programming for Special Populations3
ATEP 300Functional Anatomy3
GCH 410Physical Activity and Public Health3
General Electives
Select 18 hours of general electives18
Total Credits42

Bachelor of Science in Community Health Sample Plan of Study 

Detailed four year plans can be found on https://publichealth.gmu.edu/students/academic-advising