Public Health (BS)
What is Public Health?
The Department of Public Health at Wayne State University specializes in broadly preparing undergraduate students to meet current and emergent threats to the health of vulnerable individuals, populations, and communities. As a truly interdisciplinary field, public health draws strength from the natural sciences, biostatistics, and behavioral sciences to address the social determinants of health inequalities, health care access and affordability, mental health and suicide prevention, housing and food insecurity, and many other issues.
Public health faculty are engaged in meaningful community-based intervention research centered on immigrant health, childhood obesity, healthcare access, student mental health, and patient-centered outcomes. Faculty and instructors have professional experiences working with city and county governments, health care organizations, health insurance companies, foundations, and non-profit organizations.
What can I do with a Public Health Degree?
Course planning
Choose an area of study (associate degree), earn Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA), and complete pathway courses. The below pathway outlines the required Oakland Community College courses. Courses not taken or transferred from Oakland Community College can be completed at Wayne State University
Choose an area of study
*Waives WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences minor requirement. Due to the requirements associated with these programs the total amount of credit earned will likely exceed the minimum bachelor's degree requirement.
Earn the Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA)
| MTA Requirement/Specific Course | Credit Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ENG 1510 Composition I (ENG1020) | 3 | ENG 1510E also acceptable |
| ENG 1520 Composition II (ENG3010) | 3 | |
| *MAT 1580 Statistics (STA1020) | 4 | Pre-requisite for WSU public health courses |
| Approved Natural Science (see MTA) | 3-4 | |
| Approved Natural Science with lab (see MTA) | 4-5 | Second science must be from different discipline with lab |
| Approved Social Science (see MTA) | 3 | |
| Approved Social Science (see MTA) | 3 | Second Social Science must be from different discipline |
| *ARB, FRE, GER, ITA, JPN, SLI or SPA 1510 (see MTA) | 4 | Satisfies 1 of 2 WSU required foreign language proficiency |
| Approved Humanities/Fine Arts (see MTA) | 3 | Second Humanities/Art must be from different discipline. |
| Total | 30 credits min. |
*Meets MTA requirements and/or satisfies Wayne State degree requirement (prerequisites may be required, see OCC counselor).
Complete pathway courses
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| HEA 1510 Nutrition (NFS2030) | 3 |
| **ARB, FRE, GER, ITA, JPN, SLI or SPA 1530 (second language, same language) | 4 |
| Total | 7 credits |
**All students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences must successfully demonstrate language proficiency equivalent to the two course sequence in a single foreign language. Proficiency is demonstrated by completing courses numbered 1010 and 1020 in one of the following subject area codes: ARB, ARM, CHI, FRE, GER, GKA, GKM, HEB, ITA, JPN, LAT, POL, RUS, SPA, SWA, and UKR.
Course planning
The following courses are required to finish the degree requirements. Any pathway course(s) not completed at the community college can be completed at Wayne State University.
Bachelor of Science (BS) in Public Health
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| PH 2100 Intro to Public Health | 3 |
| PH 3100 Social and Behavioral: Public Health | 3 |
| PH 3200 Introduction to Biostatistics | 4 |
| PH 3300 Epidemiology | 4 |
| PH 3500 Environmental Health | 3 |
| PH 4100 Public Health Principles and Practice | 2 or PH 4250 |
| PH 4150 Public Health Practicum | 2 or PH 4250 |
| PH 4400 Methodological Approaches | 4 |
| PH 5100 Capstone Course in Public Health | 4 |
| PH Elective (see WSU advisor) | 6-9 |
| Total | 35 credits (minimum) |
Transfer credit summary
| Transfer credit summary | Credits |
|---|---|
| Oakland Community College transferrable credits | 82 credits |
| Required Wayne State University Major credits Additional PH, Electives, or Minor (see WSU advisor) | 35-41 credits 0-18 credits |
| Total credits required to complete bachelor's degree | 120 credits (transferred or WSU) |
- WSU requires a minimum of 30 hours in residency.
- You can review how courses transfer using the course equivalency tool for other acceptable equivalences.
How do I get started?
- Join Wayne State Transfer Pathways
- Schedule a WSU Transfer Success Appointment
- Meet with your academic advisors and track your academic progress
Notes
- The pathway allows multiple associate degree options with the flexibility to customize your degree path. The minimum eligibility to participate in the Wayne State Transfer Pathways is a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above, Michigan Transfer Agreement (MTA), and an associate degree (earned or Reverse Transfer).
- All college-level (non-developmental), non-duplicated courses with a 2.0 (C) grade point average (GPA) or above will be considered for transfer credit. Earned credit will transfer as 1) direct course equivalency, 2) major/department credit, or 3) elective credit. Credits not earned at the community college will need to be taken at WSU.
- These pathways do not replace the importance of community college and Wayne State academic advising. The pathway provides a general roadmap to degree completion.
- Career tool provides a broad overview of how major selection can lead to careers and is provided without any implied promise of employment. Some careers will require further education, skills, or competencies. Actual salaries may vary significantly between similar employers and could change by graduation, as could employment opportunities and job titles.
Primary contacts
Oakland Community College
Counseling Office
oaklandcc.edu/counseling
248-341-2000
Transfer Student Success Center
313-577-2487 | transfer@wayne.edu
Public Health Department
Academic Advising