Degree Offered
- Bachelor of Science
Nature of the Program
The School of Public Health offers two Bachelor of Science degree programs: BS in Public Health and BS in Health Services Management and Leadership (HSML) which are typically completed in a four-year period.
BS in Public Health Overview
Graduates of the Public Health program are prepared for entry-level positions in a wide array of agencies involved in public and private health, including local, regional and state health departments, consulting and advocacy organizations, healthcare organizations, and government agencies, as well as entry into select graduate and professional programs.
BS in Health Services Management and Leadership
Students in this program will acquire the knowledge and skills to become health services managers, who oversee day-to-day operations; set and carry out policies, goals, and procedures; evaluate the quality of the staff's work; and develop reports and budgets for health-related and clinical agencies and departments.
The HSML program will provide students with an understanding of public and population health, as well as specific courses preparing them for entry level positions in health services management and administration, or for further professional education.
Administration
Dean
- Jeffrey Coben - MD (University of Pittsburgh)
Professor, Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership
Senior Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs
- Erik Carlton - DrPH (University of Kentucky)
Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership
Senior Associate Dean for Administration
- Sarah Woodrum - DrPH (University of Illinois, Chicago)
Assistant Professor, Department of Health Policy, Management, and Leadership
Assistant Dean for Student Affairs
- Scot McIntosh - MS (Eastern Kentucky University)
Director of Doctorial Programs
- Alfgeir Kristjansson - PhD (Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweeden)
Associate Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Director of Graduate Studies
- Erik Carlton - DrPH (University of Kentucky)
Associate Professor, Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership
Director of MS Industrial Hygiene
- Sergio Caporali Filho - PhD (West Virginia University)
Professor, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences
Director of Undergraduate Studies
- Audra Hamrick - MA (West Virginia University)
Assistant Professor, Social and Behavioral Sciences
Director of Public Health Practice and Service Learning
- Diane Gross - DVM, PhD (The Ohio State University)
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Chairs
- Nicholas Castle - PhD (Pennsylvania State University)
Professor, Department of Health Policy, Management and Leadership - Weimin Gao - PhD (University of Pittsburgh)
Professor, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences - Bethany Barone Gibbs - PhD (Johns Hopkins University)
Associate Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics - Keith Zullig - PhD (University of South Carolina)
Professor, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences
Admissions
BS in Public Health and BS in Health Services Management and Leadership
The WVU School of Public Health (SPH) admits students into the Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management and Leadership programs via direct admission for both first time freshmen and external transfers for fall and spring semesters. Additionally, WVU students may transfer into School of Public Health undergraduate programs if they meet the academic standards. Please see program-specific catalog page for admission requirements.
Due to Covid-19 – Admission requirements may differ from what is listed on this page. Please review the most up-to-date program admission requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Public Health major.
Additional Admissions Requirements for Majors in the School of Public Health for Fall and Spring Terms
Public Health
- Minimum GPA of 2.75, or,
- Minimum GPA of 2.5 with an accompanying ACT of 19 or higher.
Health Services, Management and Leadership
- Minimum GPA of 2.75, or,
- Minimum GPA of 2.5 with an accompanying ACT of 21 or higher.
Degree Designation Learning Outcomes
Bachelor of Science in Public Health
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a strong foundation of knowledge about the history, philosophy, core values, concepts, and functions of public health in the US and globally.
- Determine appropriate public health processes, approaches, and interventions needed to address health-related needs and concerns of specific populations.
- Illustrate how socio-economic, behavioral, biological, and environmental factors impact human health, contribute to health disparities, and can be affected by promotion and protection programs.
- Communicate public health information to diverse audiences through a variety of mediums.
- Apply evidence-based and ethical approaches to identifying, collecting, using, analyzing, and disseminating public health data and information.
- Differentiate the basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health and how they influence the US health system and public health policy.
Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management and Leadership
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate a strong foundational knowledge of the history, principles, theories, frameworks, and current issues in public health.
- Describe health and health care dynamics, including the structures, policies, processes and institutions that make up the U.S. healthcare system.
- Manage the basic human, fiscal, and physical resources needed for accomplishing organizational goals.
- Articulate a personal management philosophy that integrates health services management and leadership concepts, knowledge, and skills.
- Apply principles and practices of health services management and leadership to identify and solve organizational problems.
Accreditation
The WVU School of Public Health is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The only accredited public health program in the state, the School is home to undergraduate and graduate programs in various public health disciplines at the BS, MPH, MS and PhD levels. The school's Master of Science in Industrial Hygiene program is accredited by the Applied Natural Sciences Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET-ANSAC). The school is also seeking accreditation for the Master of Health Administration (MHA) program by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) and certification of the Bachelor of Science in Health Services Management and Leadership by the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA).