USF 1999-2000 Undergraduate Catalog - Page 248
The College of Public Health began offering courses in 1984 and is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.
The primary aim of the College is to produce trained health professionals who can meet the pressing health needs of the State and nation. The College also serves as a resource for public health research and information. Often cited as a bellwether state, due in part to its diverse population, Florida serves as an excellent environment for studying current and emerging health care issues.
The field of public health is broad. It focuses upon the prevention of illness, the promotion of health, the control of infectious and chronic diseases and the methods for providing care to targeted populations such as those faced with geographic, financial, cultural and other access barriers.
Public health is concerned with keeping health care costs down and finding cost-effective ways to deal with the medically underserved population. It addresses environmental issues as they affect populations as well as health and safety in the workplace.
Despite this diversity, the common focus of public health is on preventing disease and promoting health in populations.
The Department of Community and Family Health offers an accelerated entry program which enables qualified students to enter the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program with a concentration in Public Health Education following the completion of 90 semester hours of undergraduate study (usually the end of the junior year). It is recommended that students enroll in undergraduate programs related to the field of public health. These programs include social sciences, natural sciences, behavioral sciences, pre-med, nursing, education, and related fields. Full-time students are able to complete Master's degree requirements in 2 to 2-1/2 years. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact a health education faculty advisor during the term in which they expect to complete 60 undergraduate semester hours.
Students seeking admission to the MPH accelerated degree program must have completed 90 undergraduate semester hours, achieved at least a 3.0 GPA, or a combined verbal and quantitative score of at least 1000 on the GRE, and satisfied the CLAST and Rule 6A-10.3 requirements.
The MPH is a professional, non-thesis degree. The course of study and field experiences are designed to prepare professional health educators to develop, implement, manage and evaluate programs which focus on health promotion and disease prevention. Individual and public health issues encompass the interrelationships of social, behavioral, legal, medical and economic factors. Therefore, the program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach of developing strategies for the efficient utilization of health services, the adoption of self-care practices, and the promotion of healthier lifestyles. Career opportunities are available in a variety of work settings including hospitals and ambulatory care facilities, managed care organizations, voluntary health agencies, public and private school systems, colleges and universities, local and state health agencies, private industry and international health organizations.
Undergraduate students seeking careers in public health including Health Administration and Management, Environmental Health, Industrial Hygiene, Safety Management, Tropical Public Health, Health Education, Maternal and Child Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology and Biostatistics should refer to the USF Graduate Catalog in order to plan an undergraduate program that will meet the College of Public Health admission requirements for graduate work. USF undergraduate courses HSC 4203 and HSC 4554 are prerequisites to all graduate study in Public Health. The College also offers special topics courses targeting public health areas and issues.
Students interested in these programs should contact the Office of Academics at the College of Public Health for a career guide and college catalog, 974-6665. For further information go to our web site www.hsc.usf.edu/publichealth
USF 1999-2000 Undergraduate Catalog - Page 259
Dean - CHARLES S. MAHAN
Chairpersons:
USF 1999-2000 Undergraduate Catalog - Page 248
HSC 2100 CONTEMPORARY HEALTH SCIENCE -SS (3)
A comprehensive approach to health concerns and problems in contemporary society, including methods of assessing individual health needs.
HSC 4203 INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC HEALTH (3)
A survey of policies and programs in public/community health with emphasis on specific needs and problems of Florida.
HSC 4541 HUMAN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION (3)
PR: Fundamentals of biology with lab or CI. Major concepts of the structure and function of the human body systems and methods by which these concepts may be taught.
HSC 4554 SURVEY OF HUMAN DISEASES (3)
PR: Fundamentals of Biology with lab or CI. An overview of the nature, types, and mechanisms of diseases of the major body systems.
HSC 4933 SPECIAL TOPICS: PUBLIC HEALTH (1-6)
PR: CI. The content of this course will be governed by student demand and instructor interest. May be repeated for credit for different topics only.
Please send questions or comments to:
Karen M. Hall - webCat@ugs.usf.edu
Effective Date: Semester I, 1999
http://www.ugs.usf.edu/catalogs/9900/pubheal.htm