Bachelor of Science with a Major in Public Health

The bachelor of science (BS) in public health program offers students the chance to acquire knowledge and skills in the critical component elements of public health. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) defines public health as a force that "protects and improves the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations, locally and globally." In this context, the GW SPH undergraduate program is intended to convey technical detail and analytical thinking, but with a liberal arts philosophical base, to create professionals with the skills and commitment to improve the public's health.

The curriculum prepares students for future practice and study, with courses such as epidemiology, principles of health education and promotion, health policy, and more. Students develop their abilities in critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis of information, applying them to the historical and current trends in public health and health care delivery.

The BS in public health program works to matriculate students who will take their public health voice into diverse fields of professional practice, bringing an informed and evidence-based viewpoint to public health issues affecting society at large.

Visit the program website for additional information.

For more information on the admission process, please visit the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website. Applications may be submitted via the Common Application.
Supporting documents not submitted online should be mailed to:
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
The George Washington University
800 21st Street NW, Suite 100
Washington DC 20052
Contact for questions:
gwadm@gwu.edu or 202-994-6040

The following requirements must be fulfilled: 120 credits, including 19 credits in University General Education Requirement courses; 34 credits in core public health courses, including 3 credits in public health research methods; 12 credits in approved public health elective courses; and 55 credits in additional electives.*

*Students must take all required courses at GW unless an exception is granted by the GWSPH Dean of Undergraduate Programs. Permission is granted only when strong extenuating circumstances call for such an exception.

**If an internal transfer student has completed a course similar to PUBH 1010 in another program, that course might be accepted as an alternative to PUBH 1010. In such cases the the student should consult with their advisor.

Coursework for the university general education requirement in the bachelor of science in public health is distributed as follows:

• Communication—one approved course in university writing and two approved writing-in-the-disciplines (WID) courses; 
• Critical Analysis in the Humanities—one approved course in humanities that involves critical thinking skills;
• Quantitative Reasoning—one approved course in either mathematics or statistics;
• Scientific Reasoning—one approved laboratory course that employs the process of scientific inquiry; and,
• Critical Analysis in the Social Sciences—two approved courses in the social sciences 

A list of qualifying courses can be found under University General Education Requirement in this Bulletin.

• Dual Bachelor of Science in public health and Master of Public Health