Clusters

Clusters are officially authorized sets of related courses comprising at least twelve credit hours (three courses). Currently, there are six approved public health-related clusters: one in humanities, one in natural sciences and engineering, and four in social sciences.

Note: Students may choose to major, minor, or complete a cluster within the public health-related programs, but they may not do more than one.

Humanities Cluster

Bioethics (H1PH001)
In this cluster students will explore ethical controversies in biology, medicine, and public health.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Clusters

Epidemiology and Statistics (N1PH001)
This cluster examines the principles and skills required to assess population health.

Social Sciences Cluster

Health, Environment, and Sustainability (S1PH003)
This cluster gives students an overview of the relationship between public health and the environment, and of the social, political, and economic contributors to creating and solving environmental health problems.

Health Policy (S1PH002)
Students in this cluster will get an overview of health policy as it relates to the organization, financing, and provision of health care in the US, including its history.

Introduction to Public Health (S1PH001)
This cluster gives students an overview of the core competencies of public health.

***Beginning in spring 2024 and moving forward, PHLT 102 ‘Introduction to Public Health II' will no longer be offered. 

As of spring 2024, the S1PH001 cluster requires:

PHLT 101 "Introduction to Public Health I" and PHLT 103 "Concepts of Epidemiology."

As of spring 2024, PHLT 102 is listed as an option for the third S1PH001 cluster course. Other course options for this group include: PHLT 116 "Inrtoduction to the US Health System;" PHIL 228 "Public Health Ethics;" and PHLT 265W "Global Health."

Medicine in Context (S1PH004)
Students in this cluster will study how ethical and religious beliefs, and economic, political, psychological, and cultural factors affect the organization, financing, and use of health care in the United States as well as some other industrialized countries.