The Associate in Science degree program in Public Health provides students with foundational knowledge in public health that can be used in a wide range of health-related fields and other sectors. This program is designed specifically for students who intend to transfer to an upper-level college or university to complete a bachelor’s degree in Public Health or related field of study.

Public Health professionals work within a variety of settings including state and local health departments, hospitals, workplace wellness programs, government agencies, educational institutions, research organizations and international development agencies. A Public Health degree may be an option for students who are interested in a healthcare career, but may not be drawn to a profession that requires direct patient care.

The five required Public Health courses are offered online only at DCC’s low tuition rate through the Hudson Valley Educational Consortium; the remainder of the courses are offered on the DCC campus and some may be offered online.

This degree program will provide students with a solid foundation in the core Public Health curriculum enabling students to successfully transfer to a four-year degree program in Public Health.

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Define public health and related roles and responsibilities of government, non-government agencies and private organizations.

• Describe risk factors and modes of transmission for infectious and chronic diseases and how these diseases affect both personal and population health.

• List the leading causes of mortality, morbidity and health disparities among local, regional and global populations.

• Discuss the role of gender, race, ethnicity and other evolving demographics in affecting population health.

• Discuss major local, national and global health challenges.

• Describe how the methods of epidemiology and surveillance are used to safeguard the population’s health.

• Communicate health information to a wide range of audiences through an array of media.

• Conduct a literature search on a health issue using a variety of academic and public resources.

• Recognize the impact of policies, laws and legislation on both individual and population health.

• Analyze ethical concerns and conflicts of interest that arise in the field of public health.

 

First Semester

Course No.	Descriptive Title	Credit Hours
ENG 101	Composition I	3
BHS 103	Social Problems in Today's World	3
MAT 110	College Algebra	3
BIO 105	General Biology I	4
PBH 101	Introduction to Public Health*	3
TOTAL		16

Second Semester

Course No.	Descriptive Title	Credit Hours
ENG 102	Composition II	3
BIO 106	General Biology II	4
MAT 118	Elementary Statistics	3
PBH 102	Promoting Healthy People and Communities*	3
Free elective		3
TOTAL		16

Third Semester

Course No.	Descriptive Title	Credit Hours
BIO 122	Nutrition	3
PSY 111	Introduction to Psychology	3
PHI 205	Introduction to Ethics	3
PBH 203	Concepts of Epidemiology*	3
PBH 204	Global Health*	3
TOTAL		15

Fourth Semester

Course No.	Descriptive Title	Credit Hours
Arts or Foreign Language (Appendix H or I)		3
BHS 216	The Sociology of Health and Medicine in the US	3
American History (Appendix D)		3
SPE 101	Public Speaking	3
PBH 205	U.S. Health Care System*	3
TOTAL		15
	TOTAL CREDIT HOURS	62

 

* Note: All PBH courses are available online only.