The Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health Science at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) consists of 120 credits. Up to 60 of those credits can be transferred from a community college or another accredited 4-year institution. The remaining 60 credits are completed in UMD’s Public Health Science program at Shady Grove and can be completed either on a full-time or part-time basis. Classes are offered Monday through Thursday in-person, including some evening and a limited number of online courses. Students entering the Public Health Science program at Shady Grove will have completed their freshman and sophomore years at a community college or accredited 4-year institution prior to transferring into the major. All coursework for the Public Health Science program at Shady Grove is offered at the 300 and 400-level.
Prior to transferring, students must successfully complete the following prerequisite courses with grades of C- or higher
| Course Title | University of Maryland Course | Course Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Principles of Molecular and Cellular Biology/Lab | BSCI170/171 | 3/1 |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology I | BSCI201 | 4 |
| Human Anatomy and Physiology II | BSCI202 | 4 |
| General Microbiology | BSCI223 | 4 |
| Elementary Calculus 1 | MATH120 | 3 |
| Fundamentals of General Chemistry/ Lab | CHEM131/132 | 3/1 |
| Organic Chemistry 1 OR Essentials of Organic & Biochemistry** | CHEM231/232 or CHEM105 | 3/1 |
| Principles of Genetics | BSCI222 | 4 |
| One of the following: | HLTH130, HLTH230, ANTH260, SOCY100, SOCY105, or PSYC100 | 3 |
**To fulfill the organic chemistry requirement, students transferring from Montgomery College to PHSC at Shady Grove may take the MC equivalent of CHEM150: Essentials of Organic and Biochemistry. This equivalency does not fulfill the organic chemistry requirement for students in the College Park program.
Application consideration to PHSC at Shady Grove will be given to students applying for Spring 2025 and beyond, who have not yet completed the UMD equivalents of BSCI222, BSCI223 and/or CHEM231/232. Once admitted, these courses must be completed with grades of C- or higher by the end of the student’s second semester in the major.
Please refer to the prerequisite equivalencies for the following community colleges: Montgomery College, Frederick Community College, Prince George’s Community College, Howard Community College, Anne Arundel Community College, and College of Southern Maryland.
For the full list of transfer course equivalencies and for additional transfer course information, please refer to UMD’s Transfer Credit Services
Once in the Public Health Science program at Shady Grove, students are immersed in coursework exemplifying many of the various disciplines in the public health field. These courses include, but are not limited to, the five core disciplines of public health, including behavioral science, epidemiology, environmental health, and health services administration. Students must complete each of these requirements with grades of C- or higher. Please refer to the Public Health Science standard fall and spring course schedule to determine which courses are offered in each semester.
| Course ID | Course Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| PHSC300 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| HLTH366 | Behavioral and Community Issues in Public Health | 3 |
| EPIB301 | Epidemiology for Public Health Practice | 3 |
| EPIB315 | Biostatistics for Public Health Practice | 3 |
| HLSA300 | Introduction to Health Policy and Services | 3 |
| MIEH300 | Introduction to Environmental Health | 3 |
| KNES320 | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| PHSC415 | Essentials of Public Health Biology: The Cell, The Individual, and Disease | 3 |
| PHSC450 | Addressing Social and Structural Inequities Through Public Health | 3 |
| PHSC497 | Public Health Science Capstone | 3 |
In addition to the prerequisite and Public Health Science Foundation courses, students must take 12 credits of Public Health Science Options coursework. These courses are intended to build upon existing knowledge, offering students the opportunity to customize their programmatic experience and explore topics of interest on a deeper level. The Public Health Science program at Shady Grove typically offers 3-4 Options courses each semester, based on student feedback and interest.
Guidelines for PHSC Options courses:
- You must pass all Public Health Science Options courses with a C- or higher
- You must take at least 3 credits of Public Health Science Options within the School of Public Health (course prefixes EPIB, FMSC, HLSA, HLTH, FMSC, KNES, MIEH, or PHSC)
- **Courses approved as a PHSC option cannot fulfill a GenEd Scholarship in Practice (DSSP) outside the major**
- A maximum of 6 credits of experiential learning (internship or research) may apply towards the total 12 credits of options
Below is a list of approved PHSC Options courses that have been offered recently at UMD. Please check the Schedule of Classes to confirm prerequisites and restrictions for each course.
You may request to have other courses reviewed for possible Public Health Science Options credit by contacting a PHSC advisor.
Public Health Science is working on an improved way to share approved Options courses. Please check back soon!
The Public Health Science degree program consists of 120 credits. In addition to completing courses for the Public Health Science major and UMD General Education* requirements, students may need to take general electives to reach the total of 120 credits. Students in the Public Health Science program at Shady Grove typically fulfill general electives in the following ways:
- Completion of additional Public Health Science Options courses beyond the required 12 credits.
- Selection of courses offered through other UMD programs at Shady Grove through a predetermined list of available courses.
- Obtaining permission to take select general elective courses at the College Park campus in the fall or spring semester. Students must meet the prerequisite requirements for the desired course and receive permission from the designated department. For additional information, email a Public Health Science program at Shady Grove academic advisor.
*Students whose Associate’s degree from a Maryland community college has been verified by UMD are exempt from General Education requirements, with the exception of Professional Writing.