The combined Bachelor of Arts in Public Health and Communication Studies offers an interdisciplinary approach to public health communication. Students combine courses from public health, social sciences, and communication studies to study the important role of communication in shaping the public’s understanding of health issues. The interdisciplinary curriculum is enhanced by experiential learning opportunities and is designed to prepare students for challenging careers that involve crafting messages about health, developing strategies for promoting access to healthcare services, and specific applications such as disease awareness and prevention.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
BA Language Requirements
All BA students are required to complete the BA degree language requirements, for a total of 12 semester hours of language study or demonstrated equivalent proficiency, as described in Additional Requirements for BA students. Successful demonstration of proficiency does not reduce total minimum semester hours of study required to earn the BA degree.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Public Health Requirements
Public Health Core
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PHTH 1260 | The U.S. Healthcare System | 4 |
| or PHTH 1261 | Comparative Healthcare Systems | |
| PHTH 2210 | Foundations of Biostatistics | 4 |
| PHTH 2350 | Community and Public Health | 4 |
| or PHTH 2351 | Community and Public Health - Global | |
| PHTH 2515 | Healthcare Policy and Administration | 4 |
| PHTH 4120 | Global Perspectives on Discrimination and Health | 4 |
| PHTH 4202 | Principles of Epidemiology in Medicine and Public Health | 4 |
| PHTH 4540 | Health Education and Program Planning | 4 |
Science Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Biology | ||
| Complete one of the following options: | 8-10 | |
| Option 1 | ||
| Microbes and Society | ||
or BIOL 1143 | Biology and Society | |
| The Human Organism | ||
| Option 2 | ||
| General Biology 1 and Lab for BIOL 1111 | ||
| General Biology 2 and Lab for BIOL 1113 | ||
| Psychology | ||
| PSYC 1101 | Foundations of Psychology | 4 |
Public Health Social Science Requirement
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introductory Course | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 4 | |
| Peoples and Cultures | ||
| Principles of Macroeconomics | ||
| Principles of Microeconomics | ||
| Introduction to Health and Humanities | ||
| Social Change and Human Services | ||
| Globalization and International Affairs | ||
| Introduction to Philosophy | ||
| International Relations | ||
| Introduction to Sociology | ||
| Upper-Level Course | ||
| Complete one of the following (categories provided for reference): | 3-4 | |
| Society and Behavior | ||
| Medical Anthropology | ||
| Psychology of Crime | ||
| The (in)Visibility of (dis)Ability in Society | ||
| Health Advocacy | ||
| Social Psychology | ||
| Developmental Psychology | ||
| Learning and Motivation | ||
| Violence and Society | ||
| Sociology of Health and Illness | ||
| Race, Class, and Gender | ||
| Globalization and Global Health | ||
| Epidemiology of Pandemic Diseases and Health Disparities in the African Diaspora | ||
| International Food Policy | ||
| Cities in a Global Context | ||
or INTL 3201 | Cities in a Global Context (Abroad) | |
| International Conflict and Negotiation | ||
| Politics of Developing Nations | ||
| Environmental Health and Climate Change | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Climate and Development | ||
or PPUA 5100 | Climate and Development | |
| Climate Change and Global Urbanization | ||
| Law, Policy, and Human Rights | ||
| Law and Economics | ||
| Global Justice | ||
| Ethics and Public Policy | ||
| Public Policy and Administration | ||
| Healthcare Administration and Management | ||
| Health Economics and Healthcare Policy | ||
| Healthcare Management, Innovation, and Design | ||
| Organizational Behavior | ||
| Healthcare Management | ||
| Evaluating Healthcare Quality | ||
| Economic Perspectives on Health Policy | ||
Communication Studies Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Common Requirements | ||
| COMM 1101 | Introduction to Communication Studies | 4 |
| COMM 1112 | Public Speaking | 4 |
| or COMM 2301 | Communication Research Methods | |
| Foundation Course | ||
| Complete 4 semester hours from the following: | 4 | |
| Persuasion and Rhetoric | ||
| Communication Theory | ||
| Principles of Organizational Communication | ||
| Communication in a Digital Age | ||
| Cluster Course | ||
| Complete 4 semester hours from the following: | 4 | |
| Sex, Relationships, and Communication | ||
| Global and Intercultural Communication | ||
| Communication and Gender | ||
| Communication Law | ||
| Free Speech in Cyberspace | ||
| Writing Intensive Courses | ||
| Complete 8 semester hours from the following: | 8 | |
| Mobile Communication | ||
| Interpersonal Communication | ||
| Communication and Inclusion | ||
| Political Communication | ||
| Communication Criticism | ||
| Environmental Issues, Communication, and the Media | ||
| Free Speech: Law and Practice | ||
| Communication and Sexualities | ||
| Theories of Conflict and Negotiation | ||
| Nonverbal Social Interaction | ||
| Youth and Communication Technology | ||
| Crisis Communication and Image Management | ||
| Communication Studies Electives | ||
| Complete 12 semester hours from the following: | 12 | |
COMM courses between COMM 1100 - 4999, which have not been used to satisfy other degree requirements. | ||
| Visual Storytelling in Journalism | ||
| Introduction to Film Production | ||
MSCR courses in the ranges MSCR 2100 - 2199, MSCR 3100 - 3199, and MSCR 4100 - 4199. | ||
| Public Relations Principles | ||
| Public Relations Practice | ||
Integrative Requirement Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 8 semester hours from the following: | 8 | |
| Health Communication | ||
| Communication Skills for the Health Professions | ||
or PHTH 2301 | Communication Skills for the Health Professions—Global | |
Capstone Experience Course
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete 3-4 semester hours from the following: | 3-4 | |
| Health Communication Campaigns | ||
| Strategic Communication Capstone | ||
| Evaluating Health Technologies | ||
| Health Science Capstone—Service 1 | ||
| Health Science Capstone—Research 1 | ||
| Health Science Capstone Seminar | ||
| Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 and Junior/Senior Honors Project 2 2 | ||
| Critical Issues in Health and Public Health Policy | ||
| Private Guns, Public Health | ||
| Addressing Rural Health Inequities | ||
| Advancing Health Justice Through the Law | ||
| Let’s Talk About Sex: Exploring Key Topics and Current Issues in Sexual and Reproductive Health | ||
| Environmental Health | ||
| Global Health | ||
| Food, Nutrition, and Health | ||
| Public and Community Health Program Evaluation | ||
| Qualitative Methods | ||
- 1
Must complete Capstone Project Design and Planning (HSCI 4700) 0 semester hour as pre-requisite.
- 2
Junior/Senior Honors Project 1 (HSCI 4970) will count as 4 semester hours general elective.
Supporting Courses
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to College | ||
| COMM 1000 | Communication Studies at Northeastern | 1 |
| or HSCI 1000 | College: An Introduction | |
| Experiential Education | ||
| EEAM 2000 | Professional Development for Co-op | 1 |
| or HSCI 2000 | Professional Development for Bouvé Co-op | |
| Writing Courses | ||
| First-Year Writing | ||
| ENGW 1111 | First-Year Writing | 4 |
| or ENGW 1102 | First-Year Writing for Multilingual Writers | |
| or ENGW 1114 | First-Year Writing with Service-Learning | |
| Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | ||
| COMM 3409 | Advocacy Writing | 4 |
| or ENGW 3306 | Advanced Writing in the Health Professions | |
| or ENGW 3314 | Advanced Writing in the Arts, Media, and Design | |
| or ENGW 3315 | Interdisciplinary Advanced Writing in the Disciplines | |
General Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Complete remaining semester hours to meet minimum by taking general electives | ||
Public Health Major Requirement
A grade of C or higher is required for the Public Health Core, Science Requirement, Public Health Social Science Requirement, and HINF, HSCI, and PHTH Capstone courses. Students who take College: An Introduction (HSCI 1000) and Professional Development for Bouvé Co-op (HSCI 2000) must achieve a C or higher.
Communication Studies Grade Requirement
No more than two grades below a “C” in Communication Studies courses may be used to satisfy degree requirements.
Program Requirement
128 total semester hours required
Sample Plans of Study
Four Years/Two Co-ops in Summer Session B/Fall
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Session A | Hours | Summer Session B | Hours |
| COMM 1000 or HSCI 1000 | 1 | COMM 1112 or 2301 | 4 | PHTH 2350 | 4 | General Elective | 4 |
| COMM 1101 | 4 | ENGW 1111, 1102, or 1114 | 4 | Intermediate Language | 4 | General Elective | 4 |
| PHTH 1260 | 4 | PSYC 1101 | 4 | ||||
| BIOL course 1 | 4-5 | Elementary Language 2 | 4 | ||||
| Elementary Language 1 | 4 | ||||||
| 17-18 | 16 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Session A | Hours | Summer Session B | Hours |
| COMM Foundation | 4 | COMM Writing Intensive 1 | 4 | COMM 3409, ENGW 3306, ENGW 3314, or ENGW 3315 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
| COMM Cluster | 4 | PHTH 2210 | 4 | PHTH 2515 | 4 | ||
| COMM Elective 1 | 4 | PH Social science course (introductory) | 4 | ||||
| BIOL course 2 | 4-5 | PHTH 2300 | 4 | ||||
| EEAM 2000 or HSCI 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| 16-17 | 17 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer Session A | Hours | Summer Session B | Hours |
| Co-op | 0 | COMM 3201 | 4 | PHTH 4120 | 4 | Co-op | 0 |
| COMM Elective 2 | 4 | PHTH 4540 | 4 | ||||
| COMM Writing Intensive 2 | 4 | ||||||
| PHTH 4202 | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 16 | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| Co-op | 0 | COMM Elective 3 | 4 | ||||
| Capstone Course | 3-4 | ||||||
| PH Social science course (upper) | 3-4 | ||||||
| General Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 0 | 14-16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 128-132 | |||||||