Undergraduate Degree Programs

Specific requirements for all public health degrees can be viewed in the UI General Catalog.

View Bachelor of Arts View Bachelor of Science View Certificate in Public Health

What’s the difference between the BA and BS degrees?

The BA program is for students who have an interest in the social sciences and public health. BA students will complete additional required course work in the social sciences and humanities. Click here for a BA sample plan of study. The BS program is for students interested in the natural sciences and public health. BS students will complete additional required course work in the natural sciences and mathematics. Click here for a BS sample plan of study with a General Chemistry start or here for a BS plan of study with a Principles of Chemistry start.

For additional information about our degrees and certificates for undergraduates, please see the CPH section of the General Catalog.

Bachelor of Arts (BA)Bachelors of Science (BS)
Total Credits for Degree120120
Total Major Credits for Degree6262
Public Health Core Credits2727
BA or BS specific credits2125-26
Public Health Elective Credits13-1510-12
Total General Education Credits35-4535-45
Experiential Learning RequirementYesYes
Minimum GPA to Graduate2.02.0
Honors in the Major AvailableYesYes

I’m a current UI student. can I apply to the major?

University of Iowa students are eligible to apply for standard admission to the public health major after they complete prerequisite courses and earn the required grade-point average, typically after their first year. All students who wish to apply, including students who wish to enter the public health major through the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences public health interest designation must complete the following requirements by the end of the semester in which they are applying. Admission is for the fall and spring semesters.

  • Completion of at least 12 s.h. at the University of Iowa;
  • A minimum g.p.a. of 2.75 in all University of Iowa course work and in all college course work.

Overview of public health degree requirements

PUBLIC HEALTH MAJOR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS (approximately 60 s.h.)

  • Public health core courses
  • BA or BS courses
  • Public health elective courses
  • Experiential learning requirement

GENERAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (35-45 s.h.)

GENERAL UI ELECTIVES

  • UI (non-major) coursework to bring the semester hour total to 120 s.h. by time of graduation

Experiential learning requirement: Learn by doing

All College of Public Health undergraduate students must successfully complete at least one of these experiences—research, internship, global learning, or service learning course. Students must follow the specific criteria and procedures established for the selected experience as outlined by the Undergraduate Program Office. Second Year Undergraduate Public Health Seminar (CPH:2050) is highly recommended prior to enrollment in any of these courses. More information about the experiential learning requirement can be found here.

Undergrad to Grad (U2G) degree programs

Combined undergraduate to graduate programs provide an opportunity for students interested in public health to earn both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in 5 years.

Benefits of pursuing the combined degrees:

  • Allows students to further explore their interest in the field of public health
  • Expedites time to degree—5 years vs. the typical 6 years
  • Saves money by cutting one year of tuition

Visit www.public-health.uiowa.edu/degree-programs/ for more information about our undergrad-to-grad degree options.

Special note for public health majors: Public health majors intending to pursue the Undergrad to Grad (U2G) combined degree program in public health must complete 120 s.h. of which up to 15 s.h. may be graduate credit by the end of Year 4. Specifically, public health majors must complete all of the following requirements in addition to the 15 s.h. of graduate coursework:

PUBLIC HEALTH MAJOR DEGREE REQUIREMENTS (approximately 60 s.h.)

  • Public health core courses
  • BA or BS courses
  • Public health elective courses
  • Experiential learning requirement
  • General education courses

GENERAL UI ELECTIVES

  • UI (non-major) coursework to bring the semester hour total to 120 s.h. by end of Year 4
  • Could include up to 12 s.h. of graduate public health courses taken as a undergraduate student

Graduate courses taken during the fourth year will NOT count toward major requirements (including public health electives) for the undergraduate public health major; however, these semester hours could count as general elective credits needed to reach 120 s.h. for a bachelor’s degree at the University of Iowa.