Public Health

Associate in Science Degree

The Associate in Science Degree in Public Health is offered through a consortium of the County College of Morris, Brookdale Community College, Mercer County Community College, and Middlesex County College.  The program is designed to address the specific needs of students who are interested in transferring to four-year institutions to earn a baccalaureate degree or higher in public health.  Students will develop background knowledge in public health through introductory coursework and training in laboratory science. 

Public Health focuses on the health of the entire community rather than the individual.  The health of the community involves populations at risk, education and prevention programs, methods of assuring access to appropriate and cost-effective care, and the formation of sound public policies.  Public health professionals play a vital role in improving community health issues such as the quality of life for the elderly, drug, alcohol, and tobacco abuse, nutrition, food safety, water quality, vaccination programs, bio-terrorism, natural disasters, and infectious diseases. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data and projections, areas in healthcare have a positive growth rate.  Predictions indicate that the healthcare industry will produce 3.2 million new jobs in the U.S. by 2019, more than any other industry.  The BLS attributes the tremendous growth to advancement in medicine and medical technology in addition to the resultant increase in life expectancy.  Significant growth in fields related to public health include health educators, epidemiologists, environmental science and protection technicians, medical and health service managers, environmental scientists and specialists, biological technicians, and occupational health and safety specialists. 

Through a strong general education foundation and public health core, students in the program will begin to develop competencies for healthcare professionals. These competencies include analytic/assessment skills, policy development program planning skills, communication skills, cultural competency skills, community dimensions of practice skills, public health science skills, financial planning and management skills, and leadership and systems thinking skills.  PBH-101, Principles of Public Health,  provides a broad overview of the many facets of public health.

Graduates of the program  will be able to achieve the following outcomes: 1) demonstrate scientific foundation knowledge and skills appropriate for student seeking advanced study in the field of public health; 2) apply the scientific method of inquiry to gather and analyze data and use information relevant to major local, national and global health challenges; 3) conduct a literature search on health issues using a variety of academic and public resources; and 4) engage in collaborative approaches for improving the population’s health.

AS Public Health

(P2156)
 

General Education Foundation
Communication6
English Composition I
English Composition II
Math/Science/Technology10
Statistics
Introductory Chemistry Lecture
and Introductory Chemistry Laboratory
Computer Concepts With Applications
Social Science3
General Psychology
Humanities3
History Elective 1
Social Science/Humanities
Ethics
General Education Electives9
Speech Fundamentals
Principles of Sociology
General Education Foundation Credits31
Public Health Core
PBH-101Principles of Public Health3
BIO-101Anatomy and Physiology I4
BIO-102Anatomy and Physiology II4
HED-115Personal and Family Nutrition3
HED-286Personal Health and Wellness3
or HED-112 Drugs, Society and Human Behavior
HED-295First Aid and Emergency Care3
NUR-106Medical Terminology2
Exercise Science Restricted Elective 21
Foreign Language Sequence I AND3
Foreign Language Sequence II 33
OR
Diversity Elective AND 4
Free Elective 5
Public Health Core Credits29
Total Credits60
1

 History Elective:  Choose from the History category that is listed on the general education course list.

2

Exercise Science Restricted Elective

HED-132, HES 125, HES 126, HES 127, HES 128, HES 227 

3

Certain four-year institutions will require 6 credits of a  foreign language sequence.  You should meet with your Academic Advisor before selection.

Language Sequence:  If you choose to complete the language sequence, choose from the following:  American Sign Language:  ASL;  Arabic:  ARA;  Chinese:  CHI;  French:  FRE;  German:  GER;  Hebrew:  HEB;  Italian:  ITL;  Japanese:  JPN;  Latin:  LAT;  Portuguese:  PTG;  Spanish:  SPN;  Russian:  RUS

4

 Select any 3 credit course from the Diversity General Education Elective List.

5

 Choose any 3 or 4 credit course.

Kelly Miniter
Chairperson, Health and Exercise Science
Assistant Professor, Health and Exercise Science
M.S., East Stroudsburg University
B.S., University of Maryland
HPE 225     973-328-5327     kminiter@ccm.edu

Courses

Course usage information

PBH-101. Principles of Public Health. 3 Credits.

LECT 45 hrs
This course provides a broad overview of the many facets of public health, including, but not limited to historical perspectives, communicable disease, epidemiology, health policy, environmental health, emergency preparedness, and social, cultural, and behavioral aspects of health across the life span. It will describe public health infrastructure, delivery of services at the local, state and national levels, and the core competencies for public health professionals.