Health Science Degrees

Associate of Science for Transfer Degree in Public Health Science

The Public Health Science for Transfer degree (AS-T in Public Health Science) is designed to prepare graduates for related programs at the bachelor’s degree level and provides comprehensive preparation for upper-division work. Additionally, the degree provides an introduction to the various career pathways within this field.

Public Health is a dynamic field that provides career options in local, state and federal agencies, health departments, educational institutions, healthcare organizations, research organizations, crisis agencies, and many other fields.

Students who complete the Associate in Science in Public Health Science for Transfer degree (AS-T in Public Health Science) will be able to apply a multidimensional approach to health that incorporates the study of social, behavioral, and physiological sciences.

The Associate in Science in Public Health Science for Transfer degree (AS-T in Public Health Science) is a 60-unit program which provides students the lower division coursework required for transfer to a CSU institution for the major in Health Science, Health Science with Health Education option, Health Science with Public Health option, Health Science with Community Health option, Health Science with Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Health Education, Public Health, Public Health Promotion, Kinesiology with Health Education, Kinesiology with Health Science option, Kinesiology with Health and Wellness Promotion, Kinesiology with Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, Collaborative Health and Human Services with Community Health option, and majors in related fields in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree.

Public Health Science is the science of protecting and improving the health of people and their communities. It bridges the gap between scientific discoveries and the application of that research in the community to improve the quality of life. The degree is interdisciplinary in nature and students will gain an understanding of the biopsychosocial basis for health and healthy populations. Public health professionals work to track disease outbreaks, reduce health disparities, advocate for healthcare equity and accessibility, and shed light on why some of us are more likely to suffer from poor health than others. Public health professionals also work to prevent problems from happening or recurring through implementing educational programs, recommending policies, administering services and conducting research—in contrast to clinical professionals like doctors and nurses, who might focus primarily on treating individuals after they become sick or injured.

After successful completion of this program students will be able to:

• Apply a multidimensional approach to health that incorporates the study of social, behavioral, and physiological sciences.
• Identify, compare and contrast the factors that contribute to public health disparities.
• Identify for risk factors for disease and disability.
• Critically evaluate popular and scientific literature and other media for its significance and impact on individual and public health.

Students must complete the following requirements:

• 60 semester or 90 quarter CSU-transferable units.
• the California State University-General Education-Breadth pattern (CSU GE-Breadth); OR the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern.
• a minimum of 18 semester or 27 quarter units in the major or area of emphasis as determined by the community college district.
• obtainment of a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.
• earn a grade of C or better in all courses required for the major or area of emphasis

Students are not required to complete the information competency requirements, PE requirements or cultural diversity requirements found in other degrees at the College.

Required Core Courses (32 units)

Course Number	Course Title	Units
HSCI 8	Contemporary Health	3 units
HSCI 14	Concepts of Public Health and Society	3 units
BIOL 10	Introduction to Biology	3 units
BIOL 10L	Introduction to Biology Lab	1 unit
CHEM 1A	General Chemistry	5 units
BIOL 47	Human Anatomy	5 units
BIOL 48	Human Physiology	5 units
PSYC 1	General Psychology	3 units
MATH 10/H	Elementary Statistics	4 units

List A: Select one from below (3 units)

Course Number	Course Title	Units
HSCI 10	Human Sexuality	3 units
NUTR 15	Human Nutrition	3 units

Major Requirements: 35 units

CSU GE Breadth or IGETC for CSU Requirements: 37 – 39 units

Elective Units As Needed To Total 60 CSU Transferable Units