Degree: Bachelor of Science
Major: Public Health
Concentration: Nursing
Hours: 120

Lamar University's Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a concentration in nursing is a standard pathway for careers in public and community health. This degree prepares you to shift focus from one-on-one bedside care to promoting wellness, preventing disease and addressing health disparities across entire populations.
This is a specialty practice within the nursing and public health fields. It focuses on improving population health by emphasizing prevention and attending to multiple determinants of health. Other practices include advocacy, policy development and planning.
Health and Wellness: Designed to increase student awareness of fitness, health concepts and lifestyle modification. The class includes laboratories and practical activities, which help students in their attempt to improve their quality of life and achieve well being.
Foundations of Public Health: This course is designed to provide students with foundational knowledge of public health and related issues. The course gives an emphasis on key historical moments and developments, public health organizations and systems, theoretical foundations of public health, its practical applications, role of public health within society, disparities in health status, determinants of health, cultural competency, infectious and chronic disease prevention, as well as challenges and achievements. Topics on ethics, professional responsibilities and competencies, analytical tools utilized to assess public health problems in communities, applications of health education and promotion theories to developing interventions for improving community health are also examined.
Public and Consumer Health: Traditional and modern methods of meeting public and consumer health needs; investigation and analysis of public and consumer health problems; functions and organization of consumer services at the local, state, regional and national levels.
Health Behavior Theory: This course provides an in-depth introduction to social and health behavior theories that shape public health practice, emphasizing their application in understanding and modifying health-related behaviors. Students will explore how these theories drive health promotion strategies and interventions at individual, community, and policy levels through real-world case studies and practical examples. A central focus is placed on health inequities and inequalities among diverse populations in the United States, examining how cultural, social, and structural determinants influence health outcomes. By critically analyzing these factors, students will develop the skills necessary to design and implement effective, equity-focused public health initiatives that address the root causes of health disparities.
Health Communications: This course provides hands-on experience developing and implementing effective health communication strategies across diverse media and platforms. Students will explore key theoretical foundations, behavioral change models, and audience segmentation techniques to craft impactful health messages tailored to various populations. Emphasizing both traditional and emerging communication channels, the course examines critical factors influencing health communication, including cultural competency, health literacy, and the role of digital media.
This degree program opens diverse career paths in nursing and public health sectors, focusing on population-level health, prevention and education rather than just individual care. These nurses, often working as registered nurses in community settings, are in high demand.
Public health nurse, health education specialist, community health worker