General Education Curriculum

GEC 01. Written communication (6 hours)

GEC 02. Natural Science (8 hours minimum)

Select 2 courses with labs

GEC 03. Humanities (9 hours)

Select 2 courses, 1 History required:

GEC 04. Aesthetic Values (3 hours)

Select 1 Course:

GEC 05. Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 hours)

Select 2 courses:

GEC 06. Mathematics Requirement (3 hours)

GEC 07. Writing-Intensive Requirement (3 hours)

ENG 101 & 102 prerequisites

GEC 08. Speaking-Intensive Requirements (3 hours)

Select 1 course:

GEC 09. Capstone Requirement (Major Area)

Must be taken Senior Year; ENG 101 & 102 prerequisites

DEG 01. Major Area of Study Requirements (30 hours)

Choose 9 additional hours of DPH electives (3 courses)

DEG 02. Additional Requirements (3 hours)

DEG 03. Electives

Choose electives as needed with adviser’s approval. Students are encouraged to choose a minor or choose coursework required for post-baccalaureate programs. (See Hours to Degree below.)

Hours to Degree

120 hours are needed to graduate with a BS Public Health.  At least 50 percent of the hours applied to a degree at The University of Southern Mississippi must be earned from a senior college, and 45 of these hours must be in courses numbered 300 or above. The last 25 percent of course work must be earned from Southern Miss. The student must earn at least 12 hours in the major area of study from Southern Miss. 

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements:

• See University Admission Policies
• Students majoring in allied health must have graduated from an accredited two-year allied health program with an associate’s degree and be eligible to sit for a national certification examination in the specific discipline area for the associate degree level allied health professional.
• A cumulative GPA of 2.50 is required for admission into the program

Program Academic Policies and Requirements:

• See University Academic Policies and Requirements
• A cumulative GPA of 2.50 is required to take any DPH course above 300 (except 430 and 436)
• A grade of C or better must be earned in all program curriculum courses in order to complete the degree.
• Though a student may be admitted to the program based on a cumulative GPA earned at a previous institution (i.e., junior college), once admitted the student must obtain and maintain a University of Southern Mississippi cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better to remain in good standing within the program.
• Students whose cumulative University of Southern Mississippi GPA goes below 2.50 will be placed on program probation and will not be allowed to enroll in DPH courses 300-level and above until the cumulative GPA is once again at 2.50 or above.

The following is required from all undergraduate applicants:

• Application for Undergraduate Admission
• $45 non-refundable application fee
• An official high school transcript for freshman (high school) applicants OR official transcripts from all institutions attended after high school for transfer applicants
• Submission of ACT or SAT scores for freshman (high school) applicants

Students should be mindful of admission deadlines. For a full list of admission requirements, see the University Admission Policies.

The University of Southern Mississippi is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools of Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Additionally, the online Public Health degree is accredited by The Council on Education for Public Health. That means you can expect a program with the highest standards and quality.