""

Major Undergraduate Program

Public Health & Society Major: Curriculum Requirements

Total credits required: 34

Required Courses (12 credits)

APEX: Advanced Practical Experience in Public Health (4 credits)

Electives (18 credits)

Students pursuing a Public Health & Society major must complete six elective courses, totaling 18 credits. At least two courses must be from the Social, Cultural, and Historical Analysis category. At least 15 elective credits must be at the advanced level (3000, 4000), six of which must be at the 4000 level.

New electives will be added to the electives list as they become available and are approved. Students may petition to have an elective added.

Because of limitations within Workday, you will need to ask an advisor to use an “academic override” for Special Topics courses to be counted toward a Public Health & Society degree.

Map Icon

Electives Organized by Topic

 
A-Z Icon

Full list of Electives

 

Additional Information

  • All courses must be letter-graded and completed with a grade of C or better
  • Two courses (six credits) may be completed through an approved study abroad program.
  • PUBHLTHSOC 1000, 2000, and 3000 have no prerequisites and need not be taken sequentially.
  • PUBHLTHSOC 3100 - Prerequisite: PUBHLTHSOC 2000 or concurrent enrollment in PUBHLTHSOC 2000
  • Students choosing to complete an approved study abroad program for the internship portion of their APEX course will enroll in a supervised research course at the home institution or through SIT or equivalent; 3 credits from that supervised course will be transferred back as the internship portion of the APEX course and counted as equivalent to PUBHLTHSOC 4001. Study abroad students will enroll in the 1-credit seminar portion of the APEX course (PUBHLTHSOC 4002) following their internship.
  • Students with more than one major/minor may count only introductory (100/1000- and 200/2000-level) courses, where relevant, toward the requirements for the programs. Advanced (300/3000-level and greater) courses may not count for more than one of the programs. If more than one program requires the same course, a departmentally-sanctioned elective must be chosen to replace the course in the other program(s).

APEX: Advanced Practical Experience in Public Health

PUBHLTHSOC APEX courses may only be taken by Public Health & Society majors, and the following rules apply:
  • Successful completion of PUBHLTHSOC 2000 and 3000 is required prior to enrolling in PUBHLTHSOC 4000, PUBHLTHSOC 4001, OR PUBHLTHSOC 4002.
  • It is strongly recommended that PUBHLTHSOC 3100 be completed prior to enrolling in PUBHLTHSOC 4000, PUBHLTHSOC 4001, or PUBHLTHSOC 4002.
  • PUBHLTHSOC 4000 and PUBHLTHSOC 4001 must be taken concurrently.
  • Students choosing to complete an approved study abroad program for the internship portion of their APEX course will enroll in a supervised research course at the home institution or through SIT or equivalent; 3 credits from that supervised course will be transferred back as the internship portion of the APEX course and counted as equivalent to PUBHLTHSOC 4001.
  • Study abroad students will enroll in the 1-credit seminar portion of the APEX course (PUBHLTHSOC 4002) in the semester following their internship.

Resources

Student Handbook

The Student Handbook is your guide to getting started

Minor Requirements

Curriculum requirements for the minor

3-2 MPH Program

Planning to continue your education with an MPH?

APEX: Advanced Practical Experience in Public Health

The new Public Health & Society program provides undergraduate students with a foundation focusing on public and global health and how issues of equity, inclusion, and social determinants of health influence health outcomes.

All majors must complete the Advanced Practical Experience (APEX) course which provides practical, community-based or research-focused experience, supported by a seminar that encourages peer learning. During either the fall or spring semester, students must complete at least 140 hours with a partner organization, institution, or lab. Students will create a deliverable with their community partner which could include projects like an assessment, community engagement initiative, public health surveillance, or designing community-based research activities and program evaluations.

Each student requires weekly supervision and support in the development of their Student Learning Agreement and project. The professional supervising the student intern does not need to have a specific degree; however, experience within the public health profession is helpful for guiding the student’s learning experience.

If you are interested in learning more about having an undergraduate student intern, please reach out to Lindsey Anderson, the Public Health & Society APEX coordinator, at anderson.l@wustl.edu or complete this interest form.

Key Upcoming Dates

Spring 2026

  • Placement process begins: October 1st, 2026
  • First day of classes: January 12th, 2026
  • Last day of classes: April 24th, 2026

Fall 2026

  • Placement process begins: January 12th, 2026
  • First day of classes: August 24th, 2026
  • Last day of classes: December 4th, 2026