Academics

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BA Program Details

The Public Health Studies (PHS) undergraduate program is part of the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, and results in a Bachelor of Arts degree (BA).

A PHS major offers a flexible, challenging, and contemporary curriculum. Students can choose either a natural sciences focus, including all pre-med requirements, or a social science focus for students interested in health policy, finance, ethics, law, environmental issues, and more.

The PHS programs are designed to provide rigorous preparation for advanced study in public health, law, medicine, and related fields. The programs are tailored not only for students planning to enter MHS/MPH and Ph.D. programs but also for premedical and prelaw students.

Download the JHU Degree Audit Checklist for Public Health Studies

BA Requirements

PHS majors take four public health core requirements in epidemiology, environmental health, health policy and management, and biostatistics. These classes are taught at Homewood by JHSPH faculty. PHS majors take them, along with their other major requirements during their first three years at Homewood.

As seniors, all PHS majors take at least a semester's worth of graduate courses at the Bloomberg School of Public Health. Many of the other students in these classes have advanced degrees and significant field experiences as working public health professionals. Classes at JHSPH provide a powerful capstone experience and an authentic introduction to graduate level study.

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Departmental Honors

Departmental Honors are conferred upon graduating seniors who meet the following criteria:

1. A GPA in your major requirements of 3.3 or higher
2. Participation in Honors Seminar Course AS.280.495 & AS.280.499
   
3. Complete senior thesis under joint sponsorship of the Director of Public Health Studies
   
4. Presentation of research findings in a poster session, research symposium, or scientific conference
   
5. Letter of recommendation from the research mentor attesting to the student’s significant contribution to the research process
   

The research requirement must be completed under the direction of a faculty member in a department associated with the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Bloomberg School of Public Health or the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

Application for Honors

1. Obtain permission for PHS Honors from Dr. Gebo, Director of the Public Health Studies Program (kgebo@jhmi.edu) in the spring prior to your senior year.
2. Complete the Departmental Honors Clearance Form and GPA worksheet after February 1st of your senior year and take it to: Dr. Kelly Gebo. Both forms can be located at http://www.jhu.edu/advising/honors_departmental.html
   
3. Return the signed checklist to the Office of Academic Advising last week of March. You do not need to make an appointment to return the Honors Clearance form, but it must be signed by the correct representative from your department or it will not be processed. Failure to submit this Honors Clearance form by this date will mean that you will not receive honors in your major.
   
4. Students who meet the criteria listed above will receive a letter of recognition, along with special notation in the graduation program and on their transcripts.

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Independent Academic Work

Independent Academic work is a hallmark of Johns Hopkins University education. Most students engage in some kind of research, independent study, or internship work during their undergraduate careers at Hopkins. Faculty members at the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine regularly have openings for qualified undergraduates to participate in these endeavors.

For those of you who are interested in learning more about this process, be sure to check out our Public Health Guide to Independent Academic Work, available for you to view, print, or download as a .pdf.

Also, see the resource page for information about funding and internship opportunities, under the student resource section.

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BA/MHS Program

The Bachelor of Arts/Master of Health Sciences (BA/MHS) program is a coordinated academic collaboration between the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences and the Bloomberg School of Public Health. It enables talented and committed Public Health Studies majors to complete a BA and an MHS in the School of Public Health in five years.

BA/MHS Program Details

Currently the BA/MHS program offers an MHS degree in the JHSPH Department of Environmental Health Sciences or the JHSPH Department of Mental Health. It is expected that the number of participating departments within the JHSPH will increase over the next several years.

For more information about the BA/MHS program in general, please visit the BA/MHS section of the JHSPH website.

For specific information about the two currently participating JHSPH departments, please visit their departmental websites below:

• Department of Environmental Health Sciences
• Department of Mental Health

BA/MHS Admission Requirements

The following requirements apply only to students wishing to participate in the BA/MHS program.

• The student must be an undergraduate majoring in Public Health Studies at Johns Hopkins.
• The student must apply to the master's degree program before completing the BA degree, preferably during their junior year or within the first month of their senior year. (As soon as a student is admitted to the master's degree program, the program will assign a graduate advisor to work with the student.)
• The student must complete all undergraduate degree requirements before matriculating as a master's student.

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