Bachelor of Science programs

Overview

The Department offers two undergraduate majors: Global Health and Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. These are ideal majors for students interested in medicine, public health, pharmacy, dentistry, international relations, epidemiology, health psychology and health behavior research.

The university’s general education program provides a coherent, integrated introduction to the breadth of knowledge you will need to consider yourself (and to be considered by other people) a generally well-educated person. This program is effective for all students entering USC in fall 2015 or later, or transfer students beginning college elsewhere at that time and subsequently transferring to USC. It requires eight courses in six Core Literacies, plus two courses in Global Perspectives (which may double-count with courses in the Core Literacies) and two courses in writing. For more information about USC’s general education requirements, see General Education.
Each major requires 66 units of core courses and electives. Visit the course catalogue to see course details:

Bachelor of Science in Global Health

Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention

Addiction Science

Cinema-Television for the Health Professions

Cultural Competence in Medicine

Environmental Health

Global Health

Health Communication

Nutrition and Health Promotion

Public Health

Substance Abuse Prevention

Spotlight on Alumni

Get involved and find a mentor! There are so many organizations/clubs on campus that connect people with similar interests and that can help connect you with mentors for your desired career path. My mentor from undergrad was the faculty advisor for the pre-physical therapy club I helped start and he is still mentoring me to this day!

Grace Boyd, BS ’16, DPT
Physical Therapist Boyd returned to USC as graduation ceremony speaker in 2022.

Always walk with purpose, like you’re going somewhere, but don’t act like you own the place.

Diana Cholakian Pearre, BS ’09, MD
Gynecologic Oncologist After graduating, Cholakian Pearre went on to medical school and a residency in gynecology and obstetrics. She completed a fellowship in gynecologic oncology in 2021 and is now a gynecologic oncologist at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center.

Do not undervalue yourself, including your abilities, potential, and worthiness for self-love. Compassion for others begins with compassion for ourselves.

Heidi Marie Banh, BS ’17, MS
Medical Student With a BS in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and minors in Applied Theatre Arts and Natural Science, Banh went on to graduate from the MS in Global Medicine program at USC and become a medical student.

It is good to have a plan, but stay open minded since some of the best opportunities will be ones you never expect. For example, I always assumed that clinical dentistry was the only option, but I am able to apply my public health background through research, teaching, and patient care.

David Avenetti, BS ’06, DDS, MS, MPH
Residency Program Director and Associate Professor (tenure track) Avenetti went on to earn degrees in dentistry and public health. He now directs the residency program in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at the College of Dentistry at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Undergraduate Research

Students benefit from USC’s capacity as a premier research institution by collaborating with professors who are preeminent experts in their fields.

Students have presented both collaborative and independent research at USC’s Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, national and international conferences. With the mentorship of faculty, students have also been published in academic journals as authors or co-authors of papers by the time they graduate.

Research areas have included:

Cancer prevention and treatment
Maternal and child health
Nutrition
Diabetes
Obesity
HIV/AIDS
Environmental health
Global epidemiologic research
Health, emotion, and addiction
Substance abuse cessation and prevention

Progressive Degrees in the Department

Progressive Degree Program Information

Heather Wipfli, PhD
Director, Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention
Director, Bachelor of Science in Global Health
Professor of Clinical Population and Public Health Sciences and International Relations
Email: hwipfli@usc.edu

View faculty profile