Why choose Public Health at the University of Arizona?

Earn a degree that prepares you for success.

The fully online Bachelor of Science with a major in Public Health includes the same required courses as the main campus program. In Arizona, UArizona's public health degree is the only program accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.

Equivalent to the main campus degree, you will have the opportunity to customize your degree experience to match your interests, aspirations, and future goals. Learn more about the degree emphasis areas and decide which is right for you when pursuing the online program.

Bachelor of Science in Public Health 

Students in the public health major complement the major core coursework with the choice of one of the following degree emphasis areas: Environmental and Occupational Health, Global Health, Health Systems Theory and Practice, One Health, and Public Health Practice.

The number of online public health elective course options is getting more robust every semester. The process of internship selection and completion is identical to the main campus process.

Bachelor of Arts in Wellness and Health Promotion Practice

Students in the Bachelor of Arts in Wellness and Health Promotion Practice major complement the major core coursework with the choice of one of the following emphasis areas: Aging and Population, Health Education, Health and Wellness.

What are you interested in?	Degree Tracks
I am passionate about the health of our elder communities.	Aging and Population
I am interested in guiding communities on a path to good heath.	Health Education
I find optimal health and wellness to be extremely important to me.	Health and Wellness

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Advising Worksheet

• 2024-2025 Major in Public Health Curriculum Guide Bachelor of Science
• 2024-2025 Major in Public Health Curriculum Guide Bachelor of Arts

Students typically enter the online programs having completed their general education courses and prerequisites at another institution, through Arizona Online, or through the main campus program. Students transferring in coursework from another institution should utilize the information on our transfer credit page to ensure their units are transferring appropriately or are evaluated as necessary.

Student looking for further information or who are interested in switching from the main campus to the online campus can review the online Bachelor of Science with a major in Public Health admissions page and/or can send an email inquiry to COPH-onlineUG@email.arizona.edu.

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Tips for success in accelerated, fully online coursework

Many of the Arizona Online courses are offered in 7.5 week format, which is an accelerated version of the traditional 15 week semester format. Students sometimes anticipate that a fully online and accelerated courses will be easier than traditional courses, however, this is not the case. At the UA, the overall time commitment and rigor of fully online courses is equivalent to its main campus counterparts.

What are the benefits of having classes offered in the 7.5-week format?

 

• You can focus on fewer classes at once as student are typically only enrolled in two courses per 7.5 week timeframe.
• It can be easier to keep track of assignment due dates and exams.

 

What are the potential challenges of taking 7.5-week courses?

 

• Multiple assignments may be due for the same class in the same week.
• Deadlines for dropping with a refund and withdrawing from the class come much sooner in 7.5 week sessions than in full-semester classes.

 

How are these classes different from regular 15-week courses?

 

• Courses offered in the 7.5 week format are the same amount of content as the regular semester-long classes. They are taught in accelerated fashion.
• Each class will be different, as instructors decide how they adapt their classes from 15 weeks to 7.5 weeks. Some instructors keep the same number of assignments as they would have in a regular semester, others condense their work into fewer, larger assignments. Expect to do the same amount of work as a 15-week course, but in a quicker amount of time.

 

How much time will it take for me to do my work?

 

• Since the overall length of the semester is cut in half, you need to expect that during any given week that you will be putting in twice as many hours on the class. This means that it could take you as many as 15-20 hours per week for one course (sometimes less, sometimes more).
• You will need to be proactive and plan out your coursework to be sure that you will get everything completed and turned in on time.

 

How do I organize my time in order to get everything done?

 

• Use the Term on a Page to organize your assignment and exam due dates.
• Be sure to note important dates and deadlines for dropping or withdrawing from the course in case you need to do so.

 

How does this affect Financial Aid?

 

• In order to receive federal financial aid, students need to take at least 6 units (usually two classes) per semester. The semester has two 7.5 week sessions. If you are planning to take two classes in a semester, we suggest balancing your schedule and taking one 7.5-week class in each session.
• To be considered full time for financial aid you will need to take at least 12 units (usually four classes) per semester. If you plan on taking four classes in a semester, we suggest you take two in each 7.5-week session. We strongly advise you to avoid taking three 7.5 week courses in one session. This load will be like taking 18 units full semester. It is not possible to take four 7.5 week courses in any one session.