Community and Global Public Health Major, B.S.P.H.
The BSPH program in Community and Global Public Health (CGPH) prepares students to work in partnership with local and global communities to identify, assess, and address health challenges while advancing health equity. Recognizing that health challenges and their solutions transcend borders, the program emphasizes community-driven, sustainable health interventions that address a broad range of health behaviors in local and global settings.
The curriculum is rooted in high-impact, community-centered practices, incorporating team-based learning, experiential education, and interdisciplinary perspectives. Students engage with diverse viewpoints on public health topics, equipping them to develop evidence-based behavioral and structural interventions that improve health in the communities where people live, learn, work, and play.
Through a focus on community partnership and health equity, students gain the skills to:
- Assess public health research
- Identify root causes of health issues
- Address social and structural barriers that shape health outcomes
- Design, implement, and evaluate health behavior interventions
- Collaborate with communities to co-create solutions tailored to their strengths, needs, and priorities
The program also provides specialized training in data-driven, community-based, and systems-level public health approaches, preparing graduates to engage and lead meaningful and sustainable health initiatives.
Students complete the program in a cohort of approximately 40 students, fostering a strong sense of community and collaboration within the program and department. The supportive learning environment encourages teamwork, mentorship, and personal growth, empowering students to become future public health leaders.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the B.S.P.H. program in community and global public health, students should be able to demonstrate the following competencies:
Community and Global Public Health Knowledge and Skills
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Implement principles of community-engaged public health practice and identify strategies to involve communities in public health policies and programs
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Investigate the determinants that impact health and contribute to health inequities
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Examine how quantitative and qualitative data are used to inform intervention development, adaptation, evaluation, and dissemination aligned with community needs and priorities
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Develop and apply skills to enable collaboration with diverse teams from local and global communities and engage with complex problems to promote holistic health, justice, and health equity
Foundational Public Health Knowledge and Skills
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Describe health inequities, identify their root causes at multiple levels of the social ecological framework, and discuss approaches to advancing health equity
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Locate, use, evaluate, and synthesize public health information
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Communicate public health information, in both oral and written forms through a variety of media and to diverse audiences
Throughout the BSPH curriculum, students will also receive exposure to the following foundational public health domains:
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The history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society
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The basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice
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The concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches, and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
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The underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
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The socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
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The fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation
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The fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well as the differences between systems in other countries
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The basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy and the roles, influences, and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government
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The basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology
Prerequisite Courses Required for Admission
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 101 & 101L | 
Principles of Biologyand
Introductory Biology Laboratory H, F | 4 |
| One of the following courses: | 3-4 | |
|
Precalculus Mathematics F | ||
|
Calculus for Business and Social Sciences F | ||
|
Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F | ||
| One of the following courses: | 3 | |
|
Sociological Perspectives H, F | ||
|
General Psychology F | ||
|
Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Total Hours | 10-11 | |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
Admission
The Gillings School of Global Public Health offers five undergraduate majors: biostatistics, community and global public health, environmental health sciences, health policy and management, and nutrition. The undergraduate degree offered is the bachelor of science in public health (B.S.P.H.). Enrollment in the B.S.P.H. degree programs is limited, and students must apply for admission. Students typically apply in their sophomore year for admission beginning in the fall of their junior year.
For current UNC–Chapel Hill students, additional information on application deadlines and how to apply can be found on the Public Health Undergraduate Majors website.
Transfer students interested in any of the B.S.P.H. degree programs must apply through the Office of Undergraduate Admissions using the Transfer Common application.
For high school seniors, our five majors participate in the Assured Enrollment program through Undergraduate Admissions. Assured enrollment programs guarantee students a spot in an undergraduate major within one of Carolina’s professional schools or a spot in an accelerated undergraduate/graduate program. For additional information, please visit Undergraduate Admissions: Special Opportunities.
Students are subject to the requirements in place when they are admitted to the Gillings School of Global Public Health; consequently, the requirements described in this catalog particularly apply to students admitted to Gillings during the 2025–2026 academic year.
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
- attain a final cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0
- complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC-Chapel Hill courses
- take at least half of their major course requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC-Chapel Hill
- earn a C (not C-) or better in all prerequisite, core, and additional courses required for the major
For more information, please consult the degree requirements sections of the catalog.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements 1 | ||
| Public health core courses: | ||
| SPHG 351 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| SPHG 352 | Public Health Systems and Solutions | 4 |
| BIOS 600 | Principles of Statistical Inference | 3 |
| EPID 600 | Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health | 3 |
| Health Behavior courses: | ||
| HBEH 510 | Foundations of Equity, Ethics, and Engagement in Public Health | 3 |
| HBEH 520 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| HBEH 531 | Community Engagement and Assessment to Advance Health Equity and Social Justice | 3 |
| HBEH 532 | Development and Evaluation of Health Behavior Interventions | 4 |
| HBEH 555 | Collaboration & Community Organizing in Public Health: A Community Based Culminating Experience | 4 |
| HBEH 571 | Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| Three additional elective courses chosen from the list below. | 9 | |
| Additional Requirements 2 | ||
| BIOL 101 & 101L | Principles of Biology and Introductory Biology Laboratory H, F | 4 |
| One of the following courses: | 3-4 | |
| Precalculus Mathematics F | ||
| Calculus for Business and Social Sciences F | ||
| Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F | ||
| One of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Sociological Perspectives H, F | ||
| General Psychology F | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Total Hours | 52-53 | |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
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Requires a grade of C (not C-) or better.
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Prerequisite courses required for admission.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Suggested Elective Courses 1 | ||
| ANTH 142 | Local Cultures, Global Forces H | 3 |
| BUSI 405 | Leading and Managing: An Introduction to Organizational Behavior | 3 |
| BUSI 406 | Marketing | 3 |
| BUSI 510 | The Challenge of Healthcare: A System Overview | 1.5 |
| BUSI 521 | Design Thinking: The Innovation Process for Complex Problems | 3 |
| BUSI 529 | Intercultural Communication in the Global Workplace | 1.5 |
| BUSI 555 | Groups and Teams in Organizations | 1.5 |
| COMM 223 | Small Group Communication | 3 |
| GEOG 130 | Development and Inequality: Global Perspectives F | 3 |
| GEOG 141 | Geography for Future Leaders | 3 |
| GLBL 210 | Global Issues and Globalization | 3 |
| GLBL 483 | Comparative Health Systems H | 3 |
| NUTR 245 | Sustainable Local Food Systems: Intersection of Local Foods and Public Health | 3 |
| NUTR 250 | Global Sustainable Food Systems | 3 |
| NUTR 405 | Fundamentals of Food and Nutrition Policy in Public Health | 3 |
| PLAN 101 | Cities and Urban Life | 3 |
| PLCY/PWAD 110 | Global Policy Issues H | 3 |
| SOCI 172 | Introduction to Population Health in the United States | 3 |
| SOCI 180 | Introduction to Global Population Health | 3 |
| SOCI 422 | Sociology of Mental Health and Illness | 3 |
| SOCI 469 | Health and Society | 3 |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
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Additional electives may be taken with the approval of the Program Director and Academic Coordinator.
Sample Plan of Study
Sample plans can be used as a guide to identify the courses required to complete the major and other requirements needed for degree completion within the expected eight semesters. The actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Students should meet with their academic advisor to create a degree plan that is specific and unique to their interests. The sample plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UNC–Chapel Hill in the fall term. Some courses may not be offered every term.
| First Year | Hours | |
|---|---|---|
| First-Year Foundation Courses | ||
| IDST 101 | College Thriving | 1 |
| ENGL 105 | English Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| First-Year Seminar or First-Year Launch | 3 | |
| IDST 111L | Data Literacy Lab | 1 |
| Global Language through level 3 | varies | |
| Major Courses | ||
| BIOL 101 & 101L | Principles of Biology and Introductory Biology Laboratory H, F | 4 |
| One of the following courses: | 3-4 | |
| Precalculus Mathematics F | ||
| Calculus for Business and Social Sciences F | ||
| Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F | ||
| Hours | 15-16 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| One of the following courses: | 3 | |
| Sociological Perspectives H, F | ||
| General Psychology F | ||
| Introduction to Cultural Anthropology | ||
| Hours | 3 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| HBEH 510 | Foundations of Equity, Ethics, and Engagement in Public Health | 3 |
| HBEH 520 | Introduction to Global Health | 3 |
| SPHG 351 | Foundations of Public Health | 3 |
| EPID 600 | Principles of Epidemiology for Public Health | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| HBEH 531 | Community Engagement and Assessment to Advance Health Equity and Social Justice | 3 |
| SPHG 352 | Public Health Systems and Solutions | 4 |
| BIOS 600 | Principles of Statistical Inference | 3 |
| --- | Elective course #1 | 3 |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| HBEH 532 | Development and Evaluation of Health Behavior Interventions | 4 |
| HBEH 555 | Collaboration & Community Organizing in Public Health: A Community Based Culminating Experience | 4 |
| HBEH 691H | Honors Research (optional) | 3 |
| Hours | 11 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| HBEH 571 | Global Health and Human Rights | 3 |
| --- | Elective course #2 | 3 |
| --- | Elective course #3 | 3 |
| HBEH 692H | Honors Research (optional) | 3 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Total Hours | 66-67 | |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
Special Opportunities in Community and Global Public Health
Experiential Education
HBEH 555 is an experiential education course students take during the fall of their senior year with a 150-hour internship with a partner organization, providing hands-on experience in community-centered public health.
Honors Research Courses
The Community and Global Public Health major provides an opportunity for honors thesis study for qualified students. To be eligible for admission to the honors thesis program students must have, at a minimum, a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher and a 3.5 grade point average or higher in the major at the beginning of their senior year and must maintain the grade point average throughout the major if they intend to pursue honors. Students must have an approved thesis concept prior to enrolling in the honors thesis course series. Students will take HBEH 691H (3 credits) in the fall semester of their senior year and then complete HBEH 692H (3 credits) in the spring semester.
Study Abroad
There are several opportunities for pursuing study abroad programs in the summers or before matriculating to the BSPH in CGPH both through the department and through the UNC Study Abroad Office. Identification of a study abroad program early in the student’s career is necessary for course planning purposes.
B.S.P.H. in Community and Global Public Health Ambassadors
Current student ambassadors for the bachelor of science in public health program in community and global public health are happy to answer questions you may have about the application process, the program, or student life in the Gillings School of Global Public Health.
