Public Health Online Degree Completion

About the Program

Protect the health of populations across the globe by earning your B.S. in Public Health through SDSU’s online degree completion program. Designed in collaboration with SDSU’s School of Public Health, this two-year program can help prepare you for a career that bridges the gap between biological and social sciences. You’ll learn how to solve healthcare-related problems, communicate health strategies to diverse populations, and develop programs that will promote health equity and community wellness.

Through interactive courses taught by healthcare professionals, you’ll gain the knowledge and the skills will help you stand out in an increasingly competitive job market. You’ll also learn how to serve all members of your community with dignity and respect, especially in communities that are underserved and under-resourced. And with the option to take all your courses online, you won’t have to put your life on hold to earn your degree.

What Is A Degree Completion Program?

This degree completion program is specifically designed for students who have started, but not finished, their four-year undergraduate degree. If you've completed 60 transferable units, satisfied all CSU requirements, and have a 2.9+ GPA, you can earn a valuable degree from San Diego State University that fits your busy schedule.

Is This Program Right for Me?

SDSU’s online bachelor of public health program will help degree completion candidates find entry-level and mid-level employment opportunities across the public and private sector. From hospitals and health clinics to business organizations and government agencies, you’ll be able to make healthcare-related recommendations and implement equity-based changes within your organization and your community.

Many students choose to continue their education by earning an MPH in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science or an MPH in Epidemiology from SDSU or by earning a graduate degree in public health elsewhere.

This program is designed with today’s busy professionals in mind. The coursework is entirely online, which means that you can earn your degree while also navigating a busy work schedule, family obligations, and other responsibilities.

Upon graduation, you’ll receive the same valuable degree as SDSU’s on-campus students — a Bachelor of Science in Applied Arts and Sciences in Public Health from San Diego State University.

What Can I Learn

Upon graduation, you’ll be able to demonstrate knowledge and basic competencies across all six of these essential areas of public health.

The curriculum will teach you how to work with public health organizations, researchers, and diverse communities to achieve a variety of public health goals, from fighting infectious outbreaks to developing healthcare programs and infrastructure in underserved communities. You’ll learn how to understand and address population-level health concerns through the collection, use, and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. You’ll examine the basic legal, ethical, economic and regulatory dimensions of health care and health policy.

The program includes a cross-cultural component. As part of your curriculum, you will be required to participate in a pre-approved international experience to increase awareness of cross-cultural issues relating to public health and health inequity. You’ll focus on the economic, political, cultural, social, and health-related challenges experienced by local populations in international environments. You’ll be able to draw comparisons between public health in the U.S. and health systems in other countries, and you’ll develop an understanding of how to develop programs and solutions that address health discrepancies across the globe.

Time Commitments for Online Courses at Global Campus

Career Outcomes

A B.S. in Public Health is an incredibly versatile degree, and graduates will have a wide range of positions to choose from. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, graduates holding a Bachelor’s in Public Health are prepared to work in a variety of fields ranging from healthcare administration and nursing to health education and counseling.

Nationwide, employment opportunities for individuals holding a B.S. in Public Health topped 260,000 over the past 12 months, and those figures are expected to grow by 10% over the next decade.

Salary is largely dependent on experience and profession; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary for someone with a B.S. in Public Health who has 0-2 years of professional experience is around $60,000 per year. These numbers can top $100,000 per year for someone with 6 or more years of experience in a public health-related field.

Why Should You Choose Us?

Versatility

SDSU’s Public Health Degree Completion program is a general public health program with an emphasis in behavioral health. The curriculum focuses on six different public health disciplines — epidemiology, environmental health, occupational health, health services administration, and behavioral science — which will give you a broad knowledge of public health that’s applicable to many different career paths. The program takes a unique international approach, examining public health issues with a global perspective. With this degree, you’ll be able to enter virtually any job market with an edge on the competition.

Accessibility

SDSU’s Public Health program can help degree completion candidates earn a valuable degree from a reputable university on their busy schedule. Millions of people across the country have some college credits, but never finished their degree or certificate program. With online courses led by the same instructors that teach courses on campus, you’ll be able to earn a high-quality degree that works for you.

Reputation

Our public health degree completion program was recently ranked one of the nation’s top-15 online public health programs by Bachelor’s Degree Center. In addition, SDSU’s School of Public Health (SPH) is one of four CEPH-accredited schools of public health in California. Through partnerships with the UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency, and other health organizations, the SPH has a reputation as a leader in public health research. The SPH also provides assistance to healthcare organizations, governmental agencies, for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, multinational organizations, and our own academic community on matters of public health. As a student, you’ll also be able to take advantage of the SPH’s connections with San Diego County Public Health Services, along with a robust alumni network.