Public Health Online Degree Completion Program
Applications Accepted for:
Fall 2025: Oct. 1, 2024 – May 15, 2025
Click here to view upcoming application and document submission due dates.
Earning your B.S. in Public Health through our online degree completion program will prepare you to develop, implement, and assess public health programs that affect diverse populations in a variety of settings.
- Overview
- Courses
- How To Apply
- Resources
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.
Candidates will be able to compete for jobs in a variety of fields across public health and its related disciplines, including:
- Healthcare Administration and Management
- Health Education and Counseling
- Youth and Career Counseling
- Registered/Practical Nursing
- Health and Medical Research
- Academia
- Healthcare-Related IT
- Occupational Safety and Compliance
- Civil and Safety Engineering
- Project and Program Management
- Chemical and Physical Science
- Business Analysis
- Data Analysis and Mathematics
- Human Resources
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.
Amazon employees are eligible to take this program. More details here!
What Can I Learn
Through online courses designed and delivered by faculty from the School of Public Health, SDSU’s B.S. in Public Health Program focuses on building your foundational knowledge across six major domains of public health:
- Health Promotion and Behavior
- Epidemiology
- Statistics
- Environmental Health
- Health Services Administration
- International/Global Health
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
Labor Analysis
Healthcare Social Workers
- 182,420Number of Jobs, 2022
- 7%Projected Growth (2022-2023)
- $62,760Median Salary Range, 2022
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, link
Labor Analysis
Medical And Health Services Manager
- 509,500Number of Jobs, 2022
- 28%Projected Growth (2022-2023)
- $104,830Median Salary Range, 2022
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, link
Labor Analysis
Health Education Specialists
- 60,400Number of Jobs, 2022
- 7%Projected Growth (2022-2023)
- $59,990Median Salary Range, 2022
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, link
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.
In order to earn your B.S. in Public Health, you’ll need to complete the following:
- 57 Upper Division units, which include:
- 48 Units of Required Upper Division Courses
- 9 General Education Exploration Units
- 3 Units of Practice or Pre-Professional Courses
- 6 Units of Electives
- 3 Units of International Experience
- 3 Writing Proficiency Units
- 48 Units of Required Upper Division Courses
Courses
PH 300: Professionalism and Public Health (3 units)
PH 302: Communicable and Chronic Disease (3 units)
PH 304: Environment and Public Health (3 units)
PH 305: Medical Care Organization and Delivery (3 units)
PH 306: Public Health Research (3 units)
PH 307: Applied Biostatistics in Public Health (3 units)
PH 401: Biological Basis of Disease (3 units)
PH 450: Public Health Policy (3 units)
PH 490A: Health Data Analysis (3 units)
PH 490B: Planning Public Health Programs (3 units)
PH 490C: Public Health Program Evaluation (3 units)
PH 497: Supervised Specialization in Public Health (3 units)
PH 550: Applied International Public Health (3 units)
PH 353: Human Sexuality and Disease (3 units)
PH 362: Global Health (3 units)
PH 333 Exploring Root Causes of Disparities (3 units) or PH 402: Public Health Communications (3 units)
AMIND 440: American Indian History (3 units)
GEN S 340: Confronting AIDS (3 units)
RWS 305W: Writing in Various Settings (3 units) – Writing Assessment Requirement
To successfully complete the program and earn your degree, you’ll need to complete all required units of coursework. You’ll need to complete any remaining lower division CSU and General Education requirements externally before graduation at SDSU (with the exception of approved bridge courses that are offered internally at SDSU Global Campus). Once admitted, please refer to your degree evaluation to determine if there are any remaining degree requirements listed in the SDSU General Catalog for your major, as well as requirements outlined in your degree evaluation. If you have any questions, your Admissions Advisor is here to help.
Learn More About Transferring To SDSU Global Campus
We host a series of application workshops and transfer information sessions throughout the year to answer any questions about finishing your degree.
Out-of-State Applicants
While we welcome out-of-state students, SDSU Global Campus currently cannot accept applications from students residing in some specific states. Please check back often, as this list of approved states does change. View the list of authorized states here.
Admission Requirements
Below is a list of general admission requirements for the B.S. in Public Health degree completion program.
We understand that every student’s academic journey is unique, and we encourage you to contact one of our Student Service Representatives to find out what you’ll need to successfully apply to the program.
In order to successfully apply to the program, you should:
- Have a minimum of 60 transferable semester units (or 90 quarter) by the semester prior to transfer, which include:
- 29 Lower Division Preparation Course Units:
- Public Health 101
- Public Health 290 or 292
- Biology 100, 100L
- Chemistry 100
- Biology 212
- Biology 211
- Psychology 101
- Statistics 119 or Sociology 201 or Psychology 280
- Sociology 101
- You should complete Public Health 101 and 290 with B (3.0) or higher You should complete all other courses with a C (2.0) or higher These courses are available through Open University for fall 2021. They cannot be taken for credit/no credit (Cr/NC)
- A minimum of 30 Units of General Education Courses
- The Golden Four Requirement, which includes:
- Oral Communication — complete a basic public speaking course or other communication course with a grade of “C-” or higher in at least 3 semester (or 4 quarter) units
- Written Communication — complete a freshman composition course that emphasizes essay writing or reading and writing concurrently with a grade of “C-” or higher in at least 3 semester (or 4 quarter) units
- Critical Thinking — complete, with a grade of “C-” or higher, a second semester composition or writing course, or a course in reasoning and effective argumentative writing
- Mathematics — complete a mathematics course above the level of intermediate algebra with a grade of “C-” or higher in at least 3 semester (or 4 quarter) units. Mathematics 150, 151, and 252 will satisfy this requirement
- 29 Lower Division Preparation Course Units:
- Have an overall 2.90+ college GPA
Graduation Requirements
- Complete the American Institutions Graduation Requirement
- The American Institutions requirement is designed to demonstrate that students have an understanding of American history, the United States Constitution, and California state and local government.
Application Instructions
If you meet the admissions requirements and wish to apply, please complete an application through Cal State Apply.
A $70 nonrefundable application fee is required of all applicants at the time of application. Admission decisions are initially based on self-reported information provided via Cal State Apply. You’ll need to provide complete and accurate information on your application. Any misreporting will jeopardize an admission offer.
Electronic transcripts are highly encouraged. Please ensure that you indicate this preference when making your request. If you are required to provide an email address to send the secure online document to SDSU, please use transcriptsforsdsu@sdsu.edu.
Please do not send your official transcripts unless you are offered admission.
For more detailed admission requirements and other application information, please consult our Transfer Admissions Information.
Financial Aid
This program is approved for financial aid. To begin the financial aid process, visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website. There, you’ll be able to access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
We encourage you to apply for financial aid as soon as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it won’t. Upon graduation, you’ll have earned the same business degree as SDSU’s on-campus students — a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from San Diego State University.
Through interactive courses taught by healthcare professionals, you’ll gain the knowledge and skills that 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.
Our online public health degree completion program is asynchronous and mostly online. The classes feature more than 50% of the online coursework provided through direct faculty instruction and academic activities at the times and days listed in the Class Schedule, with additional time slots for office hours. Students are expected to attend all live sessions and final exams or assignments will be listed in the course syllabus and may need to be completed at a set time and date.
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.
Ready to take the next step? Click here to connect with the SDSU Global Campus Welcome Center.