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Undergraduate Degree
Bachelor of Science in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies
3375 S. Hoover Street
University Village, Suite E 210
Los Angeles, CA 90089-7798
Director: Elahe Nezami, Ph.D.
(213) 740-1060
FAX: (213) 821-1733
Email: bhealthy@usc.edu
www.usc.edu/medicine/hp
University Village, Suite E 210
Los Angeles, CA 90089-7798
Director: Elahe Nezami, Ph.D.
(213) 740-1060
FAX: (213) 821-1733
Email: bhealthy@usc.edu
www.usc.edu/medicine/hp
The undergraduate program in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies (HP) provides a well-rounded, professionally-focused education leading to the Bachelor of Science degree. The program is concerned with the sociocultural, behavioral, psychological, and biological factors contributing to wellness and disease. It is an ideal major for students interested in medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, public health, epidemiology, health psychology, and health behavior research. Areas of study include: global health; cultural diversity in medicine; substance abuse prevention and program planning; nutrition and fitness; health promotion of minority and underserved populations; and general public health issues (e.g., HIV/AIDS, violence, health promotion in the workplace and behavioral medicine).
Program Requirements
The Bachelor of Science degree is awarded after students successfully complete 128 units, consisting of 66 units for the major and fulfillment of USC general education requirements including third semester equivalency in a foreign language.General Education Requirements
The university's general education program requires six courses plus writing and diversity requirements, which provide a coherent, integrated introduction to the liberal arts and sciences. See here and here for more information.Requirements for the Major (66 units)
The program is divided into core and elective components.The following core component (46 units) is required of all students.
| Non-hp courses (24 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| BISC 120L | General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution, or | |
| BISC 121L | Advanced General Biology: Organismal Biology and Evolution | 4 |
| BISC 220L | General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology, or | |
| BISC 221L | Advanced General Biology: Cell Biology and Physiology | 4 |
| CHEM 105aL | General Chemistry, or | |
| CHEM 115aL | Advanced General Chemistry | 4 |
| MATH 116 | Mathematics for the Social Sciences, or | |
| MATH 125* | Calculus I | 4 |
| PPD 230 | Introduction to Health Policy and Management | 4 |
| PSYC 100 | Introduction to Psychology | 4 |
*MATH 125 allows students who have placed out of MATH 116 to take a higher-level math class; it also satisfies the math requirement for premedical students.
| HP Courses (22 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
| HP 200 | Introduction to Health Promotion and Disease Prevention | 4 |
| HP 300 | Theoretical Principles of Health Behavior | 4 |
| HP 320 | Biological and Behavioral Basis of Disease | 4 |
| HP 340L | Health Behavior Statistical Methods | 4 |
| HP 350L | Health Behavior Research Methods | 4 |
| HP 480 | Internship in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, or | 2-4 |
| HP 490x | Directed Research | 2-8 |
Advanced HP and Health Profession Preparatory Courses
A total of 20 units of electives are required of all students (at least 12 of the 20 must be HP courses).| electives (20 units) | Units | |
|---|---|---|
BISC 212Lx will be replaced by EXSC 301L in fall 2009.
| BISC 212Lx | Human Anatomy | 4 |
| BISC 320L | Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BISC 330L | Biochemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 105bL | General Chemistry, or | |
| CHEM 115bL | Advanced General Chemistry | 4 |
| CHEM 322abL | Organic Chemistry | 4-4 |
| EXSC 300L | Physiology of Exercise | 4 |
| EXSC 407aL | Advanced Exercise Physiology | 4 |
| HP 400 | Culture, Lifestyle, and Health | 4 |
| HP 401 | Cultural Competence: Promoting Health in Diverse Communities | 4 |
| HP 402 | Maternal and Child Health | 4 |
| HP 403 | Behavioral Medicine | 4 |
| HP 404 | Religion and Health | 4 |
| HP 405 | Sexually Transmitted Disease: A Global PublicHealth Priority | 4 |
| HP 410 | Issues in Prevention and Cessation of Drug Abuse | 4 |
| HP 411 | Drug Intervention Program Design and Evaluation | 4 |
| HP 412 | Health Promotion and Prevention Policy | 4 |
| HP 420 | Gender and Minority Health Issues | 4 |
| HP 421 | Violence as a Public Health Issue | 4 |
| HP 422 | AIDS in Society | 4 |
| HP 430 | Nutrition and Exercise Epidemiology | 4 |
| HP 431 | Behavior and Education Strategies for Nutrition and Fitness | 4 |
| HP 432 | Clinical Nutrition | 4 |
| HP 433 | Advanced Topics in Nutrition | 4 |
| HP 441 | Health Promotion in the Workplace | 4 |
| HP 442 | Chronic Disease Epidemiology | 4 |
This course will be dropped in fall 2009.
| HP 443 | Health Communication Strategies and Evaluation | 4 |
| HP 450 | Traditional Eastern Medicine and Modern Health | 4 |
| HP 460 | Adolescent Health | 4 |
| PHYS 135abL | Physics for the Life Sciences, or | 4-4 |
| PHYS 151L | Fundamentals of Physics I: Mechanics and Thermodynamics, and | 4 |
| PHYS 152L | Fundamentals of Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism | 4 |
| PPD 330 | Introduction to Health Care Systems | 4 |
| PSYC 336L | Developmental Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 355 | Social Psychology | 4 |
| PSYC 437 | Adolescent Development | 4 |
| SOCI 350 | Deviant Behavior | 4 |
| SOCI 475 | Medical Sociology | 4 |