Public Health FAQs

How do I know who my advisor is? — You will receive an email from the SAPH advising coordinator before early advising begins. Advisor assignments are not always permanent, so be sure to check your email. If you need academic advising before early registration, you can contact your advisor from last semester. New students and change-of-majors should contact the advising coordinator. Faculty are frequently away from UMBC, conducting their research, during the summer session. Please contact the advising coordinator during the summer!

Is the 2.5 GPA a requirement for the major GPA or UMBC cumulative GPA? — It is a cumulative GPA requirement.
What happens if I fall below the required GPA? — If this is your first semester below 2.5, you need to raise your cumulative GPA above 2.5 next semester in order to remain in Public Health. If this is your second consecutive semester below 2.5 cumulative GPA, you are no longer permitted to remain a Public Health major and must speak with someone regarding other major options. Please schedule an appointment through the Office of Academic & Pre-Professional Advising or the Career Center.

How do I change my major to Public Health? — Students need a cumulative 2.5 GPA to change to Public Health. If you meet this requirement, you should schedule an appointment with Debbie Sanford, Coordinator of Advising.

How do I declare the Public Health minor? — Students should complete the Declaration of Major form and submit it through the Registrar’s form submission page. Students do not need an advisor signature to declare a minor.

If I’m in the Public Health program, can I enter the Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program with Sociology? — Yes, refer to the Applied Sociology BA/MA program requirements and make an appointment to discuss with your advisor.
If I’m in the Public Health program, can I use courses to enter the Public Policy Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program? — Yes, refer to the Public Policy BA/MPP program requirements and make an appointment to discuss with your advisor.
Is there a program for the Public Health/Social Work major? — Yes, view the SAPH combined programs page for more information on the PBHL/SOWK double major. The Public Health/SOWK double major is still being finalized.
Are there any other dual degree programs that Public Health students can apply for? — Yes, there are other programs at UMBC that may be of interest to Public Health students. Contact your advisor for more information on the Health Information Technology (Health IT) graduate program, Emergency Health Services graduate program, and other graduate and accelerated programs at UMBC. There are also undergraduate certificates and minors, such as the Social Dimensions of Health undergraduate certificate and the Health IT undergraduate certificate that can complement your Public Health BA.

Why is the internship a 6-credit or 3-credit course? — Credits are calculated based on the time spent at the internship. Students registering for the 6-credit course must complete 208 hours and students registering for the 3-credit course must complete 104 hours.
Do internship credit also count as upper-level credits? — Yes! PBHL 470 and 471 are upper-level courses and are counted as upper-level credits.
Why do students register for PRAC 98 during the internship? — PRAC 98, a no-fee, no-credit course through the UMBC Career Center, provides professional develop training and University oversight for internships and internship sites. This is a required component of the Public Health internship.
How do I register for an internship, and what are the internship deadlines and important dates? — Please refer to our Internships information tab for full details.
How can I find out more information about the internship orientation sessions? — Students are sent emails for sessions early in each semester. Check the Public Health myUMBC groups pages for postings.
Is an internship required for graduation? — No, students are required to complete experiential learning, but can substitute research experience for the internship. This is offered on a limited application basis. Most students will complete an internship to fulfill this requirement.

Your Degree Audit will display the PBHL requirements based on your start date at UMBC or the date that you changed your major to PBHL.
My past/current courses are listed as HAPP instead of Public Health (PBHL), what should I do? — As a Public Health major you will take the course numbers as listed on your curriculum plan, whether they are HAPP or PBHL. You do not need to do anything, either set of call letters will fulfill the requirements.

Who can help with my resume? — Visit the Career Center resume support page for assistance.
What can I do with my degree? — Explore suggested Public Health career paths from the Career Center and view Alumni Spotlights on the Public Health program homepage.

Where can I find out more information about scholarships and awards? — The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Undergraduate Scholarship Program provides opportunities for eligible students. You may also refer to the SAPH department awards page for information on Public Health scholarships, and explore more scholarships through the UMBC Scholarship Retriever tool.

Can Public Health students participate in research at UMBC? — Yes, individual faculty members in SAPH may have opportunities for students to work on existing research as undergraduate research assistants. Students can also conduct their own research as part of Undergraduate Research Awards (URA), an Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day (URCAD) presentation, an independent study, or the Fulbright Program for research abroad. The UMBC Undergraduate Research and Prestigious Scholarships website has additional information about on and off campus research opportunities.
How do I get involved in Public Health research at UMBC? — Talk to your professors! Our faculty have ongoing research and may be accepting undergraduate student research assistants. Check out the SAPH SMaRT Scholars program in the Center for Health, Equity, and Aging (CHEA) for additional research training for the social sciences.

Are there any student organizations that I can join as a Public Health major? — Yes! You can learn more about our student organizations on the Public Health Council of Majors webpage and the American Mock World Health Organization (AMWHO) site. There are other organizations around campus that are engaged in health related activities. Check out the UMBC Campus Life student organizations directory for more information.

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