School of Public Health

Faculty

Dean
David R. Holtgrave, Ph.D.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Public Health Program Director
Beth Feingold, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University

Undergraduate Program Coordinator
Brandon Lewis, M.S.
Canisius College

Bio-instrumentation Program Director
JoEllen Welsh, Ph.D.
Cornell University

Professors
Erin Bell, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
David Carpenter, M.D.
Harvard University
Mary Gallant, Ph.D., MPH
University of Michigan
Janine Jurkowski, Ph.D., MPH
University of Illinois at Chicago
Shao Lin, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Jennifer Manganello, Ph.D., MPH
Johns Hopkins University
Benjamin Shaw, Ph.D., MPH
University of Michigan       
Martin Tenniswood, Ph.D.
Queen's University
JoEllen Welsh, Ph.D.
Cornell University
Igor Zurbenko, Ph.D.
Moscow State University

Clinical Faculty
Catherine M. Bohn, MPH
University of California, Berkeley
Rachel deLong, M.D.
University of Wisconsin
Annette Johnson, Ed.D.
Columbia University
Dwight C. Williams, MSW
Rutgers University

Associate Professors
Allison Appleton, Sc.D.
Harvard University
Christine Bozlak, Ph.D., MPH
University of Illinois at Chicago
Douglas Conklin, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison  
Diane Dewar, Ph.D.
University at Albany
Beth Feingold, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Akiko Hosler, Ph.D.
University at Albany
Mark H. Kuniholm, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Igor B. Kuznetsov, Ph.D. 
New York University
Ricky C. Leung, Ph.D.
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Roxana Moslehi, Ph.D.
University of British Columbia
Feng (Johnson) Qian, Ph.D.
University of Rochester   
Ramune Reliene, Ph.D.
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology
Melissa Tracy, Ph.D.
University of Michigan
Tomoko Udo, Ph.D.
Rutgers University 
Elizabeth Vasquez, DrPH
New York Medical College               
Wendy Weller, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University
Yuchi Young, DrPH
Johns Hopkins University

Assistant Professors
Julia Hastings, Ph.D.
University of California, Los Angeles
Jason Herschkowitz, Ph.D.
University of North Carolina
Xiaobo Xue, Ph.D.
University of Pittsburgh   

Public Health’s mission is to address the physical, mental, and environmental concerns of populations at risk for disease and injury. Through a unique partnership between the University at Albany and the New York State Department of Health, the School of Public Health trains students to promote and improve the health of the population through education, research, community service, and leadership.

The School of Public Health is comprised of four academic departments: Biomedical Sciences; Environmental Health Sciences; Epidemiology & Biostatistics; and Health Policy, Management & Behavior. The School offers an undergraduate minor in Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Public Health. It also offers a Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a faculty-initiated concentration in Bio-instrumentation. The School offers the following graduate degrees: Master of Science, Master of Public Health, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Public Health.

Bachelor of Science in Public Health

This degree sequence includes the educational objectives of nurturing critical thinking, analysis, and synthesis of information, and recognizing the historical and societal context of current trends in public health and health care delivery. It also provides an introduction to disease control and health promotion interventions, and determinants of health from a global perspective.

Admission Requirements

There are no admission requirements for the major.

Course Progression Restriction

Students must complete A MAT 108 with a grade of B or better to register for H SPH 332.

Please visit the School’s website https://www.albany.edu/sph/ or contact Brandon Lewis, the School’s Undergraduate Program Coordinator for additional details: [email protected] or 518-442-3155.

Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science in Public Health

General Program B.S.:  A minimum of 39 credits distributed as follows:

Prerequisite Core (6 credits)
A BIO 130 General Biology: Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics
A MAT 108 Elementary Statistics

Public Health Core (24 credits)
H SPH 201 Introduction to Public Health
H SPH 231 Concepts in Epidemiology
H SPH 305 Biological Basis of Personal and Public Health
H SPH 321 Global Environmental Issues and their Effect on Human Health
H SPH 332 Introduction to Biostatistics
H SPH 341Z Promoting Healthy People and Communities
H SPH 342 How U.S. Health Care Works: Myths and Realities
H SPH 460 Capstone: Evidence-Based Public Health

Electives (select 9 credits from the following, at least 6 of which must be 300 level or higher)
A AFS 333 The Black Community: Continuity and Change
A ANT 119 The City and Human Health
A ANT 211 Human Population Biology
A ANT 418 Culture, Environment, and Health
A COM 340 Health Communication
A PHI 338 Moral Problems in Medicine
A PHI 417 Bioethics
A PSY 329 Health Psychology
A SOC 359 Medical Sociology
H BMS 505 Biological Basis of Public Health
H BMS 622 Cancer Biology
H EHS 590 Introduction to Environmental Health Sciences
H EPI 501 Principles and Methods of Epidemiology
H EPI 503 Principles of Public Health
H EPI 514 Computer Programming for Data Management and Analysis in Public Health
H HPM 469 Topics in Health Policy, Management and Behavior
H HPM 500 Health Care Organizations, Delivery, and Finance
H HPM 525 Social Behavior Aspects of Public Health
H HPM 531 Childhood Obesity from a Public Health Perspective
H HPM 550/B BUS 681 Financial Management of Health Care Institutions
H SPH 202 From Cholera to Cancer: History, Challenges, and Achievements in Public Health
H SPH 203 Integrative Care in Public Health
H SPH 259 Topics in Public Health
H SPH 323 Environmental Lab Perspectives of Public Health
H SPH 343 Mass Media and Health Behavior
H SPH/A ECO/H HPM 381 Economics of Health Care
H SPH 397 Independent Study in Public Health
H SPH 421/H HPM 521 Preventing Disease, Disability, and Death
H SPH 430 Health Literacy
H SPH 435 Social Determinants of Health: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Applications
H SPH 459 Advanced Topics in Public Health
H SPH 469 Topics in Health Policy, Management and Behavior
H SPH 490 Public Health Field Placement
H SPH 499 Research Placement in Public Health

Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a faculty-initiated concentration in Bio-instrumentation

Research in the biomedical and biological sciences has been revolutionized in part by advances in technology and instrumentation. These advances have increased the scope and throughput of research activities, and results in the development of new field of study such as genomics and proteomics. Scientists can now study genomes and proteomes in their entirety, rather than focusing on just a few genes or proteins. The continued evolution and refinement of the instrumentation that facilitates these studies now places the ability to conduct this research within the reach of most research laboratories. The Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a faculty-initiated interdisciplinary concentration in Bio-instrumentation is a combined major/minor program designed to develop students who have an in-depth knowledge of the theory and operation of state-of-the-art instrumentation currently in demand in biomedical, biotechnology, and public health laboratories. Students will also acquire a strong background in the biological sciences and be fully conversant with major public health issues.

Building upon a prerequisite core of general science and math courses, the degree curriculum provides a solid background in public health and in-depth theoretical and operational expertise in bio-instrumentation. Beyond the prerequisite core there are four facets to the program: the first consists of an introduction to the core components of public health; the second provides an in-depth understanding of the theory, operation, and application of instrumentation in molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, and cell analysis research; the third provides practical, hands-on research experiences with the use of instrumentation in these fields through internships in University laboratories; and the fourth provides real-world experience in the use of biotechnological instrumentation to address broader research questions, and an understanding of the expectations that come with a professional career in laboratory research, through cooperative training internships at local biotechnology companies or academic laboratories. 

Admission Requirements

Admission to the Interdisciplinary Studies major with a faculty-initiated concentration in Bio-instrumentation requires an application during the sophomore year. Applicants must have completed 38 credits consisting of introductory science and math courses prior to formal entry into the major. Prerequisite courses can be fulfilled at UAlbany or by transfer from another institution. Applications are reviewed by the School's Undergraduate Committee. An overall GPA of 2.5 will be required for admission. In addition, GPA in the prerequisite core science and math courses will be used as the selection criterion if there are more applicants than space available in the program.

Degree Requirements: Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies with a faculty-initiated concentration in Bio-instrumentation

General Program B.S.: A minimum of 75 credits distributed as follows:

Prerequisite Core (38 credits)
A BIO 130 (formerly A BIO 121) General Biology: Molecular and Cell Biology and Genetics
A BIO 131 (formerly A BIO 120) General Biology: Ecology, Evolution, and Physiology
A BIO 201 Introduction to Biological Investigations I (lab)
A BIO 202Z Introduction to Biological Investigations II (lab)
A BIO 212Y Introductory Genetics
A BIO 217 Cell Biology
A CHM 120 General Chemistry I
A CHM 124 General Chemistry I Laboratory
A CHM 121 General Chemistry
A CHM 125 General Chemistry II Laboratory
A CHM 220 Organic Chemistry I
A CHM 222 Organic Chemistry Laboratory I
A MAT 108 Elementary Statistics
A MAT 112 Calculus I
A PHY 140 Physics I: Mechanics
A PHY 145 Physics Lab I

Public Health Core (12 credits)
H SPH 201 Introduction to Public Health
H SPH/H EPI 231 Concepts in Epidemiology
H SPH/H EPI 332 Introduction to Biostatistics
H BMS 505 Biological Basis of Public Health

Bio-Instrumentation Courses (16 credits)
H BMS 310 Molecular and Genomic Approaches in Biotechnology I
H BMS 311 Molecular and Genomic Approaches in Biotechnology II
H BMS 312 Proteomic Methodologies in Biotechnology
H BMS 314 Animal and Cell Culture Model Systems

Instrumentation in Biotechnology Research Internship Courses (6 credits)
Students will complete two of the following five courses:
H BMS 410 Instrumentation in Biotechnology Research Internship, Molecular Core Lab
H BMS 411 Instrumentation in Biotechnology Research Internship, Genomics Core Lab
H BMS 412 Instrumentation in Biotechnology Research Internship, Proteomics Core Lab
H BMS 414 Instrumentation in Biotechnology Research Internship, Cell Analysis Core Lab
H BMS 415 Instrumentation in Biotechnology Research Internship, Academic Lab

Bio-Instrumentation Co-operative Training Internship (3 credits)
H BMS 420 Bio-Instrumentation Cooperative Training Internship (Biotechnology Company/Academic Lab)

All undergraduate H SPH courses, H HPM 310, and H HPM 381, offered by the School of Public Health, are considered “liberal arts and sciences” courses for the purposes of meeting B.A. and B.S. degree requirements.

Courses in the School of Public Health are preceded by the school’s letter H.