Earn Your Bachelor of Science in Public Health Online

What can I expect from Kent State’s online Bachelor of Science in Public Health?

Flexibility and excellence delivered affordably.

The Kent State University College of Public Health offers an online Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree with three different specializations in a convenient, focused format that gives you the flexibility to keep up with your work and family responsibilities while you study.

The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) and the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) accredit our online Bachelor of Science in Public Health program. These accreditations ensure that the program adheres to the highest educational standards while working to improve public health through education, research and policy.

With tuition rates that protect your bottom line, Kent State’s online BSPH program is the financially responsible, fiscally possible, quality choice to help you move up.

Our Military Friendly Gold Designation recognizes Kent State University's outstanding service to the extended military community and all our students.

The need for trained, educated public health professionals has never been greater. In the Allied Health concentration, you’ll gain multifaceted expertise—in epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, global health and health policy—in preparation for a career that makes a crucial difference.

If you hold or are actively pursuing state licensure in an allied health field, you may be eligible to receive up to 12 credit hours of upper-division credit for your prior experience and competence. If you don’t hold state licensure, your curriculum will include 12 hours of coursework in allied health-specific areas.
The Allied Health concentration is ideal if your professional interests include:

• Accelerated nursing
• Respiratory care
• Radiologic technology
• Occupational therapy
• Physical therapy

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The Health Services Administration concentration is your foundation and launching point for graduate work in health policy and management. You’ll analyze national and local public health infrastructure, evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of healthcare delivery, and explore the legal and ethical issues of healthcare administration. For the most comprehensive learning experience, we encourage you to pair this concentration with a minor.

To advance your career sooner, Kent State offers the accelerated MPH option, through which you can apply up to nine credits to your bachelor’s and master’s degree programs.

Choose the Health Services Administration concentration if you aim for a career as a:

• Finance manager
• Compliance officer
• Patient navigator
• Insurance specialist
• Healthcare manager in other areas

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Take a deep dive into the epidemiology methods used in clinical research. In the Clinical Trials Research concentration, you’ll gain a thorough understanding of the management of research studies, the scientific literature related to drugs, medical devices and other new therapies, and the federal regulations related to conducting clinical trials. You’ll have the opportunity to enhance your knowledge and gain hands-on experience through internship in a clinical research setting. Ultimately, you’ll graduate prepared to design and answer research questions, collect and manage data, and communicate research findings to scientific and lay audiences.

The Clinical Trials Research concentration is the right choice if you want to manage clinical research studies in:

• Hospitals
• Contract research organizations
• Medical schools
• Insurance companies
• Pharmaceutical companies

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• The history and philosophy of public health
• Public health’s core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society
• The basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis
• Why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice
• The concepts of population health
• The basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
• The underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course

• The socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that affect human health and contribute to health disparities
• The fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation
• The fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system
• The differences between systems in other countries
• The basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of healthcare and public health policy; the roles, influences and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government
• The basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology

Study Abroad: Connect Classroom Learning to the Global Community

Take advantage of your Kent State opportunity to explore other cultures and diverse areas of the world. In your choice of a short-term or year-long experience, you can fulfill credits toward graduation in one of more than 200 programs in 60 countries, including with the Florence Health Institute in Florence, Italy.

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Build Your Skills by Learning From Recognized Experts

Kent State’s accredited online Bachelor of Science in Public Health program is where expertise and flexibility combine to enrich your career outlook. The College of Public Health's faculty bring years of diverse professional experience with them to inform your education. In our virtual classrooms, these experts in applied public health use real-world experiences and examples to help you put theory into practice while you're still learning.

Learn More About Our Experts

Tuition and Financial Aid

An additional distance learning fee for all students enrolled in a distance learning course is $15 per credit hour. Program tuition and costs are estimated and subject to change. For comprehensive tuition information, please refer to the tuition rates posted on the Bursar’s website.

Your Admissions Advisor can answer your questions on program costs, discuss how a Kent State degree compares to others and connect you with financial aid representatives when you are ready to discuss your financial options.

Please contact an Admissions Advisor for more information on tuition and fees either by email at publichealth@kent.edu or toll-free at
+1 844‑234‑4073.

Schedule a Call
Download an Application Checklist

The 120-credit-hour online BSPH degree is comprised of:

• University Requirements
  • Destination Kent State: First Year Experience Satisfactory completion is required of all undergraduates except those who are 21 years of age at the time of application or who have 25 or more credit hours, excluding post-secondary and dual enrollment programs.
  • 36 credit hours from the Kent Core (General Education Requirements) This is the foundation of the university's mission to prepare students to live in today's complex, global society.
  • Diversity Course Requirement: All students must satisfy this requirement, which consists of one course addressing domestic (U.S.) issues and one course addressing global issues.
  • Experiential Learning Requirement: This provides students with the opportunity to initiate lifelong learning through the development and application of academic knowledge and skills in new or different settings.
  • Writing-Intensive Course Requirement: This assists undergraduates in becoming effective writers within their major discipline.
• Program Requirements
  • Required courses for the Public Health major
  • Required and elective courses within each concentration

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Review Program Requirements

Courses for the Public Health Major

Build your expertise on the strongest foundation. Your curriculum will include study of public health, global health, epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health and safety, public health policy and decision-making, and more, including a culminating capstone experience.

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Courses for the Allied Health Concentration

Your choices in the Allied Health curriculum include courses in human genetics, the United States healthcare system, public health ethics, psychology, medical terminology, human nutrition, quantitative reasoning, health informatics, and a full suite of math and science options.

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Courses for the Health Services Administration Concentration

From required courses such as Principles of Public Health Leadership to electives including Zombie Outbreak, the HSA concentration explores issues of ethics, law, finance, leadership, mass incarceration, and emergency public health management, among others.

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Courses for the Clinical Trials Research Concentration

With a solid footing in epidemiology, clinical trials management, scientific writing for clinical research, regulatory affairs, and pharmacoepidemiology, you can fill out your curriculum with courses in chemistry, algebra, anatomy and physiology, and biological diversity.

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Admissions Requirements

• Be in your senior year of high school OR hold a high school diploma, GED or equivalent degree
• Apply for admission using the Kent State Application or the Common Application
• Submit a $50 application fee
• Complete the full college preparatory curriculum as recommended by the Ohio State Board of Education

The application process is simple and we’re here to guide you through it.

Our Admissions Advisors are available to answer your questions regarding admissions requirements for the program. If you have questions, please email us at publichealth@kent.edu or call us toll-free at +1 844-234-4073.

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Download Application Checklist