Public Health Degrees at San Jose State University
San Jose State University appears in our ranking of the 10 Cheapest MPH Degrees in California
There are three programs in public health at San Jose State University that include an undergraduate degree, two undergraduate minors, and a graduate degree. Students may pursue a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, a minor in public health, or a Master of Public Health. In addition to the general track for the bachelor’s degree, students may also adopt a concentration in health services administration.
Degrees are administered by the Public Health and Recreation Department. The four-year bachelor’s degree program has GPA and curriculum requirements that students must meet. For example, all classes required for the major must be completed with a minimum grade of C or better. The bachelor’s degree program also requires that students study abroad at least once during the program for a minimum of nine days in a university-approved program.
Total academic units required for the undergraduate program is 120, and core courses include Introduction to Health Policy, Community Health Promotion, and Applications in Community Health Promotion. Students will also take Health Issues in a Multicultural Society, Health Communications, Epidemiology, and Health Program Planning.
Students who choose the concentration in health services administration will take some different courses that include Health Care Economics, Comparative Healthcare Systems, and Fundamentals of Health Information Technology. Both bachelor’s degree options require that students complete 120 units.
Students who pursue one of the minors at the university will need to complete between 12 and 15 credits. The minor in health professions requires 12 to 15 credits with a required course of Health Issues in a Multicultural Society and electives like Aging & Mental Health and Health Team building. The minor in public health has four required core courses and one elective. Classes taken for a minor at SJSU must be completely distinct from the classes taken for the student’s major.
The final program option at San Jose State University is the Master of Public Health, which has been an option at the university since 1970. The program is designed to prepare students for work as community health education practitioners. The graduate degree was first accredited in 1974. Students must complete 42 units to earn their degrees.
About San Jose State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California. Founded in 1857, the university is the oldest public institution on the West Coast and was the first university created in the California State University system. More than 33,000 students attend the university, which sits on two campuses of 154 and 62 acres. The university’s official colors are gold and blue, and students are nicknamed the Spartans on their sports teams.
Graduates of the university often head to tech companies in Silicon Valley, and the university also has one of the most diverse student populations in the entire nation. The university was once known as the Minns Evening Normal School when it was established in San Francisco by a man named George W. Minns. The school would relocate to San Jose in 1871.
San Jose State University Accreditation Details
Accreditation for San Jose State University has been granted by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Accreditation by WASC is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and allows students of the university to receive loans for tuition through the federal government’s student loan program. Some of the degrees offered at SJSU are also accredited by program-specific entities.
Programmatic accreditations include those from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, the National Association of Schools of Music, and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. Eight of the subjects taught in secondary school are approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Approved subjects include mathematics, art, science, and Spanish.
San Jose State University Application Requirements
Admission requirements for schools in the California State University system are the same throughout all the campuses in the state. To attend SJSU as a first-year student, applicants must complete required high school courses with a C- grade or better. Required classes include two years of history or social science, four years of English, and several other classes. Students must also submit their SAT or ACT scores and should take note of the submission deadline published by the university.
The university also uses the results of a calculation known as the Minimum Eligibility Index, which takes a student’s GPA and standardized test scores to determines whether the student meets the minimum application requirements for the CSU system. The university describes its admissions process as competitive since the university receives many more applications each year than there are spaces in its programs.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Students who enroll in undergraduate programs at San Jose State University will pay tuition and campus fees of $7,852 for 6.1 or more units. Campus housing costs an additional $16,946, transportation is estimated at $1,505, miscellaneous and personal costs are estimated at $1,704, and books are estimated at $2,058. The cost of a meal plan is based on the expectation that students will choose a meal plan with 21 meals allotted each week.
For graduate students at SJSU, the cost of tuition and campus fees is $9,286. Costs for room and board, transportation, miscellaneous costs, and books are similar to those for undergraduate students. Any student who attends the university and is not a resident of California will pay an additional $396 per unit. This rate applies to undergraduate and graduate programs.
Loans, scholarships, and grants at San Jose State University are administered by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, which offers more than $425 million in aid to students each year. Students must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to begin the financial aid process, and the priority filing date is March 2. Students may also apply for aid through the California Dream Act.
There are three state-based grants that students may qualify for when they enroll at an institution of higher learning in California. Awards include the Cal Grant A, which is available to students attending public and private colleges and features an award of $5,900 annually for CSU students. There is also the Cal Grant B option, which offers money to students for books and other expenses. A third option is the Cal Grant A Competitive Award program, which is offered to students attending schools like San Jose State University, who have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.