Major Mondays: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies
Major: The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies major is housed in the Keck School of Medicine of USC. All of the core courses are taught on the main University Park campus (UPC), however there are optional elective courses and research opportunities that take place at the Health Sciences campus (HSC), which is accessible by free USC inter-campus shuttles. This major is open to both incoming freshmen and transfer students.
Overview: The undergraduate major in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Studies (HP) takes an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to studying healthcare delivery. The core of the major allows students to take courses in health-based statistics, psychology, biology, health behavior, and health theory. For their elective units, students can choose from a variety of classes. They can earn credit for taking traditional introductory biology, chemistry, or physics courses as well as through HP custom courses spanning across environmental health, cultural sensitivity in medicine, traditional Eastern medicine, the science of happiness, and more. This well-rounded major is a popular choice for students who are interested in pursuing a career in health behavior research, public health, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, or any other health-related careers.
Research Opportunities: All HP students are required to complete a public health internship or directed research course spanning a minimum of one semester. The directed research course requires undergraduates to connect with a research faculty mentor who guides them through the research process and helps them join one of their current research projects. These students have the opportunity to engage in research across any topic of interest in the field of healthcare as long as they obtain a USC faculty research sponsor.
Professional Opportunities: The advising team sends frequent updates to their current students with opportunities for health-related scholarships, shadowing experiences, internships, research projects, employment opportunities and more! Many students will find work as a medical scribe, paid research assistant, or student employee in one of USC’s health centers. It is also popular to volunteer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), which is about thirty minutes from the main campus using the public Metro train system; or the Orthopedic Institute, which is only a mile from campus and is accessible by a free shuttle bus.
Current Student Perspective: As a fourth year HP student, I can look back and say I’ve had an amazing experience in the program. We enjoy relatively small class sizes of around 20 to 40 students, which allows you to really get to know the students around you and your professors. There is a lot of variety in the elective courses you take, so you can really pick and choose which areas of healthcare you’re most interested in. Outside of the classroom, the advisors are incredibly approachable and interesting to talk to, and your professors will introduce you to lots of opportunities. I just presented at my first ever research conference with a project that I submitted through my HP 405 class. USC paid for the whole trip out to Atlanta! Overall, I’m incredibly happy that I chose HP for my major!
Application Process:
No extra materials are required! Just send in your traditional Common App USC application by the appropriate deadline.
Written by: Sarah Donahue, USC Student Ambassador