Bachelor of Public Health

Based on the increasing global and local interest and need for qualified personnel in the fields of public health to deal with emerging health problems and enhance community health, and in line with the Kingdom's Vision 2030, the Bachelor of Public Health program was established at the College of Public Health. This program aims to qualify students to become public health specialists capable of developing and presenting health care programs for various segments and sectors of the society. It also prepares graduates to work in the public and private sectors in the fields of public health, environmental health, health administration, epidemiology, nutrition, biostatistics, and health policy and planning. 

College

College of Public Health

Campus

Dammam

Track

College of Public Health Track

Level

Undergraduate

Degree

BPH

Gender

Female, Male

Years of study

5 (5 years)

Credit hours

132

Additional requirements

Graduation Project, Internship

Vision

A prominent program in public health shifting from a focus on patients' treatment to the public health promotion nationally, regionally and internationally.

Mission

Providing advance public health knowledge, research, community health promotion and well-being; prevent disease and disability and premature mortality within effective community partnerships.

The program will provide a career in Public Health, an opportunity to impact the lives of individuals and community. This is an exciting, challenging and rewarding field that is growing rapidly in Saudi Arabia. Public health specialists are needed for implementation of preventive measure needed for controlling of communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Program Objectives

1. Establish a competent public health program that meets the community's needs and the latest international standards.
2. Prepare competent public health workforce personnel who are life-long learners.
3. Inspire and encourage public health professionals and students to contribute to research and scientific conferences at IAU and on national and international levels.
4. Attract highly qualified and skilled staff members.
5. Advocate for community-focused public health initiatives.
6. Develop innovative and alternative health promotion approaches. 
7. Promote the integration of social and cultural factors and determinants into the practice of public health. 

Justifications of establishment

The Saudi Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization emphasize the increased demand for public health specialists in Saudi Arabia and globally. 

In addition:

1. There is an increasing demand for public health specialists to raise health awareness and promote health and well-being. 
2. There is a growing need for public health specialists in the private industry. 
3. There is a shortage of academic institutions offering public health programs. 

Program learning outcomes

• Describe the principles, the origin, and evolution of public health  
• Outline the major processes, approaches and interventions employed to address public health challenges  
• Acquire the mathematical, statistical, IT (software) and critical thinking skills required for solving public health problems  
• Apply public health research methods, tools, and approaches for analyzing, monitoring, and assessing public health issues  
• Develop soft and communication skills required for health professionals to work successfully with teams, stakeholders, and clients across the life course. 
• Distinguish contemporary strategies to address health care disparities in Saudi society and across the globe. 
• Advocate high level of professionalism in public health practice and promote compliance to rules and regulations 
• Uphold ethics and Islamic values in research and public health practice and promote the principles of justice and fairness in dealing with others and in decision making 

Fields of Employment

Professional occupations (licensed occupations, if any) for which graduates are prepared:

1. Public Health Specialist
2. Public Health Inspector
3. Occupational Health and Safety specialist
4. Environmental health Inspector
5. Epidemiologist
6. Health administrator
7. Research assistant
8. Health Promoter
9. Research institutes

Program Partners

The list of possible partnerships to support and promote public health includes:

1. Ministry of Health.
2. Saudi Health Council.
3. Universities.
4. Industrial sectors.
5. Municipalities.
6. Ministry of Agriculture.
7. Saudi Aramco
8. Industrial cities Corporation.

1. The applicant must meet the admission criteria for Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University.

2. The applicant must have completed the preparatory year in health track at a recognized university OR pass the foundation year in the Public Health track.

3. The applicant GPA must not be less than 3.5 out of 5.

First year

The foundational year must be completed in the College of Public Health Track.

Second year

At this level, the students will study the basic medical sciences and fundamentals of public health sciences, including Anatomy, Physiology, Introduction to Public Health, Microbiology, Medical Entomology and Parasitology, Principles of Epidemiology, Essentials of Environmental Health, Health Education and Promotion and Health Care systems. 

Third year

In the third year, advanced and specialized courses in fields of Public Health are offered, such as: Applied Epidemiology, Applied Biostatistics, Population Health Management and Demography, Epidemiology of Communicable Diseases, Pharmacoepidemiology for Public Health, Nutrition, and Public Health Policy and Ethics.

Fourth year

The focus of the fourth year is enhancing the practical, technical and management skills of the students through different courses such as: Research Methodology, Epidemiology of Communicable Diseases, Infection Control, Mental & Psychological Health, Healthcare management, Emergency and Disaster Management, Health Economics, Health Informatics, in addition to their final graduation projects.

Fifth year (Internship year)

Students will get a broad range of practical experience in the field of Public Health. They will have the opportunity to work and learn skills in a variety of settings and scenarios from all public health sectors.