Public Health - Health Sciences, B.A.

For information regarding admissions please visit the website of Datenbank Studium.

Aims pursued by the B.A. Public Health/Health Sciences at the University of Bremen

Why do some people get sick and others not? How and why does the state of health of different social groups differ? How can disease be prevented and people’s health promoted? Is it inevitable that the cost of health insurance constantly rises? What is the situation in other countries? These and other similar questions are the subjects of investigation in the area of Public Health and Health Sciences. The central objective pursued in the bachelor’s program Public Health/Health Sciences at the University of Bremen is to offer students a scientifically grounded and at the same time career-oriented undergraduate program in which students acquire the skill sets and qualifications requisite for various career fields in the healthcare system. In order to take account of the current and future challenges facing the field, studies focus not only on the unfolding transformation processes impacting on people’s health and social situation, but likewise on current and future challenges and developments influencing the systems of health and social protection. As for all undergraduate programs, the B.A. Public Health/Health Sciences must also take into account two overriding objectives: On the one hand, it must serve as the academic foundation for advanced studies in masters’ study programs and on the other hand as scientific preparation for graduates’ future careers. Graduates from the B.A. Public Health/Health Sciences must be able on the basis of their theoretical and methods competence to a) work in related career fields, b) analyze problem issues, c) develop, implement and evaluate solutions and d) reflectively conceive structures of professional action. In order to combine the requisite academic qualification and the demands of professional practice within a sound educational concept, the three-year study program is structured along the following lines:

Year 1: Acquisition of foundation knowledge:

In their first year, students study the basic thematic issues, concept and paradigms of the subject area Public Health/Health Sciences. The focus is especially on the various theories of health and sickness as well as the scientific foundations of the participating disciplines.

After this first year, students possess:

• theoretical foundation knowledge of the disciplines related to Public Health such as Medicine, Epidemiology, Economics, Psychology and Sociology, and can apply scientific methods to the processing of practical and application-oriented issue areas;
• knowledge of the historical and contemporary social, cultural and political developments and relationships pertaining to the career field as well as to the institutions and organizations of the healthcare system in Germany and put this knowledge to use in the development, application and shaping of professional methods;
• the capability to approach problem issues in the multi-discipline area of Public Health/Health Sciences in such a way that enables them to develop and evaluate specific as well as interprofessional concepts.

Year 2: In the second year of the undergraduate program, students learn the methods, concepts and theorems of health economics and health management as well as health promotion and prevention

With a view to acquiring qualifications for future career fields, in their second year students focus on the two study concentrations a) health economics & health management as well as b) health promotion & Prevention. Here, the important thematic fields include the formulation and evaluation of different concepts of organization and healthcare provision as well as conceptualization, implementation and evaluation of different concepts of healthcare provision, especially measures of prevention and health promotion aimed at target-groups. In the course of this second year, students acquire knowledge of various (career-specific) methods. They

• can apply and evaluate specific career-related strategies and concepts (in the areas of health economics, health management, prevention and health promotion) in the context of the system of health protection and healthcare provision.
• possess knowledge of the methods and career-related competences relevant in the area of public health such as quality assurance, evidence basing, (health-economic) evaluation, health reporting, controlling, case & care management, target-group-differentiated and setting-oriented prevention and health promotion, health education and counseling methods. 

Year 3: Acquisition of career-specific knowledge in the course of an internship semester

The already begun career field specialization is rounded off with a practical semester, which may also serve as the basis for the bachelor’s thesis. The internship serves to meet the program’s requirements in respect of balancing academic studies with the requirements of institutions in the social and healthcare system and facilitates students’ entry into the labor market. Students:

• acquire insights into a concrete career field as well as the related specific institutional tasks and structures;
• learn specific career-relevant competences and transfer previously learned methods and concepts into the institutional practice;
• reflect concrete career experience vis-à-vis the academic knowledge acquired during university studies (this is ensured i.a. by academic accompaniment over the courses of the practical semester);
• complete a scientific B.A. thesis in which they show they are capable of critical reflection and independently developing a scientific topic, researching the literature, adequately analyzing the issue in question and classifying the results in the frame of the multi-discipline Public Health/Health Sciences.

Structure of Studies

First-year studies concentrate on fundamental topics, concepts and approaches concerning Public Health/ Health Sciences.
With the objective of qualifying students for future careers, the second year of studies focuses on a broad specialisation in the respective area programmes (Health Planning & Health Management or Health Promotion & Prevention) Bachelor studies and the acquisition of occupational methods.
Third-year students round off their chosen career-field specialisation by undertaking a practical semester and subsequently completing a thematically associated Bachelor dissertation.

Overriding objective is both to qualify students for direct transfer to gainful employment as well as to provide the basis for further academic studies with an orientation to practice and science.

Study schedules for the B.A. Public Health/Health Sciences can be found on the German website under Downloads.

The degree course encompasses two thematic specialisations, each dealing with different occupational fields and career opportunities in the health and social spheres.These specialisations are:

• Health Planning & Health Management
• Health Promotion and Prevention

For information regarding subject combinations please visit the website of the Central student counseling or contact the Studienzentrum.

General studies

General Studies account for 10 - 25% of the study programme. These courses train key competences for subsequent career fields. By building their own individual specialities, students are able to shape and amplify their academic profile.

Internship

In their fifth semester students undertake a work practical in an institution considered relevant for studies in the field. This work practical must encompass a minimum of 540 hours and it should correspond with the chosen area programme specialisation.

Different occupational fields are open to graduates, depending on their specialisation.

For the area programme Health Planning & Health Management:

Planning and management in the context of the social and health services, nursing care and health insurance; health marketing; health consulting; financial controlling; disease management; quality assurance in the health field; health and social affairs journalism, etc.

For the area programme Health Promotion & Prevention:

health consulting; health education; health promotion and prevention as well as the development, implementation and evaluation of health projects and campaigns; case & care management; rehabilition; public relations, etc.

Possibilities for additional qualifications

• Epidemiology M.Sc.
• Public Health - Health Promotion & Prevention M.A.
• Public Health - Healthcare Provision, Economigs and management M.A.

A semester abroad is possible.

A current overview of all contacts can be found on the German version of this website. 

StugA Public Health

BA-Arbeit

• Leitfaden Bachelorarbeit(Stand: 11/2019)
• Prüferinnen und Prüfer für die BA-Arbeit und MA-Arbeit (Stand: 02/2021)

General Studies

• Hinweis M65 General Studies (Stand: 03/2013)

Modulbeschreibung

• Modulbeschreibungen (Stand: Februar 2021)

Studienverlaufsplan

• Studienverlaufsplan Vollfach Gesamtübersicht (gültig ab Wintersemester 2018/2019)
• Studienverlaufsplan Profilfach (gültig ab Wintersemester 2018/2019)

Vorpraktikum

• Merkblatt Vorpraktikum (Stand: 2018)

Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten

• Reader Wissenschaftliches Arbeiten (Stand: 2018)

Archiv

• Modulbeschreibungen (Stand: Oktober 2018)