BS Community and Behavioral Health

Bachelor of Science

Community and Behavioral Health

• WITH AN OPTION FOR PRE-MED

SUNY Polytechnic Institute

SUNY Polytechnic Institute, New York’s premier public polytechnic, provides an innovative and affordable higher education for students interested in science, engineering, technology, business, healthcare, and other liberal arts offerings for a well-rounded approach to experiential learning. Our commitment to a hands-on education situates students with both the academic structure customary of undergraduate study and unique opportunities for training and cutting-edge research, ultimately providing learners an unmatched education targeted for success in our fast-changing world. SUNY Poly students enjoy public school tuition with benefits that many small, private institutions boast, including small class sizes, individualized learning experiences, and a tight-knit community.

BS Community and Behavioral Health The Program

The nature of healthcare is changing. Healthcare involves assessing and treating individuals as whole persons, which means that a healthcare professional, be it a physician, physician’s assistant, nurse, psychologist, social worker, mental health professional, occupational or physical therapist, must be trained in an interdisciplinary fashion. The Community and Behavioral Health program (CBH) is built on a biopsychosocial model of health and well being. It draws on the fields of sociology, psychology, anthropology, neuroscience, and medicine.

Our program’s focus is on the sociological and psychological factors associated with physical, mental, and social health. With an interdisciplinary approach, our faculty give students an understanding of physical and mental disease processes, trauma informed care, public health, and healthcare delivery, as well as the broader social institutions that shape health and wellness. For example, CBH students will come to understand how race, class, gender, personality and genetics shape individual health outcomes. Students will also be exposed to concerns affecting emerging populations, such as children, the elderly and returning veterans (“wounded warriors”), where today’s jobs lie. Employers in health-related fields prefer hiring graduates whose interdisciplinary studies have prepared them to find the answers to problems associated with health and well being.

Pre-Med Option

In combination with pre-med science courses, CBH majors can apply for graduate studies in medical, dental, physician’s assistant, and occupational therapy programs.

Dr. Joanne Joseph Pre-Med Advisor

The Faculty

CBH faculty are engaged in the community and use their work to bring experiential learning opportunities to students in local organizations, giving them skills that will make them competitive in the job market. A low student-to-faculty ratio means that faculty really get to know and work closely with students.

Concentrations

Students can create a specialized degree program that mirrors their individual strengths, interests, and career goals by selecting from a variety of electives offered in psychology, sociology, biology, and health information management. Faculty can also help students customize and enhance their learning, through opportunities such as research, practicum, independent study, and service-based learning involving technological applications in healthcare.

Career Opportunities

CBH prepares students for careers in a variety of health settings that include public, voluntary, and private health organizations. Potential career opportunities include:

• Care coordinator

• Counselor

• Educator

• Public health advisor

• Medical social services worker

• Health promotion and prevention programs administrator

The CBH degree also prepares students for graduate work, leading to careers as a:

• Physician

• Dentist

• Occupational Therapist

• Physician’s Assistant

• Social Worker

• Clinical Psychologist

• Health (Care) Researcher

Courses in CBH

ANT 382 Cultures, Health and Healing

CBH 290 Selected Topics in Health and Well-Being

CBH 340 Behavioral Health Strategies

CBH 377: Multidisciplinary Approach to Understanding Disabilities

CBH 381 Evolution, Biology and Health

CBH 440 Fundamentals of Grant Writing

CBH 450 Psychosocial Impact of Technology on Health

CBH 490 Special Topics in Health and Well-Being

CBH 491 Independent Study in Health and Well-Being

CBH 495 Practicum in Health/ Wellbeing

PSY 220 Developmental Psych Across the Lifespan

PSY 222 Abnormal Psychology

PSY 242 Social Psychology

PSY 262 Learning and Motivation

PSY 273 Death, Dying and Bereavement

PSY 331 Psychology of Personality

PSY 355 Behavioral Neuroscience

PSY 377 Health Psychology

PSY 385 Evaluation Research

PSY 445 Group Dynamics and Interpersonal Communication

PSY 470 Psychological Testing

PSY 477 Principles of Psychological Counseling

PSY 492 Practicum in Psychology

SOC 110 Social Problems

SOC 210 Sociology of the Family

SOC 220 Sociology of Gender

SOC 230 Sociology of Race and Ethnic Relations

SOC 314 Sociology of Deviance

SOC 350 Chemical Dependency

SOC 380 Returning from War

SOC 381 Social Gerontology

SOC 410 Power and Violence in the Family

SOC 411 Sociology of Community

SOC 424 Social Welfare Policy

SOC 495 Practicum in Sociology

Access the SUNY Poly catalog at https://webapp.sunypoly.edu/undergradcatalog/ for specific courses and program requirements.

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SUNY Poly...Encouraging academic and intellectual achievements in a challenging, culturally diverse and supportive educational environment.”

Our Campus

Located in Utica, NY, on hundreds of wooded and landscaped acres, SUNY Poly’s campus is a beautiful living and learning environment. Students live in our modern, spacious residential complexes, including the new Hilltop Hall, SUNY’s first zero-net carbon residence hall, and enjoy an expanding array of student-focused facilities that include our state-of-the-art Center for Global Advanced Manufacturing, Student Center, and Wildcat Field House. Life on campus is enriched by a wide variety of events and activities, including the Wildcats’ championship-winning intercollegiate athletics program, our Wildcat Esports team, and a weekly agenda of intramurals, concerts, comedians, and more. Students can join one of the dozens of clubs and organizations or start one with a group of friends who share an interest.