Curriculum

Duration of the program:

Four (4) academic years divided as per NSU curriculum catalogue. A student shall be allowed a maximum of six (6) years to complete the degree starting from the year of admission into the University.

Total minimum credit requirement to complete the program:

To earn a BPH degree, all students must satisfactorily complete 130 credits of coursework, including General Education (GED) courses (university and school GED courses), core courses; specific area or track required major courses, some open electives, a thesis, and a field practice/practicum.

Total class weeks in a semester:

 12 weeks/semester

Minimum CGPA requirements for graduation:

Achieving a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 on a scale of 4 and 2.5 in the major track-related courses.

Maximum academic years of completion:

6 years /18 semesters.

Category of Courses:

Pre-requisite and Fundamental Courses (Total 42 credits): All students are required to enrol in the university GED and School of Health and Life Sciences (SHLS) GED subjects offered by the different departments (see the course map).

Core Courses (Total 52 credits): The core curriculum required for all BPH candidates is comprised of courses in Basic Anatomy, Physiology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Pharmacology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Research Methodology, Environmental Health, Public Health Information Education, Maternal and Child Health, Nutrition, Non-communicable disease and Communication, and Health Services Management. These courses provide a foundation of knowledge in basic concepts in public health and practice and are required to be completed by all candidates for the BPH degree.

Area of concentration (Total 12 credits): These courses provide a series of educational experiences focusing on specific public health areas and offer students opportunities to concentrate on particular issues, skills, interests, or career goals. All candidates for the BPH degree are expected to select one of the major areas or tracks and to follow the prescribed program of study within that area.  Students must apply for an area of concentration they would like to pursue during their enrolment in the programme. Each of these areas of concentration has specific educational objectives, requirements, and methods of study.

Course Content

The Program offers eighteen core courses and seven open elective courses in the curriculum.

University GED Courses: 24 credits (Compulsory for all students)

School of Health and Life Sciences (SHLS) Core GED: 18 credits (Compulsory for all students):

BPH Core Courses: 52 credits (Compulsory for all students):

List of Open Elective Courses (Any six – 18 credits)

Students have to choose one of the major areas of concentration/Track. Each area requires the completion of specified credit hours. The university determines the courses required for specific areas of concentration.

Track-wise Distribution of Courses:

A. Epidemiology

B. Biostatistics and Bioinformatics

C. Healthcare Management and Leadership

D. Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health

Open Elective Courses: Elective or optional courses may be selected from within a student’s area of concentration or in a related field, and from courses offered within the programme or the department. The choice of electives is made with the approval of the department. Students can choose courses either from Major Track related courses (other than his /her own major track) or from the listed courses.

Field practice/practicum [Total 3 credits to be completed within a semester]: All BPH degree candidates must meet a practical experience requirement equivalent in time and effort to a minimum of three months. This field practice/practicum provides educational opportunities that are different from, and supplementary to, the more academic aspects of the program. The focus, content, approach, and timing of the field practice/practicum vary with the major courses and with the particular needs of each student.

Thesis/Project (6 credits hours): All BPH students will conduct thesis/project in their chosen public health field and write a Bachelor level dissertation/project report. Planning for this work will be initiated during the elective period along with a faculty advisor. Fieldwork can be done in Bangladesh or an in-home country for international students. The Synopsis of Research/project topic must be approved by the supervisor before the advising of the course. A complete thesis/project guideline is available in the department for the students.

Course outline

Year and Semester-wise distribution of courses

Assessment and evaluation

Assessment strategy

• Quiz, assignment, presentation, midterm, and final

Mark distribution

• Continuous assessment: Quiz, assignment, presentation, group work
• Summative: Midterm, final, final project paper/term paper submission

Make-up procedures

• If someone misses any of the assessments, she/he will be provided a new deadline

Grading Scale

Letter grades indicating the quality of course work completed is interpreted as follows

* Credits for courses with this grade do not apply towards graduation.
** Credits for courses with this grade do not apply towards graduation and they are not accepted in the calculation of the grade point average.

Grades

The exact cut-off points for assigning letter grades are at the discretion of the individual instructor. The same applies to the assignment of + or - after a letter grade. It is meant to give more flexibility so that shades of performance can be distinguished and rewarded. The + and - has a value of 0.3 grade point. 

Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students' grade-point averages are numerical values obtained by dividing the total grade points earned by the credits attempted. Only courses graded A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, and F are used to determine credits attempted. Only the grades earned in the courses that are required for the BPH degree are included in the GPA calculation. Grades earned in other courses are reported on the transcript but are not counted in calculating the GPA for BPH.

GPA - Class Equivalence

NSU students are graded on GPA. Comparison of the GPA earned by NSU students to the Classes earned by students in other universities in the country is as follows:

GPA 3.00 and above = First Class

GPA 2.50 to 2.99 = Second Class

GPA 2.00 to 2.49 = Third Class

Grade Improvement/grade change

Grade change is strongly discouraged. Letter grades may be changed only for posting errors or errors in calculation. If a grade change is inevitable, it must be completed within one semester following the submission of the grade. The program directors and department chairs will ask for necessary papers and records to substantiate the grade change.

Incomplete (I) courses

The grade of Incomplete (I) may be used in special circumstances. The Incomplete may be given only at the end of a semester to a student whose work is progressing but who has left unfinished a small amount of work for completion without further class attendance. The instructor must file with the Registrar an Incomplete Grade form describing the work to be completed, indicating a tentative final grade to be assigned if the work is not completed and the time period in which the work must be completed (no longer than the following semester).
The student has the responsibility to take the initiative in completing the work and is expected to make up the incomplete as specified by the instructor. If action is not taken, the "I" grade will revert to the tentative final grade. The final grade becomes an "F" if no tentative grade is assigned. In the event the instructor from whom a student received an incomplete is not available, the disposition of a case involving an incomplete grade resides with the Chair of the department. The grade 'I' must be replaced within one semester after the grade is assigned.

Course Withdrawal (W)

The grade Withdrawal (W) is assigned when a student officially drops a course during the period between the ends of the third and twelfth weeks. Prior to that time, if a student drops a course, no entry is made on the academic record. A "W" does not affect the student's GPA.

Retaking Courses

A student may repeat a course in which the grade is 'B' or lower. When a student retakes a course, the actual grade will be recorded. In case of a retake course, only the best grade will be used to calculate the CGPA. An "F" grade earned in any credit course will be used to calculate CGPA until the course is retaken/ replaced by taking another appropriate course, and a better grade is obtained. The retake policy in case of courses with "F" grades applies to all students of NSU irrespective of their date of enrolment. A student who wishes to retake a course must register for the course again and will be assessed for tuition and applicable fees.

Abandoning Course

Grade F will be recorded for students who have not fulfilled academic obligations and have not obtained a grade, and for students who abandon their courses without officially withdrawing from a course.