Community and Behavioral Health

Bachelor of Science Degree 

The CBH degree is interdisciplinary in nature and focuses on the sociological and psychological factors associated with physical, mental, and social health. The degree is designed to meet the needs of students with interests in the health-related fields of medicine, dentistry, occupational therapy, nursing, community health, health psychology, medical social services work, and rehabilitation counseling. This program allows students to customize a program of study from electives in both psychology and sociology to meet their academic and career goals.

The degree in CBH prepares graduates for employment opportunities in a wide range of health fields, including the growing fields of gerontology and veteran re-entry. Employers in health-related settings prefer students with interdisciplinary degrees rooted in the sociological and psychological traditions. These disciplines provide students with an understanding of the broader social context, as well as the dynamics of major social inequalities (such as race, class, gender, aging, and diversity), that are so important in these settings, making them more desirable employees.

Career Opportunities
Students graduating with a degree in CBH will have the opportunity to pursue careers in a variety of settings including: positions in health promotion and prevention programs, health care navigator, case manager, counselor, educator, and (medical) social services worker. Students may enter graduate programs in medical or dental school, physician’s assistant, and occupational therapy (with appropriate physical science requirements), or in Social Work, Sociology, or Psychology, including mental health counseling.

Plan of Study (pdf)

Degree Requirements Overview
To earn a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Community and Behavioral Health, a student must fulfill the following requirements:

Satisfactory completion of at least 124 semester hours of college-level work distributed as follows:

  • 21-24 credit hours of core courses with a minimum of “C” grade;
  • 20-24 credit hours of elective work composed of 10-12 credits in psychology (at least 4 of these must be at the 400-level), and 10-12 credits in sociology (at least 4 of these must be at the 400-level).
  • 62 credit hours in the arts and sciences;
  • 44 credit hours at the upper-division level;
  • additional elective work, either in arts and sciences or other disciplines, for a total of 124 credits.
  • Achievement of at least 2.0 cumulative GPA.

B.S. Degree Requirements

I. General Education (A minimum of 30 credits)

  • Mathematics (recommended STA 100 with a “C” or higher)
  • Basic Communication (ENG 101 or equivalent)

At least five (5) out of the following eight (8) SUNY General Education categories:

  • Natural Science
  • Social Science
  • American History
  • Western Civilization
  • Other World Civilization
  • Humanities
  • The Arts
  • Foreign Language

NOTE: You may take more than one course in a given category to complete this 30 credit hour requirement, but you must also satisfy the appropriate number of categories.

SUNY Poly Degree Requirements:

  • Upper Division Writing (COM 308)
  • Natural Science

II. Program Requirements (41-48 credits)

A. Core Courses (21-24 credits)

All majors will be required to complete the following core courses: 

  • SOC 100 Introduction to Sociology
  • PSY 100 Principles of Psychology
  • CBH 375 Psychological Context of Health and Wellbeing
  • CBH 492 Methods of Inquiry in Health and Wellbeing
  • CBH 493 Project Seminar in Health and Wellbeing
  • STA 100 Statistics

B. Program Electives (20-24 credits)

All majors will be required to complete 10-12 credits in sociology and 10-12 credits in psychology; at least four credits in Sociology and four credits in Psychology must be at the 400-level. 

  • PSY 220 Developmental Psych Across the Lifespan
  • PSY 222 Abnormal Psych
  • PSY 242 Social Psych
  • PSY 262 Learning and Motivation
  • PSY 273 Death, Dying and Bereavement
  • PSY 331 Psych of Personality
  • PSY 377 Health Psychology
  • PSY 385 Evaluation Research
  • PSY 445 Group Dynamics and Interpersonal Communication
  • PSY 460 Neuropsychology
  • PSY 470 Psych Testing
  • PSY 477 Principles of Psych Counseling
  • PSY 492 Practicum in Psych
  • 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 370 Sociology of Health and Illness
  • 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
  • ANT 382 Cultures, Health and Healing
  • CBH 290 Special Topics in Health and Well-Being
  • CBH 490 Selected Topics in Health and Well-Being

III. General Electives (balance of 124 credits)

124 Total Credits