B.S. In Public Health

Covid-19 has thrust Public Health into the spotlight, yet the domain of public health includes many critical issues, including mental health, obesity, and gun violence. From the first quarantines to the modern movement toward universal health care, Public Health has fundamentally shaped societies. Students will learn the role of the state in public health, the importance of public health, and how it’s provided and practiced.

Public Health students explore the key concepts of Epidemiology — the branch of medicine that deals with the incidence, distribution, and control of a disease — and how they apply to multiple domains of public health.

Health Services – the means by which healthcare is provided – is another critical concept that students will dive into. Students will explore the history and evolution of healthcare systems and policies, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses and envisioning an ideal health services system in the context of current events.

Students will also evaluate the health impact of political decisions and develop a broad knowledge base about the practice of Public Health today, including an analysis of several current topics in public health – including COVID-19, HIV/AIDS, and the obesity epidemic.

The hands-on curriculum teaches a variety of tools for understanding the impact that disease or other Public Health concerns may have on a population. Students will learn how to design effective surveys, analyze geographic data, and use qualitative information with the ultimate goal of understanding how events may affect public health, and how our leaders can nurture, protect, and sustain healthy populations.