Public health is a multidisciplinary field dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of people and the communities in which they live. Public health professionals analyze various factors that impact health, such as social, economic, and environmental determinants and then develop strategies to address critical issues. They strive to improve the health of people and their communities through advocacy, education, research, policy development, and coordinated implementation of services. The American Public Health Association's video "What is Public Health?" offers you a glimpse of the board field of public health.
Public health is different than healthcare. Public health strives to improve the health of populations and communities, emphasizes prevention and health promotion efforts, and strives to reduce health disparities. Healthcare primarily focuses on individualized care, tailored to the specific needs of patients. Public health professionals work in communities, workplaces, schools, and public health agencies, whereas healthcare professionals typically work in hospitals, clinics, and health care facilities. Although public health and healthcare professionals have distinct roles, they share a common goal of improving health.
Public health professionals promote health through education, outreach efforts, and program leadership, addressing such issues as disparities in access to health care, food security, and risk factors associated with chronic disease. They strive to prevent disease and reduce its impact through surveillance research and the implementation of prevention efforts, such as vaccination programs, environmental monitoring, and public communication. Public health professionals play a significant role in developing plans and strategies to respond to emergencies and disasters. The growing emphasis on OneHealth, the significant interconnectedness between the health of people, animals, and the environment, presents opportunities for public health professionals to make a positive impact.
The public and community health major offers flexibility, allowing you to pursue your interests in this broad field. Your course work provides a foundation for understanding public health issues on a community and global scale. Our commitment to diversity and advocacy is reflected in throughout our program and highlighted in our courses in critical health, public policy, and social justice. Hands-on-experiences and fieldwork are integrated in our program, giving you the experience of working directly in the community.
The large number of free electives offers you the option of earning a double major, such as in public & community health and environmental science. You can also use your electives to pursue a minor, such as in aging studies or nutrition promotion, or enjoy the freedom to explore your interests. Some of our graduates have used this flexibility to satisfy the prerequisites for graduate study in nursing, physician assistant, occupational therapy, health administration, law school, and public policy.
