Public Health

Director Jolynn Gardner

Maintaining and improving public health is one of the great mandates of our time, both in the United States and abroad. Aging populations, global pandemics, increasing environmental degradation and a rise in childhood obesity are just some of the many challenges to which the field of public health directly responds.

Because public health is a highly interdisciplinary area of study, students in the program benefit from interactions with scholars from across the university. After gaining foundational knowledge and practical skills in the field by completing a set of core courses, students explore the complexities of public health by selecting elective courses from clusters in global health; health science; policy, program planning, and evaluation; and social and community health. Students’ growth in the field is furthered through internships in the Washington, DC area and health-related study abroad opportunities. Finally, the capstone course engages students in synthesizing their experience and understanding of the field of public health.

Students in the BA and BS programs have access to similar courses. Students pursuing the BA may want to focus on courses that support careers in program planning, the development and assessment of public health projects, and the social and community health aspects of public health. Students pursuing the BS degree may be more interested in public health research, in future work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), or in developing vaccination protocols.

Special Programs

The Three Year Public Health Cohort Program provides an extraordinary opportunity for highly motivated freshmen who have decided to pursue a career in the field of public health. The program allows a cohort of College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) first-year students to enroll in a BA in Public Health program geared towards completion of the degree in three years. ABS in Public Health may be earned through careful selection of public health elective courses under advisement by the director of the program. The three-year program accentuates experiential learning, including special study abroad, service learning, and internship options during their course of study, while participating fully in the student life on campus.

In this program, students:

engage in a specially developed study abroad experience as a cohort that provides opportunities for clinical experiences in another country
apply public health skills and knowledge through service learning opportunities
work with public health professionals in internships locally or globally
receive support from program faculty, staff, and public health alumni with career/internship placement
take core public health courses as a cohort
engage in meaningful service activities outside the classroom as a cohort

Programs

Major

Minor

Public Health (Minor)