Promote health. Prevent disease. Build equity.
Public Health Majors and Minors
Through a curriculum that integrates subjects like epidemiology, biology, sociology and health policy, combined with community engagement, students are prepared to promote health equity, implement effective public health strategies and pursue careers in public health.
Program Offerings
The Maxwell School offers multiple undergraduate learning options for public health:
- Bachelor of science in public health
- Dual degree bachelor of science in public health and a management degree from the Whitman School
- Accelerated public health bachelor of science/master of public health
- Minor in public health
- Minor in healthcare management
Our programs equip students with the knowledge and practical experience needed to address pressing health challenges.
hours of community service in 2024
community partnerships
study abroad program locations
Interested in a clinical health career?
Public Health, BS
The public health bachelor of science takes four years and 123 credits to complete. The credits are distributed across three categories of courses:
- Public health core (30 credits)
- Concentration (15 credits)
- Liberal arts core (62 credits)
Public Health Core Courses
This 30-credit core covers key areas of public health practice.
Foundations of Health
- Community Health Promotion
- Environmental Health
- Health Disparities and Underserved Populations
- Personal and Social Health or Human Health and Disease
Skills and Methods
- Public Health Data and Decision Making
- Epidemiology
- Implementing and Evaluating Health Programs
- Internship
Systems and Policy
- Public Health Policy
- Understanding Health Systems
Public Health Concentrations
Students choose one from three concentrations offered. Each concentration provides 15 credits of coursework.
Addiction Prevention
- Addictions in Cultural Context
- Alcohol, Other Drugs, Sex and Gambling: Dynamics of Addiction
- Ethics in Addiction Services
- Prevention in Addiction Services
- Internship
Community Health Education
- Community Health Education
- Global Health Communication and Advocacy
- Influencing Healthy Behavior
- Internship (6 credits)
Healthcare Management
- Introduction to Ethics and Laws in Healthcare Administration
- Introduction to Healthcare Management
- Introduction to Healthcare Quality Improvement
- Issues and Challenges: U.S. Healthcare Delivery
- Internship
Related Careers
- Biostatistician
- Community health educator
- Epidemiologist
- Genetic counselor
- Health care scientist
- Health communication specialist
- Health educator
- Medical doctor
- Medical and health service manager
- Outreach specialist
- Physician assistant
- Policy consultant
- Prevention specialist
- Science writer
- Social and community service manager
Study Abroad or in Washington, D.C.
Minors
Public health minors give students in any major the opportunity to explore how health systems, policies and community factors shape well-being and how they can make an impact in their field of interest.
Public Health Minor
The public health minor offers students from any major the chance to explore how social, environmental and behavioral factors influence health.
This 18-credit program includes core coursework in community health and health disparities, plus electives that cover topics such as health systems, policy, epidemiology and global health.
Healthcare Management Minor
The healthcare management minor gives students a foundation in how health care systems operate in the U.S. and globally.
Through 18 credits of required and elective courses, students explore health care delivery, policy, ethics and program management preparing them for careers or graduate study in health care administration.
“One of my dreams is to immerse myself in the Indigenous Cambodian community and write about their medical practices, but also capture their culture, because there hasn’t been much research done in those communities.”
Sythong Run ’24 B.S. Environment, sustainability and policy; Public health
Graduate Student, Anthropology, Maxwell School
