Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health and well-being of populations of people. Critical to that well-being are many factors, including a clean environment, public safety, a healthy diet, adequate housing, and access to health care. Economics is the study of how people organize themselves to produce the goods and services they desire, including those necessary for a healthy life. Through the study of both economics and public health, students in this major gain a unique understanding of the factors underlying our health and well-being. The curriculum is interdisciplinary, drawing from the physical sciences, economics, and the four areas of public health: epidemiology, community health and prevention, environmental and occupational health, and health management and policy.
The Economics faculty have created a curriculum that connects economics directly to the needs of society. Their expertise spans a variety of areas, including health economics, non-profits, and the methods of causal analysis that underpin sound public policy. Faculty in the Dornsife School of Public Health have integrated human rights and social justice into the curriculum and are dedicated to community impact through civic engagement. Students in this major thus have access to a broad set of faculty engaged in health and health policy.
Upon completion of this STEM-designated major, students will be prepared to enter the workforce with employers such as health services organizations, health insurers, non-profits, and governments. They will also be well equipped for graduate study in public health, health sciences, public policy, economics, or other social sciences.