Public health is the science of protecting and improving the health and well-being of communities. Where some healthcare professionals focus on treating individuals after they become sick or injured, public health professionals are concerned with the health of entire populations, attempting to prevent problems from occurring or recurring through education, policy development, advocacy, service, and research.
Reflecting the interdisciplinary approach of the Dornsife School of Public Health, students in the major will take courses originating from the various public health core disciplines which include epidemiology, community health and prevention, environmental and occupational health, and health management and policy. The diversity in course offerings provides students with the general foundation of each discipline within public health. Student learning is enhanced by faculty expertise from a wide array of backgrounds including epidemiology, community health, global health, sociology, psychology, medicine, health policy, health economics, industrial hygiene, and anthropology, in addition to many more. As students progress through the major, they will gain more breadth and depth in the specific discipline of their choosing through the co-op experience, as well as the capstone courses in their senior year.
The Dornsife School of Public Health is dedicated to the integration of social justice and human rights in academic public health and being a model for interdisciplinary collaboration and civic engagement. Additionally, a commitment to global engagement is core to the School's mission. The Global Public Health Initiative was created to provide opportunities for all public health student to gain rich and meaningful experiences working on health issues that transcend national boundaries or that may be influenced by circumstances or experiences in other countries.
Upon completion of the degree, students will be better equipped to complete graduate education in public health or health sciences. Students will have acquired skills that could be translated into the workplace (city, state, or local government, nonprofit, etc.) or other post-baccalaureate educational settings such as an MPH, JD or MD.
Public Health Foundational Domains
- The concepts and applications of basic statistics
- The foundations of biological and life sciences
- The history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society
- The basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis and why evidence-based approaches are an essential part of public health practice
- The concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches and interventions that identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
- The underlying science of human health and disease, including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
- The socioeconomic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
- The fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation
- The fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well as the differences between systems in other countries
- Basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy and the roles, influences, and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government
- Basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology