Public Health Major, Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

People who work in public health help communities prevent disease and improve health and wellbeing. The two concentrations, Health Sciences and Community Health/Health Promotion, prepare students for a variety of exciting public health careers.

Public Health: Take the Path to a Rewarding Career

If you’re looking for a fulfilling and meaningful career, the B.S. in Public Health is right for you. As a student, you’ll prepare for careers that promote wellness, prevent diseases and address health disparities on a local, national and global scale.

Career Outlook for Public Health Majors

$104K

Median annual salary for bachelor's degree holders in New England
Source: Lightcast, 2025
+16.4%

Projected job growth in New England (2023–2035)
Source: Lightcast, 2025

Public Health Career Options

Earn a B.S. public health degree and gain the skills and knowledge to thrive as a community health professional, epidemiologist, medical and services manager and many other careers. Some of our students pursue graduate studies in public health and health sciences.

Stefany Campbell at the edge of a road holding a device to measure water samples

С��Ƶ graduates work in a variety of settings, including:

Community health centers
Local and state public health departments
Corporate wellness organizations
Nonprofit organizations
Long-term care facilities
Hospitals
Technology sector
Academia

More Information on Public Health Careers

Choose a concentration that fits your career goals

Two pairs of hands covered in soapy bubbles from hand washing

With the public health major, you can choose between two concentrations, each leading to a wide range of career opportunities.

Community Health/Health Promotion Concentration — Prepare for a career as a community health professional in a variety of settings, including community health centers, hospitals, and public health departments. You’ll learn skills in communication and teaching related to health promotion and disease prevention in community settings. Gain experience with the community health practicum.
Health Sciences Concentration — Focus on health sciences with flexibility of selecting courses in an area of your interest within a public health framework. Courses prepare you to work in the field of public health including areas such as epidemiology and disease surveillance. This concentration serves as a pathway to graduate programs in health sciences, including medical school, physician assistant, nursing and other postgraduate professional health programs.��

Courses you'll take

The B.S. in Public Health offers courses that provide a solid foundation in critical thinking, advocacy, leadership, teamwork, research, statistics, biological and life sciences, social and behavioral sciences and communication.

Check out our degree pathways—a suggested four-year schedule—for a possible pathway toward your B.S. in Public Health.

In the final semester, you will participate in a required capstone experience, spending several hours per week in a setting that is associated with your career goals.

Visit the Academic Catalog to view all Public Health courses and learn about the Public Health minor��Ի��Population Health Informatics and Technology minor.

�󾱲Ի��all degree pathways, including those from prior enrollment years.

Upon completion of the B.S. degree program in Public Health at С��Ƶ, our graduates will be able to:

Articulate critical public health problems and their causes, including an understanding of the environmental, social, behavioral, and biological factors influencing health.
Apply the basic concepts of data collection and analysis to health data.
Identify and use evidence-based approaches to address population and community health needs.
Identify prevention strategies for a range of public health, applying critical analysis and reasoning skills to problem solving.
Apply the fundamental concepts of program assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation and management in a culturally appropriate fashion.
Evaluate the economic, historical, ethical, and political/legal contexts of public health problems and solutions and the challenges that practitioners face.
Identify and access resources for researching public health problems and critically evaluate research.
Use the public health-specific tools of communication.

Why study public health at С��Ƶ?

Public Health students at С��Ƶ collect water samples outdoors

Experiential Learning

Gain skills and career connections through learning experiences with our partner organizations, including:

Premier healthcare facilities
Laboratories and clinics
Non-profit organizations
Government agencies
Health science industry��

UML Assoc. Teaching Prof. Arlee Dulak shows nursing student Fritza Jeudy a new anatomy model

Health Sciences Hub

Prepare for success in our Health Sciences Hub, a designated space in the Health and Social Sciences building where you can:

Meet with your advisor
Get tutoring help
Access anatomical models
Attend workshops on topics such as nutrition, wellness and mental health

С��Ƶ student Nery Rodriguez reads with a child

Fun Outside the Classroom

Put your learning into practice by joining student-run like the Pre-Medical Organization, Pre-Physician Assistant Club and Public Health Club.

Bachelor’s-to-Master's Program

Get on the fast track to an advanced degree with our accelerated bachelor's-to-master's program.

Available to juniors and seniors with a grade point average of 3.000 or higher
Offers a continuous, coordinated sequence of courses
Reduced credit-hour requirements can save you time and money

Meet Our Students

Chandni Shahdev in front of Coburn Hall in С��Ƶ south campus

Chandni Shahdev '20

Public Health – Epidemiology

Her master’s degree in public health and research experiences helped Chandni Shahdev get a job with the CDC Foundation, working with employers to prevent and contain outbreaks of COVID-19.

С��Ƶ stood out. I was really impressed by the research the faculty were doing.

Sandra Ocampo standing in front of a dresser with books.

Sandra Ocampo '24

Master of Public Health, Dietetics

Sandra Ocampo switched her career from investment management to dietetics.

I felt confident that the MPH dietetics program would offer me a solid path to my future of becoming a registered dietitian.

С��Ƶ student Angeline Castillo talks with another student.

Angeline Castillo ’22

Public Health

As a well-being coach, Angeline Castillo reaches out to other health sciences students to ease their stress.

Everything in health sciences is learning to take care of others, so it’s easy to forget to take care of ourselves.

Take the Next Step

Visit С��Ƶ

Visit campus, meet our people and picture yourself here. Find in-person and virtual tours and events.

Life on Campus and Beyond

Residence Halls

Take a virtual tour to see where you could live.
Choose among 200+ clubs, intramural sports, outdoor adventures and events.
Study Abroad

Travel, experience another culture and meet people from around the world.

Still Exploring Majors?

We've got 120+ programs. Browse our Program Finder to find the one that's right for you.

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С��Ƶ's Master of Public Health and BS programs are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. for more information.

Add a Minor in Population Health Informatics and Technology

Pair the Public Health major with a minor in Population Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) and gain solid knowledge in IT for solving public health problems. Join one of the fastest-growing fields of Health informatics and develop innovative ways of collecting, storing, analyzing, and sharing public health data.

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