Public Health

Many of the approximately 51 schools of public health offer M.H.S., M.P.H, or Ph.D. programs for students to enter directly with a bachelor’s degree. Others require one to two years of health-care experience, which can include service in the Peace Corps, international health programs, internships with county/state public health departments, or work with the CDC. The five core academic disciplines of public health are biostatistics, epidemiology, health services, health education and behavior, and environmental health, with many schools offering additional focus in international health, maternal and child health, nutrition, and public health policy and practice. Since each program and track sets its own requirements, it is difficult to list a recommended set of prerequisite courses. Majors in mathematics, chemistry, or the life sciences are beneficial for students interested in environmental health, epidemiology, or biostatistics, while anthropology, psychology, or sociology are good preparations for health education and behavior and global health. Economics can provide a sound background for health policy. See the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) website: www.aspph.org.

FAQs for Public Health

What are some programs attended  by recent alums?

University of Washington
Boston University
Emory University
U. Minnesota
Tulane University
Johns Hopkins University

How do I apply?

30 Schools of Public Health  participate in the common application (SOPHAS) administered by the American  Association of Schools of Public Health: http://www.sophas.org/