Public Health Programs

Detailed profiles of schools for Public Health from the EdRef college search portal.

Public Health programs are extremely multidisciplinary and include study in social, quantitative, and biological sciences. Students may study the basics of the field like biostatistics or epidemiology that give them the ability to analyze the impact that health challenges have on the general population. They may specialize in the study of particular diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, or AIDS. They may focus on the social science aspects of the discipline, learning how to understand health behavior and the social and societal forces that shape that behavior.

Some common specializations within the field of public health include epidemiology, genetics, environmental health, biostatistics, nutrition, immunology, international health, health policy, and human development. Most students receive training in environmental, biological, quantitative, behavioral, and management areas. Most programs give students the opportunity to apply this knowledge to particular real-world problems. Graduates often take positions outside the United States in either the private, public, or academic sectors.