Public Health
Minor
Training effective advocates for healthy and safe communities.
Understand how the science and practice of public health promotes and protects the health of people and communities.
What you’ll study
This minor is open to all majors, whether you want to become more knowledgeable in the social and behavioral sciences or in the health sciences and medicine. You’ll learn how public health research informs individual and community preparedness for public disasters and health emergencies. You’ll gain practical skills, including how to research public health topics and analyze epidemiological data. Selecting topics of interest from a wide range of courses, you’ll learn the value of multicultural perspectives in collaborations across diverse communities which can produce versatile health solutions.
Prepare for a career in health
To better serve diverse populations, employers and graduate schools value students who bring public health perspectives to their work. Students who are passionate about a future career in the health sciences but unable to double major in a social science or humanities will gain relevant experiences. With the MCAT’s 2015 inclusion of sociology and psychology, the public health minor better prepares not only future physicians but all professionals who seek to provide health care or shape health policy and practices. There are a variety of careers available with a public health education, including public health care providers, medical scientists, social workers, epidemiologists and public policymakers.
The ‘Intro to Public Health’ course has shown me that many social or public influences can impact a community positively or negatively. I was able to learn about the huge differences between my own community and more economically stable communities. I want to be part of the change that impacts and helps less fortunate communities.
Shelsy Aragon '24