A public health degree can lead to a variety of careers in both the private and public sectors. The field of public health is broad and encompasses several areas, such as epidemiology, public policy, nutrition, maternal and child health, and infectious diseases. Here are some jobs graduates with a degree in a public health concentration or specialty may consider:
- Epidemiologist
- Biostatistician
- Toxicologist
- Behavioral health scientist
- Environmental health scientist
- Chronic Disease Management Coordinator
- Clinical Infectious Disease Specialist
- Community Activist
- Data Analyst
- Disaster Preparedness Coordinator
- Food Service Sanitarian
- Healthcare Consultant
- Health Communications Specialist
- Health Educator
- Peace Corps Volunteer
Transferable skills that you may gain through a public health program include critical thinking, problem-solving, planning and organizing, researching, and coordinating.
Public health graduates can find work with federal agencies, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. military. They can also work in local public health at a county health department, where they can coordinate all planning for public health-related incidents or situations where public health would have a seat at the table.
In addition to the bachelors degree, there are also masters and doctorate programs in public health that normally have some specialization attached to the degree.
Public health careers can be found in a variety of settings, including city, county, and state health departments, federal governmental health organizations (CDC, WHO), health care delivery systems, not-for-profit organizations/non-governmental organizations (Planned Parenthood, American Heart Association), and universities and teaching hospitals.
