What Can You Do With a Degree in Public Health?
A public health occupation is a tangible way to make a difference in the communities that are important to you. With versatile skills, hands-on training, and a robust practicum experience, getting your BA or BS in public health can result in a rewarding, lifelong career.
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Worldwide health events over the last several decades have illuminated the importance of accessible social services, including public health services.
A career in public health — supported by an interdisciplinary degree informed by social justice and health science — provides many opportunities to make a meaningful difference for those most in need.
Public health professionals make themselves available to entire populations, acting as educators, advocates and stewards to help keep communities informed and well.
If you want to help contain the spread of infectious disease, assist communities dealing with health crises, or research new ways to promote lifelong wellness, a public health career might be the perfect way to put your passions into practice.
Want to learn more about what you can do with a degree in public health? Let’s break down this exciting and in-demand healthcare specialization.
What Skills Do You Learn in a Bachelor’s in Public Health Program?
A bachelor’s degree in public health combines social science and health science to create a curriculum that prepares students to encounter a wide range of healthcare issues.
Epidemiology, statistics, healthcare ethics and program development are cornerstones of the degree in public health. However, beyond those foundations, you can specialize in a more scientific or more social practice.
Most public health degrees are split between a bachelor’s of science and a bachelor’s of arts, each of which provides sought after training and practicum opportunities that can help you break into a career in public health.
So, what’s the difference between a BS and BA in public health?
The BS in public health emphasizes:
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Training in biology and chemistry. Establishing a clear understanding of how the body works, the robust natural science courses in the BS degree path can prepare students to pursue medical school or other advanced healthcare degrees.
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The science of healthcare. Consistently evolving, the science of disease, prevention and treatment are fundamental to a successful public health plan.
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Practical experience. Whether or not graduates enter the clinical space, understanding how healthcare professionals treat those in need helps public health professionals develop new ways to provide care.
The BA in public health emphasizes:
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Training in social sciences. History, gender studies, anthropology and social work all play roles in understanding how to best keep communities healthy and engaged with contemporary healthcare practices.
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Understanding the impacts of social justice. Marginalized and disenfranchised communities are often the victims of generational healthcare problems, something an understanding of social justice can help address.
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Human behavior and development. Psychology plays an enormous role in public health, and being able to understand how people react to certain health events can drastically impact how we provide care and support.
Regardless of the path you choose, both degrees give you the in-demand skills for public health careers and advanced healthcare programs.
Does a Bachelor’s in Public Health Give You Real-World Experience?
Like all healthcare degree programs, the practicum is an essential aspect of the degree in public health that gives you unique insight into how community organizations help promote lifelong wellness.
Not only does a public health practicum allow you to gain hands-on training, but it connects you with those who have carved out a career in public health who you can add to your professional network.
Pacific’s Public Health Programs integrate a minimum of 70 hours of practicum placement into both the BS and BA public health pathways, ensuring that you will graduate with real-world experience.
Past practicum sites for Pacific alumni have included the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative, the Oregon Asian Health & Service Center and local government offices.
If you’ve ever wondered what you can do with a public health degree, the practicum experience can show you what public health professionals do on a day-to-day basis and the difference they make in people’s lives.
Does a Bachelor’s in Public Health Enable me to Get an Advanced Degree?
Whether you want to pursue a master’s degree in public health, medical school or a specialized healthcare pathway, a bachelor’s in public health is an excellent starting point.
A background in public health establishes a core of understanding social causes of health and potential mechanisms for societal change, something that graduate schools look for when selecting students for their programs.
That foundation, combined with the technical expertise in biology, chemistry, epidemiology and a robust practicum, completes a comprehensive and competitive applicant profile for any advanced degree program.
Those interested in pursuing a career in healthcare after getting their bachelor’s degree in public health can explore Pacific’s Guaranteed Graduate Admissions, which allows you to secure a spot in one of many advanced healthcare programs as early as your first year as an undergraduate.
A degree in public health, when paired with training in physical therapy, optometry, audiology or many other healthcare specialties, can result in a public health career aimed at helping those dealing with specific issues.
What Jobs Can You Get with a Public Health Bachelor’s Degree?
The wide variety of skills earned during a BA or BS program means that jobs with a public health degree span many industries, settings and specializations.
While holding an advanced degree in public health or an associated field can sometimes open more job options, there are many opportunities to make an impact with only a bachelor’s in public health.
Those opportunities include roles as a:
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Health educator. Working alongside local governments, hospitals and nonprofits, health educators create programs that help people learn about lifelong wellness.
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Community health worker. Often serving people where they live, community health workers assist those in need with services ranging from dental hygiene to contact tracing.
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Public health researcher. Discovering new ways to provide wide-reaching support and track the spread of infectious disease, public health researchers work with doctors and scientists to develop new strategies for care.
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Social services advocate. Working with those in urgent need of care — including immigrants, refugees and those impacted by environmental hazards — public health is an essential aspect of social work and services.
Start seeing yourself at Pacific by taking a free campus tour! Explore our well-equipped undergraduate research facilities and see how you can turn your passion into purpose.