The Bachelor of Science in public health prepares students to immediately enter and find success in the public health environment (community health, health education, health and safety administration) or to pursue graduate studies in public health, public policy, health administration and associated fields.
As a public health major, you will explore the history and principles of public health, community health, public health leadership, health promotion, marketing, multicultural populations, health informatics and health policy, all within a rigorous curriculum.
All public health majors complete a 150-hour internship with a supervisor who is a public health professional. This provides you with practical learning experiences to complement your studies and prepares you for a smooth transition to employment or advanced studies.
Students interested in pursuing a graduate degree upon completion of this undergraduate program may wish to consider St. Bonaventure's
Master of Public Health program, which has an "early assurance" provision. This enables qualified high school seniors who major in a Bachelor of Science program to have a reserved seat awaiting them in our Master of Public Health program upon satisfactory completion of their undergraduate studies. To learn more about our early assurance in public health program,
click here.
We address questions of ethics from a health perspective as part of our commitment to developing knowledgeable, skilled, compassionate and ethical individuals who value individual dignity, community inclusiveness, and service to others.
The public health field is booming and in constant need of new professionals. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of public health service managers to grow by 18 percent over the next several years, and an 11 percent growth rate for health educators and community health workers. The demand for bachelor's level health professionals is particularly high, notes the Educational Advisory Board.
Public health offers a variety of career positions, depending on your interests and skills. There is a need for community health workers, disaster preparedness coordinators, environmental health specialists, health educators, health promotion specialists, and public health program coordinators.
More than 12 percent of Americans live below the poverty level and more than 8 percent of them have no health insurance, statistics that support the steady demand for professionals. As a public health major you will be prepared to address these and other challenges facing the public health industry.
Bachelor of Science in public health
The major in public health prepares students to succeed in a public health environment or to pursue graduate studies in related fields.
Degree requirements and a four-year plan for the public health major