Public Health
About Public Health
Our Program and Courses
Public health is a major at F&M that blends perspectives from science, social science, and humanities to focus on what keeps the population healthy — and what makes it healthier. A major in public health can follow one of three concentration tracks: biology, government or sociology. You’ll study the principles and history of public health, the burden of disease, how to measure health, health in the context of human rights, the health of communities and how it is affected by community-based action, and more.
By the time you graduate, you will be able to:
- Discuss public health challenges at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels.
- Evaluate and discuss multiple determinants of health — including behavioral, demographic, economic, environmental, genetic, sociological, and political — and relate these factors to their effect on health disparities and other population health concerns.
- Analyze and critique the role of health in the public policy agenda.
- Use multiple disciplinary methods to answer ethical questions and evaluate the effectiveness of solutions to problems.
- Demonstrate skills of analysis, problem solving, clear writing, and critical thinking.
Curious what public health classes are like? Take a look at our course catalog to see the depth and breadth of what’s available to you.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Your work in public health will extend far outside the classroom. The program has a growing tradition of encouraging students’ intellectual growth through internships, networking with alumni, off-campus study, independent research, and more. Our goal is to provide close supervision and mentoring to students in the classroom and around the world.
Research Opportunities
Do you want to explore health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic? Or dive into
the methods epidemiologists use to trace and predict patterns of disease? You can
do all of that at F&M. As you explore all that a public health major has to offer,
you’ll discover areas or ideas you want to further explore. The best part? You won’t
have to wait until graduate school to launch your investigation.
Explore research at F&M
Internships
Internships allow you to explore fields and job functions of interest, building your
portfolio while shaping and inspiring your path in both expected and unexpected ways.
Recent public health student internships have involved workplace health and safety,
education on the effects of climate change on health, and traveling abroad to learn
about health disparities in Africa.
Explore internships at F&M
Off-Campus Study
At F&M, public health majors have extraordinary opportunities to study in the U.S.
and abroad. In recent years, students have gained experience in the field by studying
the health of communities in Honduras, Vietnam, Cambodia, Argentina, Kenya, Senegal
and beyond. You, too, can make study abroad integral to your experiences and research.
Explore off-campus study at F&M
Success Beyond F&M
By majoring in public health at F&M, you’ll gain a holistic outlook that provides a strong background in critical thinking, analysis, writing, and public presentation — skills in high demand in any post-graduate pursuit.
Graduate School
Many of our majors choose to pursue graduate school after F&M, with a significant number seeking advanced degrees at the finest universities in the field, including:
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
- French National School of Public Health
- Harvard University School of Public Health
- The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- University of Michigan School of Public Health
Career Paths
Public health alumni build a multifaceted foundation for a diverse range of careers. They find success in medicine, law, government, and more, and hold positions such as:
- Officer in U.S. Public Health Service
- Deputy Director of Global Tuberculosis Institute
- Chief Regulatory Counsel, Pharmaceutical Company
- Public Health Educator
- Biostatistician
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Epidemiologist
- Health Policy Analyst
- Public Health Administrator
- Health Information Technician
- Professor
- Physician
- Dentist
Alumni Spotlight
“I realized that there were many other ways to make a difference in the medical community outside of becoming a physician.”
Maggie Corson ’23 originally planned on being a pre-med student at F&M. But two F&M courses, Intro to Public Health and Intro to Sociology, opened her eyes to more possibilities. “I realized that there were many other ways to make a difference in the medical community outside of becoming a physician,” she said. “Public health felt like an area where I could see myself fitting in well. Working my way through the public health curriculum and getting involved with research within the department helped solidify my interest and gave me confidence in my decision to pivot from my initial focus.” Corson is now pursuing a master’s of science in health and the public interest at Georgetown University. “My continued studies feel like a natural progression of the interdisciplinary, socially informed nature of the public health department at F&M.”Read More »
Student Spotlight
“This research allowed me to develop an understanding of what institutionalized racism looks like in disciplines imperative to the health of individuals with darker skin.”
For Genab Diallo ’25, the freedom to explore classes across disciplines helped her discover a passion for studying community health inequities. After taking courses in public health, sociology, and Africana studies, Diallo uncovered a desire to study preventative measures to optimize community well-being before individuals need to visit the doctor. Now a public health major on the sociology track with a minor in Africana studies, Diallo recently conducted research at the intersection of these fields by analyzing public health resources on skin cancer. “This research allowed me to develop an understanding of what institutionalized racism looks like in disciplines imperative to the health of individuals with darker skin,” she said. Diallo found that resources lacked representation of what the warning signs of skin cancer looked like on darker skin, which could result in negative health outcomes in communities of color.Read More »
Related Fields of Study
Biology
The biological sciences expand and advance frontiers of knowledge about all forms of life. From molecules to ecosystems, from oceans to deserts, from the distant past to present day, biology gives you insights into other species, ourselves, and our world.
Government
F&M’s Department of Government has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the country. Study government at F&M and examine power, politics, justice, equity, and change while developing skills in language, economics, mathematics and philosophy.
Sociology
Sociology studies human interactions, the consequences of those relationships, and the broader organizations and institutions that shape those experiences. As a student of sociology, you will explore these interactions to better understand how they shape the world and cultures that we live in.
A Glimpse at Public Health at F&M
December 5, 2024
Student Research Explores Pennsylvania History
Undergraduate research and community-based learning are key components of Reckoning With Lancaster, a curricular project at F&M supported by a Humanities for All Time Grant from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Students Jessica Kinker ’26 and Hallie Hushion ’25 had a chance to experience both this summer while researching the Carlisle Indian Industrial School.
August 30, 2024
‘I Fell in Love With Helping Others Through Dentistry’
Pre-dental student Lily Murphy ’26 has always loved working with kids, but she wasn’t sure what that would look like in dentistry. This summer, she found her niche by gaining hands-on experience in pediatric dentistry. “Most children fear the dentist, so it’s important to take the time to make sure they are calm and feel safe,” she said.
July 18, 2024
Success Beyond F&M: ‘I Owe a Lot to the Foundation I Built at F&M’
At F&M, Maggie Corson ’23 studied public health on the sociology track. Today, Corson is pursuing a master’s of science in health and the public interest at Georgetown University. “My master's program has been an incredibly rewarding experience, and I owe a lot of that to the foundation I built at F&M,” she said.