Overview
Public Health at SIUE
Classes in the undergraduate public health program, which is in the Department of Applied Health, are taught by a core group of award-winning public health faculty from the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior. A unique feature of the undergraduate public health program is the focus on service learning, projects and internships through community partnerships, giving students multiple opportunities throughout their studies to work in the field of public health prior to graduation. Opportunities also exist for international travel study courses and internships. Elective courses allow students to emphasize areas of interest, such as adolescent health, minority health, environmental health, nutrition and global health.
The undergraduate public health program meets the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC) standards, and successful completion of the program effectively prepares students to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam, which is administered twice each year.
Why Public Health?
Public health is a field for those who care about improving the health of communities and populations. Public health is a helping profession that aims to improve the behaviors and conditions that affect the health of all through leadership, promotion, prevention and advocacy.
Career Opportunities
The career outlook is promising for public health professionals. Jobs are expected to increase 16 percent between 2016 and 2026, making it a career with above average growth.
Public health professionals work with diverse domestic and international communities on a variety of health issues using the skills of community needs assessment, program planning, implementation and evaluation, public health policy development and management, and health advocacy. Our graduates are employed in entry-level positions in a variety of settings, including federal, state and local departments of public health, profit and nonprofit organizations, corporations, colleges and universities, and medical care settings.
Those who wish to obtain advanced degrees in graduate school will be prepared for programs in public health, medical school, nursing, health and public administration, epidemiology, biostatistics, and health promotion.
