Public Health
If you’re looking for an exciting career choice that leads to a relevant degree, fulfilling work, and the advantage of high-demand, diverse job options, public health is the field for you.
This dynamic health profession has the goals of changing the health and well-being of a population. Public health is the study of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, the promotion of healthy lifestyles and the prevention of disease and injury. Public health is integral to any society, local or global, and when combined with a sizable projected public health worker shortage in the coming years, translates into excellent job prospects for graduates. That’s why it’s a “hot field for a global generation.”
Public health addresses the most pressing health concerns of our society. Going far beyond traditional medical care of physicians and hospitals of our current health care system, public health professionals help others. They do so directly or through disease research or policy development, while working in organizations responsible for ensuring public safety and wellness, in companies from food manufacturing to pharmaceuticals, as well as in hospitals, laboratories and clinics.
Public health uses cutting-edge technologies to confront existing and emerging health challenges. For example, public health professionals use Geographic Information Systems to study the impact of geography on health; smart phones to conduct disease surveillance; social network analysis to study “social contagions” such as obesity and smoking; and social media to test new and innovative social marketing campaigns to try and encourage healthy lifestyles.
The public health program is uniquely different from other college programs, as Mercyhurst will focus on team-based projects that emphasize hands-on, experiential learning. Mercyhurst intentionally takes a strongly multidisciplinary approach by working with other departments across the college to provide a well-rounded and holistic foundation. Small class sizes provide the interactive environment for intellectually stimulating skill development. Students will leave Mercyhurst with an exceptional level of knowledge and experience, making them superior candidates for both job opportunities and graduate studies, for a world that needs their public health expertise.