Why Study Public Health
The University of Michigan School of Public Health's undergraduate public health program emphasizes multidisciplinary training, preparing students to address complex public health challenges in the 21st century. Students explore topics such as emerging infectious diseases, health inequities, rapid technological changes in health care, environmental contaminants, food systems, access to clean water, climate change and many other pressing issues that affect communities around the world.
Below are answers to some of the most common questions we hear from students interested in studying public health.
Why should I study public health?
Public health encompasses many fields of study, including infectious and chronic disease, nutrition, environmental health, health policy, global health, and more.
A public health education provides knowledge and skills that can be applied across disciplines, industries, and communities. Our students:
- Explore diverse public health topics. Study issues such as infectious disease, chronic disease, nutrition, environmental health, health policy, and global health.
- Develop versatile career skills. Public health students gain skills that are applicable to a wide range of careers, including medicine, nursing, social work, nonprofit leadership, health care administration, and many others.
- Learn from multiple disciplines. Public health draws from fields such as urban planning, engineering, medicine, policy, sociology, business, and data science to improve health and well-being at the population level.
- Create meaningful impact. A public health education prepares you to actively engage in building healthier communities and addressing complex health challenges.
The knowledge and skills gained through a public health degree can be taken anywhere and applied to virtually any field.
What will I learn as a public health major?
- Our curriculum features interdisciplinary coursework that emphasizes social justice, engaged learning, and cultural humility, and is designed to foster leadership and create responsible citizens. Read more about our liberal education approach.
- Courses focus on the foundations of public health, including the field's history and values, health determinants, health policy and communications, and the public health and health care systems.
- You’ll learn how data can be collected, analyzed, and employed to better address population-level health challenges, as well as how to plan, implement, and evaluate interventions to solve pressing public health problems.
Undergraduate Learning Domains
What can I do with a degree in public health?
- A bachelor’s degree in public health will prepare you for early career, entry-level positions in the public health workforce or in other health-related public or private organizations and institutions.
- A degree in public health can also prepare you for entry into graduate training programs in public health and other health sciences including medicine, dentistry, nursing, kinesiology, pharmacy, and social work by acquiring the necessary prerequisite coursework.
Learn about career outcomes of our graduates
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Questions?
For more information about the undergraduate programs, admissions process, or to request
an appointment, contact our admissions and advising team at SPHundergrad@umich.edu.
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