Curriculum and Core Areas of Study

A degree major in public health provides students an understanding of the principles of public health as well as emerging issues in public health that affect our global society. This program of study integrates key aspects of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health through people, organizations, and community.

Students in this program will increase their awareness of emerging issues in public health, the social and behavioral aspects of preventing disease, environmental health concepts, the changing U.S. health care system and the monitoring of diseases in the community through their study of applied public health research.

Students enrolled in the program will choose from one of four specialized concentrations listed below, allowing them to tailor their educational journey to their interests and career goals.

Global Health

The Global Health (GH) concentration prepares students to address urgent public health needs and disparities in an increasingly interconnected world. With interdisciplinary coursework and hands-on experiences, the concentration will equip students with skills to tackle complex health threats facing vulnerable communities. The curriculum will empower students to improve their wellbeing through education, advocacy, and service. With a comprehensive grounding in public health theory and practice, students will gain critical thinking abilities to formulate effective interventions and policies to achieve health equity. The Global Health concentration provides students with the knowledge, experiences, and leadership skills needed to drive meaningful change and improve health outcomes for underserved populations locally and globally.

Health Administration

The Health Administration (HCA) concentration focuses coursework on the business and people side of health care. This formal emphasis adds management coursework that reflects current leadership and human resources strategy, quality improvement methodology, advancements in health information technology, and financial and operational management of health systems. Public Health graduates within this concentration may enjoy expanded career options and will be better prepared to assume leadership roles within traditional public health settings, hospitals and related healthcare organizations.

Urban Systems Design

The Urban Systems Design concentration is intended to advance creative thinking within the public health curriculum, focusing on urban communities and systems design. Students will learn about design thinking using planning and design concepts to understand and frame problems and propose and envision desirable public health practices. In addition, students will learn skills and methods that can be used to envision ways of seeing, working with people, co-creating with communities, and ultimately advancing public health interventions. The integration of creative disciplines with public health is intended to bring a transformative experience to the field, promoting public health to be more impactful in developing and implementing interventions to protect, maintain, and enhance the quality of life of individuals and communities.

Health Promotion & Education

The Health Promotion and Education (HPE) concentration will prepare students to effectively plan, develop, implement and evaluate public health education interventions. Students within this concentration can sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC). Health Education Specialists work to improve the health of individuals or communities, depending on their work setting and job responsibilities. These professionals work in various settings, including health departments, nonprofit organizations, education settings and other community-based organizations. Their work may include, but is not limited to, teaching health education workshops, community organizing, developing mass media campaigns, training volunteers, managing grants, coordinating employee wellness programs, one-on-one health coaching, coalition building and advocacy to reduce health inequities and promote health for all. All graduates of the Health Promotion and Education concentration are eligible to sit for the national certification exam to become certified health education specialists (CHES).

Select an option below to view the major map for the Public Health program with the offered concentrations

Post Graduate Studies:

Students who graduate with a public health degree can continue their education at UC.  Consider the following post-graduate degree programs. Please note: It is important you review the pre-requisite course and admission requirements for all programs: