Public Health

Public Health is the science and art of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention.

Why pursue a career in public health?

Public Health is an exciting and growing field of study, which challenges its professionals to confront complex health issues, such as improving access to health care, controlling infectious disease, and reducing environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse, and injuries.

Public Health is a diverse and dynamic field. Public Health professionals come from varying educational backgrounds and can specialize in an array of fields. A host of specialists, including teachers, journalists, researchers, administrators, environmentalists, demographers, social workers, laboratory scientest, and attorneys work to protect the health of the public.

Public Health professionals serve local, national, and international communities, and are leaders who meet the many exciting challenges in public health today and in the future.

The field of public health offers great personal fulfillment - working towards improving people's health and well being is a rewarding day's work.

How can a graduate degree in public health enhance my career opportunities?

Many public health jobs require a graduate degree in public health. A graduate degree gives public health professionals a competitive edge over other professionals and enables professionals to:

  • gain knowledge of the factors which influence local, national and global legislative and social polices;
  • apply broad-based, state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative skills needed for problem solving;
  • develop multidisciplinary and collaborative strategies for solving health-related problems;
  • enhance communication skills by working with diverse populations; and,
  • be positioned for a leadership role in health promotion and disease prevention.

What are the career opportunities in public health and what salary ranges can I expect after graduation?

While there are dozens of specialties in public health, most career opportunities are found in the following fields. The salary ranges, as follows, are the actual salaries earned (adjusted for inflation using the national CPI - Bureau of Labor Statistics) within one year of graduation as reported by the most recent nationwide survey of graduates conducted by ASPH:

Health Services Administration

Salary range within one year of graduation

$37,050 - $161,400

Which school of public health should I attend?

There are 36 CEPH accredited schools of public health. All accredited schools meet rigorous accreditation standards and each has unique strengths in research, service and education. For a complete list of accredited schools of public health, see the ASPH website at: schools.asph.org. To search for a particular programs, a search feature is available under: Search for a Program.

What undergraduate major should I choose?

Students of public health come from a variety of educational backgrounds, but there is coursework that can better prepare you for the field of study you choose. For example, coursework in biology and mathematics is highly recommended for students who plan to concentrate in epidemiology or biostatistics. For Behavioral Sciences, Health Education or Global Health, courses in sociology, psychology, education or anthropology are beneficial. Health Services Administration students find that a business background is a plus. A biology or chemistry background is helpful for the study of Environmental Health. All schools of public health require competence in effective communication (both verbal and written); therefore, students should try to take advantage of undergraduate opportunities to hone these skills.

What are the entrance requirements?

While schools of public health look for high graduate entrance exam scores and GPA, other aspects of an applicant's record, such as a career achievement, professional experience, and clarity of career goals also are equally important. Admissions decisions are based on an overall assessment of the ability of the applicants to successfully complete the degree track area selected. Each program or track within a given department may set additional requirements for admission, therefore, applicants should refer to the individual programs for details.

How much is tuition and what is the duration of an education in Public Health?

The average yearly cost of education including tuition, fees, books, etc in 2002-2003 was $8,974 and the median was just over $6,538. The range is from $2,000 per year to $28,600. Nearly half of all schools of public health are at private universities which accounts for the broad range in tuition. Most master's programs are two years in length. However, there are also accelerated programs, distance learning programs, programs for part-time students, etc.

Links for more information

Illinois Wesleyan Contact Person

For more information on podiatry, contact Warren Kistner, Director of the IWU Career Center,  wkistner@titan.iwu.edu, 556-3071.