Public Health

The B.S. in Public Health is recommended for students needing a strong science background to enter graduate or professional school or those who want to obtain a challenging entry-level position in health promotion, health education, or many other Public Health careers.

This program will prepare students for careers in a variety of fields, including the following:

• Epidemiology and biostatistics
• Health policy, management, and administration
• Health promotion and education
• Nursing
• Maternal and child health
• Global health
• Environmental health
• Occupational safety and health
• Nutrition
• Emergency preparedness

The B.A. in Public Health draws on expertise from an array of academic and practical approaches. Students in the program choose concentrations in two specialized tracks, including Global Health and Maternal and Child Health. These concentrations offer B.A. majors a foundational background in public heath, as well as an interdisciplinary perspective on target issues in public health (global health and maternal and child health) that correspond to student interest and graduate level programs.

The Public Health B.A. program offers students the opportunity to investigate public health from humanities and social sciences perspectives and is recommended for students who are considering careers in areas such as non-profit or for-profit health agencies, health promotion programs, health policy, and health communication. This degree also prepares students for a variety of jobs in the health sector or for advanced degrees in public health or other health-related fields.

This program allows students to gain exposure to fields such as:

• Health advocacy
• Health communications
• International studies
• Women’s and gender studies
• Health policy and law
• Medical humanities

Program of Study - Public Health, B.A. (Global Health Concentration)

Program of Study - Public Health, B.A. (Maternal & Child Health Concentration)

With faculty devoted to exceptional learning experiences, and as part of a university that offers boundless research and grant funding opportunities, our students are able to participate in paid faculty-led and independent research in their specified area of study. Students participating in research also have the chance to publish and present their findings at local, regional, and national conferences. Interested students are encouraged to reach out to faculty to express an interest in assisting with research. Students can earn repeatable course credit towards their Public Health degree for serving as a research assistant.

Examples of research topics studied include:

• environmental exposure to man-made chemicals and resultant health effects involving two study populations: bottlenose dolphins and college-aged students.
• assessing the effectiveness of a substance use and mental health service usage educational campaign among college students.
• development and evaluation of community health programs to increase physical activity and healthy eating.
• effects of heat index in the southeast among occupationally exposed populations.
• developing and pilot testing a smoking cessation decision aid that includes an in-depth focus on e-cigarettes.

With strong local, national, and international ties to public health organizations, our students are exposed to internship opportunities with organizations such as MUSC, the Green Heart Project, Ronald McDonald House Charities, the Centers for Disease Control, the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, and Planned Parenthood, among many others. 

Interested public health majors should contact our Internship Coordinator, Becky Kyryliuk, for more details about this experiential learning possibility.

Through several class offerings, such as Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Health Communication, Immigration and Public Health, and Global Health, students have the opportunity to participate in faculty-led student abroad programs where they can put their academic knowledge to practical use. Past programming has allowed our public health students to travel to Barcelona, Lisbon, Amsterdam, France, and Switzerland.

Our B.S. in Public Health will allow graduates to obtain positions within the fields of epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, occupational safety and health, nursing, and other clinical health professions. Graduates of our B.A. in Public Health will gain employment in fields such as health advocacy, health communications, global health and international studies, maternal and child health, health policy and law, and medical humanities. Possible places of employment include local and state health departments, federal organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health, for-profit and non-profit health agencies, hospitals, insurance companies, among others. Students obtaining either the B.S. or B.A. will also have the opportunity for continuing education in the following areas:

Public health-focused post-graduate degrees include:

• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
• Master of Health Administration (MHA)
• Master of Science (MS)
• Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
• Doctor of Science (ScD)

Other post-graduate degrees which public health students might pursue include:

• Doctor of Medicine (MD)
• Doctor of Osteopathy (DO)
• Physician Assistant (PA)
• Physical Therapist (PT)
• Occupational Therapist (OT)
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
• Registered Nurse (RN)
• Master of Business Administration (MBA)
• Juris Doctor (JD)

Select students have the opportunity to earn a master's degree in Public Health from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) along with their B.S. in Public Health from the College of Charleston in as little as five years.

If you’re interested in this accelerated degree pathway, please let your advisor know so they can assist you with scheduling.