Public Health Major
The field of public health is focused on promoting and protecting health and well-being across the individual, community and societal levels.
Public health professionals work to understand and improve a range of health issues, including chronic and infectious disease prevention, environmental health, behavioral health, nutrition, injury prevention and mental health. Public health professionals track health conditions, study causal factors, address health disparities and design and evaluate programs and policies to improve health. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought attention to the need for a strong public health infrastructure, which includes public health workers such as health education specialists, community health workers, epidemiologists, researchers and policy experts.
Vision
The Public Health Program envisions equitable communities, both locally and globally,
where optimal health and well-being are achieved for all.
Mission
The Public Health Program educates and prepares undergraduate students to be public health professionals who use evidence-based approaches to promote health and wellness, achieve health equity, and advocate for healthy communities.
The Public Health Program at Towson University prepares students to work in a variety of public health jobs by developing knowledge and skills across key public health domains. The domains include foundations of health and disease, health communication, public health program planning and implementation, evaluation, health policy and evidence-based advocacy. The Public Health Program also provides real-world work experience through a culminating internship experience.
The Public Health Program is an excellent option for students planning to launch a career as a public health professional after graduation, pursue graduate education, or to use knowledge of public health to pursue a clinical career (e.g., medicine, dentistry, nursing).
Declaring Public Health Major
To declare public health as your major, complete the Change of Major/Minor Form. Once you complete the form, you will be assigned to a faculty advisor*. You will meet with your advisor to plan your courses based on the program requirements for your catalog year, discuss questions or concerns and talk about plans after graduation. You can view all the degree requirements and course descriptions for the public health major in the undergraduate catalog.
WHY TOWSON University?
Experienced Faculty and Research Opportunities
Faculty members bring years of experience in teaching, conducting research and working in the field. In addition to engaging teaching and hands-on experience during an internship, there are opportunities for students to become involved in faculty-led or student-led research projects. Involvement in research projects can take place during the academic year or during the summer, and students can earn elective credits. For more information, contact a faculty member you are interested in working with, or contact Jillian Fry, jfry AT_TOWSON, the Public Health Program Coordinator.
Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s
The Department of Health Sciences offers an accelerated bachelor’s to master’s program. Accelerated programs allow you to begin your graduate education as an undergraduate, offering you the opportunity to save time and money while you advance your academic career. The combined B.S./M.S. in Health Science enables students to substitute nine credits in the Master’s in Health Science program for undergraduate classes in the Public Health major.