Penn State Introduces New Public Health Major

Students interested in preventing illness, improving health care access and addressing health problems affecting entire communities now have a new degree option at Penn State. 

The university’s College of Health and Human Development has introduced a Bachelor of Science in Public Health, giving students a new path into careers in public health, health policy, research and community health. Students can now declare the major, Penn State recently announced. 

The program is built around the study of health at the population level rather than treating individual patients. Coursework will cover epidemiology, biostatistics, health promotion, health policy and management, global health, public health ethics and program planning and evaluation. 

Students also will gain experience with research, data analysis and visualization, communication, project management, leadership, community engagement and policy analysis. An internship is required as part of the degree, along with a minor. 

Penn State has more than 200 minors available, allowing students to pair public health with areas such as global health, health policy and administration, data visualization, food systems, environmental engineering or marketing. 

Kari Kugler, an associate teaching professor of biobehavioral health and director of the public health degree program, said the major is intended for students who want to use scientific information to address health problems affecting communities. 

“The public health major is ideal for students who seek to understand the interconnected factors that shape population health and want to leverage science and data to make a difference in communities,” associate teaching professor of biobehavioral health and director of the program Kugler said in a release. “We increasingly see the value of public health and its importance, and I am thrilled to be involved with this robust new degree program that will prepare future leaders in public health and health-related fields.”

The program has a particular emphasis on rural health. Penn State said nearly 75% of Pennsylvania’s land area, including 48 of the state’s 67 counties, is classified as rural based on 2023 U.S. Census Bureau data. 

Graduates can pursue entry-level positions with government health agencies, nonprofit organizations, schools, research organizations, hospitals and health care systems. Potential jobs include community health educator, research assistant, public health program assistant and health policy implementation analyst. 

The degree is also designed to prepare students for additional education in fields including public health, medicine, dentistry, physician assistant studies, pharmacology and nursing. 

The major is housed in the Department of Health Policy and Administration within the College of Health and Human Development. 

“The health and health care needs of society are growing and professionals with the ability to support population health — whether the population in question is a neighborhood, members of a particular health insurance plan, an occupational group, or individuals sharing a specific health need — will be in demand,” Craig J. Newschaffer, dean of the College of Health and Human Development, said. 

Penn State said it plans to pursue an integrated undergraduate-graduate program with the Master of Public Health program at the Penn State College of Medicine. If approved, the program would allow students to earn both degrees in five years.