Department of Public Health

Jumpstart your public health career

The Public Health Department prepares entry-level public health professionals and health educators who are able to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate a broad range of health promotion and disease prevention programs designed for a community’s diverse population. Here are some key national statistics for public health careers from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and PayScale and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Starting Salary
$38,782-$75,457

Average Starting Salaries in Public Health Fields (NACE)

Noteworthy Public Health Jobs and Mid-Career Salaries (PayScale and Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Health Information Management Director $78,300 Patient/Health Educator $51,200 Epidemiologist $74,560 Public Health Attorney $126,930 Social & Community Service Manager $69,600
Six months out of graduation
86%

Alumni in science and health employed or in graduate school within 6 months after graduation.

Get Prepared to Succeed

WP’s internationally recognized BS in public health promotion is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Students become oriented to the profession of health education through completion of a 9-credit full-time internship during their final semester, at which time they also take the national certification examination to become a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). A BS in health studies is also available, which is ideal for those who have an associate’s degree in an allied health discipline and wish to complete their bachelor’s degree, advance their current healthcare career, or pursue graduate study.

What You'll Learn

In public health, students learn in-demand skills that employers have identified as critical for job candidates, including the ability to:

  • collect, locate, evaluate, and manage public health/scientific data
  • clearly communicate public health information
  • develop strategies to advance population health and health equity, among others

Key Skills for
Careers in
Public Health

as indicated by Employers
and Alumni on LinkedIn

Critical Thinking Skills

Digital Fluency

Problem Solving Skills

Research

Verbal & Written Communication

*LinkedIn Workplace
Learning Report 2021