What is public health?

The broad field of public health involves studying and improving the health of communities and populations.  Health research, promotion, education, management, and policy development are some of the focal areas for public health professionals.  The variety of public and private sector careers in public health means that there are a wide range of public health career opportunities that could fit with your personal goals.

Career opportunities in  public health

One way that public health careers are divided is based on broad categories of expertise or academic disciplines.  Below is a description of the academic fields at the UNC School of Public Health, and examples of job titles and potential employers for each specialty.  

Biostatistics    

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Environmental Sciences and Engineering

Environmental Sciences and Engineering encompasses a broad array of factors that can influence human health and environmental quality.  Such areas include but are not limited to studying and managing the quality of air, water, and soil, as well as noise control, hazardous waste management, and vector control.  Knowledge about the interaction between humans and the environment can lead to solutions for environmental problems through means such as policy change.   For example, you may examine how environmental factors contribute to asthma, cancer, or other diseases, or advocate for policy changes to improve water quality. 

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Epidemiology

Epidemiology is often considered the “basic science” of public health. One of the benefits of a career in epidemiology is that you can take it in so many different directions and apply it to a wide range of problems.   

Some epidemiologists work in the field investigating outbreaks of disease, seeking to determine the cause and trying to control its spread.  Other epidemiologists design and implement studies to understand patterns of disease in society, such as the disproportionate prevalence of diabetes or cancer in a particular segment of the population.  Epidemiologists often employ knowledge and tools from other fields ranging from sociology, psychology, and statistics to cellular and molecular biology.

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Health Behavior and Health Education

This public health concentration prepares individuals for leadership positions in health education planning, management and evaluation.  Health Behavior and Health Education students study a wide range of models and methods for developing, implementing, and monitoring behavioral and social change interventions to improve the health of individuals, groups and entire communities.   For example, you may develop an intervention to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS, promote seatbelt use, or design health communications to reach individuals at risk for colon cancer. 

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Health Policy and Management (Administration)

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Maternal and Child Health

This public health field focuses on improving the health of women, children, and families in domestic and international settings through research, program planning, training, and policy development. In preparing the next generation of MCH leaders, major emphasis is placed on population-based solutions to complex health problems that are multi-factorial in origin.  For example, you may collect and use data to improve programs and decision making in  family planning, nutrition, and HIV/AIDS in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. Or, reach clinicians, community members, and policy makers with resources that help pregnant and parenting smokers quit. 

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Nutrition

Public health nutrition applies the physiological, biochemical, and behavioral aspects of nutrition to the health of human populations.  For example, you may advocate for nutrition-related policy changes, manage nutrition services for a school system, conduct research for a food manufacturer or hospital researcher, or work to decrease nutrient deficiencies in high risk populations. 

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Public Health Leadership

This area of public health focuses on the population level of health care, and seeks to build knowledge and skills related to leadership, assessment, policy development and assurance for current health care practitioners.  Careers are available in a variety of public health leadership positions.

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Global Health

Public health professionals are often engaged in improving the health of the world’s populations through research, service, and teaching, i.e. global health.  As global health is multidisciplinary, there is potential to work in the global arena in all of the above specialties.

Additional Information

The following websites provide additional information about careers in the field of public health.  For assistance with finding employment in public health, please visit Career Services.

American Public Health Association
Association of Schools of Public Health
What is Public Health?
Public Health Games
Free guides to public health careers from Pfizer

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