Thank you for exploring the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, one of America’s top schools of public health and the top public school of public health. We care deeply about teaching and students, as well as research and service.  At Carolina’s School of Public Health, you will be taught by some of the finest teacher/researchers in the world. But you will find something else as well. You will have unsurpassed access to faculty and staff. Many students and alumni say that our faculty members are more accessible to them than anywhere they have been.  That means that our students have a learning experience that is one of the very finest anywhere.

Our faculty members are dedicated teachers and outstanding researchers, and they also provide service across North Carolina and around the world. Our students have remarkable opportunities to be part of research teams that operate locally and globally. Recent graduates, for example, worked on water problems in India, Cambodia and the Dominican Republic, maternal and child health projects in Mexico, AIDS research in Africa and cancer prevention research in North Carolina. If you join us, you will have the chance to pursue your dreams, wherever they may take you. Here, we not only conduct ground-breaking research, but we also translate that research into programs that improve people’s health and lives. Here, we share a passion — to solve public health problems both locally and globally.

You can work on solving some of the most pressing problems we face today — such as understanding the causes of cancer, creating new understanding about obesity and how to prevent it, developing better ways to keep our environment healthy, improving access to health care and translating research into practice.

Our state-of-the-art research facilities are nestled in one of the most beautiful, tree-lined campuses in the country.  Once you have felt the warmth of the brilliant Carolina blue sky, even in February, it is hard to imagine being anywhere else. As beautiful as this campus is, it’s not just the beautiful scenery and weather that make Carolina exceptional. It’s the collegial spirit of our faculty, students and staff. That spirit not only permeates departments and disciplines within our School, but nurtures close working relationships with colleagues in other UNC schools, such as Arts and Sciences, Kenan-Flagler School of Business, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Information and Library Sciences, and Journalism and Mass Communication.

As inviting as our campus is, our laboratories and classrooms aren’t just here – they’re all over the world. About 40 percent of our students take classes remotely. Some come to campus once or twice a year or maybe not at all. But all share the Carolina experience – a deep commitment to the finest teaching, research and service.

In 2007, Dr. Dennis and Joan Gillings gave our school the gift of a lifetime when they pledged $50M.  Because of their generosity, our students will have new opportunities.  One of the most exciting is to be part of Gillings Innovation Labs (GILs) and the learn and train in interdisciplinary teams with some of the best faculty, staff and students anywhere. 

Please explore our School through our Web site, and call or e-mail us with your questions.  I hope you will choose to join us on your journey to become a leader in public health. For it is here that we strive to make a world of difference – across the world and in our own backyard.