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Health Studies
4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20016
United States
Undergraduate Public Health Programs
Maintaining and improving public health is one of the great mandates of our time, both in the US and abroad. Aging populations, global pandemics, increasing environmental degradation, and a rise in childhood obesity are just some of the many challenges to which the field directly responds.
The Public Health Program prepares students to:
- Pursue professional endeavors informed by a social justice approach and dedicated to protecting and promoting the health of local neighborhoods or national populations: explore recent post-graduate results for the Public Health BA and BS degrees, or accelerated Three-Year Scholars program for incoming students.
- Participate in original research and scholarly writing with faculty in areas including epidemiology, global health, health equity, health policy, maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, and health promotion.
- Engage with the DC community-and your community abroad-through internships and service-learning activities.
Students can choose the Public Health BS, BA, or minor, in addition to our accelerated Three-Year Scholars Program:
At the heart of the BA, BS, and minor are sets of core courses that ensure that students gain both foundational knowledge and practical skills in the field of public health. Through their electives, students then learn about health issues from the perspective of several disciplines. The electives are set up into four clusters:
- Global Health
- Health Science
- Social and Community Health
- Policy, Program Planning, and Evaluation
Upon completion of the Public Health program, students will be able to:
- Explain the philosophy and essential services of Public Health.
- Explain the history and philosophy of public health as well as its core values, concepts, and functions across the globe and in society
- Identify and address the concepts of population health, and the basic processes, approaches, and interventions which focus on the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
- Apply and utilize an epidemiological approach through engagement in collaborative public health research.
- Identify, explain, and utilize the basic concepts, methods, and tools of public health data collection, use, and analysis
- Apply evidence-based approaches to public health practice
- Evaluate and compare healthcare systems and public health initiatives in the United States and abroad.
- Describe the basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic, and regulatory dimensions of health care and public health policy, and the roles, influences and responsibilities of the different agencies and branches of government
- Explain the fundamental characteristics and organizational structures of the U.S. health system as well the differences in systems in other countries
- Convey an understanding of the determinants of health and health disparities.
- Describe the underlying science of human health and disease including opportunities for promoting and protecting health across the life course
- Identify and explain the socio-economic, behavioral, biological, environmental, and other factors that impact human health and contribute to health disparities
- Appraise cultural differences among populations and interact sensitively, effectively, and professionally with persons from diverse backgrounds
- Plan, implement, and evaluate public health programs.
- Utilize the fundamental concepts and features of project implementation, including planning, assessment, and evaluation
- Utilize the basic concepts of public health-specific communication, including technical and professional writing and the use of mass media and electronic technology
Complete your MS Degree in 1 Year!
Health Studies students now have the opportunity to complete a combined Bachelor’s/Master’s program in 5 years (4 years for Public Health Scholars).
Students are eligible to apply if they meet the following requirements:
- Cumulative 3.0 GPA or higher
- Have earned 75 – 90 academic credits
- Students are not required to take Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
If accepted into the combined program, graduate regulations permit 500 and 600 level approved courses to be shared between the BA/BS in Public Health or Health Promotion and the MS programs.
- Health Promotion Management is a 30-credit MS program and permits 12 approved credits to be shared between degrees.
- Nutrition Education is a 30-credit MS online program and permits 9 approved credits to be shared between degrees.
Students must apply for the Bachelor’s/Master’s option when they have earned between 75 – 90 credits; therefore, early planning is essential!
For more information, email healthstudies@american.edu.
Washington DC is the top paying region in America for health workers and educators, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018).
Top employers for AU undergraduates with a degree in Public Health:
- American Institutes for Research
- FHI 360
- French Ministry of Education
- HealthCorps, Inc.
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM)
- Peace Corps
- RTI International
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
Click here to check out EduMED's guide to internships and careers!
See more about Public Health alumni career outcomes.
CEPH Accreditation
Congratulations to AU’s Public Health Program, which has earned accreditation by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for a 5-year term.
Read the CEPH Report (PDF).
Read the Self-Study Report (PDF).
