Public health has been a major at the College of Charleston for less than one year and the number of students enrolled has already surpassed the expectations we set for the 2016-17 academic year. There are more than 160 students pursuing a B.S. in Public Health and more than 40 pursuing a B.A. in Public Health.
Public health is an interdisciplinary degree, offered as both a bachelor of arts (B.A.) and a bachelor of science (B.S.). Students who graduate with either public health degree might pursue advanced degrees, such as a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) or a Master’s in Health Administration (MHA). Students with either degree in public health may work in governmental health organizations at the local, state, or national levels, non-profit health organizations, or hospital systems. Students planning to attend medical/nursing school or to go in to another allied health field need to pursue the B.S. in Public Health. Read more.
Read about what the program’s first graduates are doing.
“Public health is everywhere and affects everyone,” explains Professor Sue Balinsky, director of the public health (B.S.) program. “Many students interested in allied health or PT school are now majoring in public health instead of biology. The major draws students who are interested in health, science, communication, and those who want a more hands-on degree.”
As a public health major, students can take a wide variety of classes to meet the health policy, environmental health, and ethics requirement. There are currently four professors in the public health (B.S.) major in the Department of Health and Human Performance: Sue Balinsky, Andrea DeMaria , Matt Page, and Olivia Thompson.
There are also 42 students earning a minor in health, which has classes focused on public health.
For more information about the B.A. in public health, contact Jen Kopfman at kopfmanj@cofc.edu.
For more information about the B.S. in public health, contact Sue Balinsky at balinskys@cofc.edu.