Bachelor of Science in Public Health (B.S.)

Impact the Health of Entire Communities With a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from West Chester University

The Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree at West Chester University will prepare you for a career as a public health practitioner in a variety of settings.

By combining classroom study, field trips, and work experience, our public health major will give you the knowledge and skills needed to assess, plan, implement, and evaluate public health programs. You'll make a career helping individuals take responsibility for their health and well-being.

Put your classroom knowledge into practice through hands-on experience in a full-semester internship with placements in a variety of settings, including county health departments, hospitals, and voluntary health agencies.

Graduates of our program are in demand, with skills that are needed for health promotion and disease prevention. They are also eligible to take the national examination for certification as health education specialists (CHES).

Benefits of Earning Your Public Health Degree at WCU

Experiential Learning Opportunities

At WCU, you'll have hands-on learning opportunities through service-learning projects in community health and a full-semester capstone internship. We offer diverse internship opportunities tailored to your specific public health interests, as well as support in finding the best site match for your needs—even coordinating and establishing contracts with individual sites. Interested in what public health looks like in other nations? WCU also offers 670+ study abroad options, including program-specific trips.

Research Opportunities With Expert Faculty

Our experienced faculty offer innovative teaching methods to facilitate your critical and creative thinking skills. You can also participate in research opportunities in state-of-the-art labs and facilities alongside our faculty that will influence public health policies. You may even have the opportunity to present your findings at local, regional, and national conferences.

Affordability

WCU's tuition and fees are among the lowest in the region, and the University offers departmental and college-level scholarships, as well as financial aid and other funding opportunities from outside entities. Our accelerated B.S./M.S. in public health offers additional savings by condensing the two programs into five years rather than six, charging undergraduate tuition for initial graduate courses and applying undergraduate financial aid to some graduate courses.

Jobs With a Public Health Major

Careers in healthcare and social assistance are expected to grow by nearly 10 percent through 2032, with some areas seeing growth of more than 44 percent. Our public health degree graduates can be found across private and public healthcare sectors, in positions including:

• Associate professor
• Disease intervention specialist
• Public health consultant
• Public health planner
• Public health advocate
• Public health educator
• Quality improvement researcher
• Resource manager
• Spokesperson
• Clinical research coordinator
• Client services supervisor

Where are our graduates?

What Will You Study as a Public Health Major?

As a public health major, you will learn how to enhance the quality of life for individuals and communities by influencing public health policies, research, and clinical education. You will also learn how to address public health challenges creatively and effectively by applying your classroom knowledge with innovative applications.