Ready to make your mark in a rewarding field?

Start by earning your online Bachelor of Science in Public Health at Southern New Hampshire University. The year 2020 demonstrated the critical need for public health professionals around the globe to advocate for policy, data, funding, and the resources required to tackle a pandemic. The global pandemic brought to life the incredible complexity of public health.

Many of the challenges faced around the world included timely communication, data collection and reporting, virus containment, medical supply chain management, inequitable impacts across communities (and learning how to protect those communities), managing populations, and keeping frontline workers safe. Though complex and challenging, it provided the opportunity for public health professionals to make substantial progress in the understanding of global pandemics and ultimately the prevention of future outbreaks. Public health covers a range of fields everything from fighting infectious disease outbreaks across the globe, to developing and presenting wellness programs in local communities and creating public policies. No matter where public health professionals work, they're driven by the same mission: to protect the health of populations and improve quality of life through healthy behaviors.

"Public health is the recognition that there are certain health issues that every population suffers from, not just nationally but internationally," said Dr. Sarah McCool, an adjunct instructor at SNHU. "It's important to understand the impact of globalization and how that affects public health. You can spread disease in the time it takes to cross the world on a trans-Atlantic flight."

With this understanding, the main goal of public health professionals is to identify public health challenges within certain populations, study the root cause and develop initiatives that make a positive impact.

Those with a public health degree can help ensure public safety in any number of ways, including:

- Smoking and vaping awareness ads on TV

- Physical fitness programs in school

- Working with municipalities to create and promote safe places to walk and exercise

- Diabetic awareness initiatives

- Vaccination campaigns

- Campaigns to promote healthcare facilities

- Developing cleaner air initiatives

- Expanding efforts to reduce food insecurity

- Designing safe sex and reproductive health campaigns

- Creating transportation options to health services

- Building emergency preparedness plans

- Creating public awareness around the signs and impacts of bullying in schools

This online bachelor's program provides a strong foundation in biological and social sciences and emphasizes evidence-based approaches to program assessment, planning, and evaluation. You'll also explore strategies for preventing disease, prolonging life, and improving the health of entire populations.

Learn how to:

- Use principles to recognize patterns and trends

- Apply public health strategies to improve health, safety, and quality of life

- Explain the effectiveness of health programs

- Identify health disparities and promote social justice

- Make globally, socially, and ethically responsible public health decisions

- Design communication strategies that promote public health campaigns

If you choose to continue your studies after earning your bachelor's in public health, SNHU also offers an online Master of Public Health degree both with a general track and a global health concentration. The BS in Public Health program prepares graduates for the workforce as competent, emerging public health professionals. In the US, the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH) provides guidance to colleges and universities that offer public health programs. At SNHU, the BS in Public Health was designed for you to meet today's public health challenges. To learn more, review our accreditations page.

"The focus (of our curriculum) is always on helping your community be the healthiest mentally and physically," said Dr. Gail Tudor, associate dean of health professions at SNHU. "By learning to become a public health professional, "your actions can affect an entire community, an entire nation, even the world."

The core major courses provide you with a comprehensive understanding of public health and insights into the administration and evaluation of public health programs, as well as the healthcare delivery system.

Course topics include epidemiology, research and assessment, program planning, health communication and education, healthcare law, and ethics in national and global contexts. As a student in the public health degree program, you'll complete a project within your capstone course toward the end of your program. The project or paper you'll work on throughout the term encompasses all your learnings throughout the program and it's also a product you'll be able to show employers when you present your portfolio.

Part of our mission to expand access to quality higher education means removing the barriers that may stand between you and your degree. That's why you can apply at any time and get a decision within days of submitting all required materials. Acceptance decisions are made on a rolling basis throughout the year for our 6 (8-week) undergraduate terms.

$150 Graduation Fee, Course Materials ($ varies by course)