Public Health

Major

Become a leader and a skilled advocate for healthier communities with a degree in public health from CSUN.

Why Study Public Health?

Public Health majors confront pressing questions related to disease outbreaks, health education, safety standards and more. Public health promotes and protects the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work and play. While a doctor treats people who are sick, public health professionals try to prevent people from getting sick or injured in the first place.

Public health is one of the fastest growing, most dynamic and important professions. It offers a host of entry-level career opportunities in such community health settings as city, county, state and national public health departments and agencies, hospitals, schools, mental health facilities, health maintenance organizations, long-term care facilities and corporate and industrial organizations.

Why Study Public Health at CSUN?

In-depth Curriculum

Our rigorous curriculum is taught by highly trained professionals. You'll learn to identify and assess needs and assets of diverse communities and then how to plan, implement and evaluate programs.

Leadership Skills

You'll learn how to lead and become an advocate in your community and profession, applying analytic and research methodologies to address important health problems.

Collaboration

You'll collaborate across disciplines and community sectors to provide solutions for current and future public health challenges.

What You'll Learn

You'll receive a strong foundation in important areas including biology, chemistry, statistics, psychology and sociology.

You'll then focus on public health core courses, including:

  • Global Perspectives of Environmental Health
  • Principles and Foundations of Health Education
  • Health Behavior Theory
  • Community Health Action
  • Public Health Program Planning
  • Program Evaluation for Health Education

You'll choose from electives such as:

  • Women and Health
  • Holistic Health
  • Health Aspects of Drug Use
  • Nutrition and Health
  • Counseling of Health Problems
  • Health Science for Children and Youth
  • Health Concerns of Adolescents
  • International Health
  • Health, Culture and Diversity

Curriculum

Careers & Outcomes

Graduates of this program are employed by public and private health and human service agencies (city, county, state and national), hospitals, schools, corporations, and nonprofit and professional consulting organizations. Upon completion of the undergraduate program, eligible students are encouraged to apply for admission to the Master of Public Health Program.

Below are sample job titles.

Job Titles

  • Health Educators
  • Epidemiologists
  • First Responders
  • Restaurant Inspectors
  • Nutritionists
  • Public Health Nurses
  • Community Planners
  • Scientists and Researchers
  • Occupational Health and Safety Professionals
  • Public Policymakers
contact tracing infographic

CSUN students track COVID-19

During the pandemic, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health turned to CSUN students for help, offering them internships as contact tracers.

Accreditation

The B.S. in public health is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and public health programs outside schools of public health.

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