Careers in Population Health

 The Bachelor of Science in Population Health degree prepares you for a career in public health, nonprofit organizations, healthcare, education, corporate health, and more. Career opportunities include but are not limited to:

• Architecture and planning
• Business
• Community advocacy
• Disaster preparedness
• Law
• Medicine
• Nursing
• Policy analysis and evaluation
• Politics
• Research

Careers in Public Health  

Find work in government health agencies, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and other settings by earning a Master of Public Health degree.  The study of public health involves many disciplines, including:

• Behavioral science
• Biostatistics
• Environmental health
• Epidemiology
• Health services administration and management
• Maternal and child health
• Nutrition
• Public health policy and practice

As a public health professional, you would work to implement policies and educational programs, conduct research, administer services and identify trends in disease occurrence to prevent reoccurrence.

What can you do with your degree?

• Monitor community health
• Diagnose and investigate health problems in a community
• Inform people about health issues
• Develop policies and plans that support individual and community health
• Enforce laws and regulations that protect health and safety
• Participate in research that solves health problems
• Develop community interventions and support community empowerment

Examples of jobs

• Environmental engineer – Applies engineering principles to control, eliminate and prevent environmental health hazards.
• Environmental scientist and specialist – Uses biological, chemical and public health principles to control, eliminate and prevent environmental health hazards.
• Related jobs include environmental researcher, food scientist, soil and plant scientist, air pollution specialist, hazardous materials specialist, toxicologist, water/waste specialist and sanitarian.
• Epidemiologist – Investigates and explains why and how disease, disability and other health issues spread, and develops ways to prevent and control them.
• Health educator – Provides advice on and evaluates programs that encourage healthy behavior in organizations and communities.
• Health service manager/administrator – Coordinates health services, education or policy in hospitals, health clinics, public health agencies, managed care organizations or other settings.
• Occupational safety health specialist – Evaluates workplace environments and designs ways to prevent disease and injury.
• Public health community advocate – Works with organizations to promote community and policy change.
• Public health physician, nurse, social worker, dentist, nutritionist – Assess the need for preventive clinical services and provide them.
• Public health policy analyst – Develops health programs, facilities and resources and evaluates policies related to healthcare.

Transdisciplinary opportunities

Many professionals with degrees in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, engineering, law, social work, dentistry and other fields pursue graduate public health studies to gain skills in:

• Analytic research
• Behavioral and social science
• Communication
• Community development and group process
• Cultural competency
• Health administration and management
• Policy development
• Program planning and evaluation

For more information on career options and planning, visit UNM’s Career Services.