Public Health
About Public Health
Our Program and Courses
Public health is a major at F&M that blends perspectives from science, social science, and humanities to focus on what keeps the population healthy — and what makes it healthier. A major in public health can follow one of three concentration tracks: biology, government or sociology. You’ll study the principles and history of public health, the burden of disease, how to measure health, health in the context of human rights, the health of communities and how it is affected by community-based action, and more.
By the time you graduate, you will be able to:
- Discuss public health challenges at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels.
- Evaluate and discuss multiple determinants of health — including behavioral, demographic, economic, environmental, genetic, sociological, and political — and relate these factors to their effect on health disparities and other population health concerns.
- Analyze and critique the role of health in the public policy agenda.
- Use multiple disciplinary methods to answer ethical questions and evaluate the effectiveness of solutions to problems.
- Demonstrate skills of analysis, problem solving, clear writing, and critical thinking.
Curious what public health classes are like? Take a look at our course catalog to see the depth and breadth of what’s available to you.
Learning Beyond the Classroom
Your work in public health will extend far outside the classroom. The program has a growing tradition of encouraging students’ intellectual growth through internships, networking with alumni, off-campus study, independent research, and more. Our goal is to provide close supervision and mentoring to students in the classroom and around the world.
Research Opportunities
Do you want to explore health inequities during the COVID-19 pandemic? Or dive into
the methods epidemiologists use to trace and predict patterns of disease? You can
do all of that at F&M. As you explore all that a public health major has to offer,
you’ll discover areas or ideas you want to further explore. The best part? You won’t
have to wait until graduate school to launch your investigation.
Explore research at F&M
Internships
Internships allow you to explore fields and job functions of interest, building your
portfolio while shaping and inspiring your path in both expected and unexpected ways.
Recent public health student internships have involved workplace health and safety,
education on the effects of climate change on health, and traveling abroad to learn
about health disparities in Africa.
Explore internships at F&M
Off-Campus Study
At F&M, public health majors have extraordinary opportunities to study in the U.S.
and abroad. In recent years, students have gained experience in the field by studying
the health of communities in Honduras, Vietnam, Cambodia, Argentina, Kenya, Senegal
and beyond. You, too, can make study abroad integral to your experiences and research.
Explore off-campus study at F&M
Success Beyond F&M
By majoring in public health at F&M, you’ll gain a holistic outlook that provides a strong background in critical thinking, analysis, writing, and public presentation — skills in high demand in any post-graduate pursuit.
Graduate School
Many of our majors choose to pursue graduate school after F&M, with a significant number seeking advanced degrees at the finest universities in the field, including:
- Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
- French National School of Public Health
- Harvard University School of Public Health
- The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
- University of Michigan School of Public Health
Career Paths
Public health alumni build a multifaceted foundation for a diverse range of careers. They find success in medicine, law, government, and more, and hold positions such as:
- Officer in U.S. Public Health Service
- Deputy Director of Global Tuberculosis Institute
- Chief Regulatory Counsel, Pharmaceutical Company
- Public Health Educator
- Biostatistician
- Clinical Research Coordinator
- Epidemiologist
- Health Policy Analyst
- Public Health Administrator
- Health Information Technician
- Professor
- Physician
- Dentist
Student Spotlight
F&M Students Launch Global Nutrition Nonprofit
F&M’s global community brought together Jordan Samuels ’26, an economics major from Cape Town, South Africa, and Lyla Loria ’26, a public health major from Pound Ridge, N.Y., to tackle the issue of food access in South African schools. The two are the co-founders of Fuel for Thought, a nonprofit that provides meals and educational resources to students in South Africa through partnerships with local communities, schools and organizations.The first seeds of the idea were planted when Samuels was a student at Ubuntu Football Academy School in Cape Town, which would eventually become Fuel for Thought’s first partner school. Loria’s passion for global health made her an ideal collaborator for the project. Loria was interested in researching infectious diseases such as malaria, dengue, and ebola, but through her friendship with Samuels became more aware of the role of nutrition in global health.
Loria and Samuels traveled to South Africa in May to visit Fuel for Thought’s partner schools, and said they are already seeing the immediate impact of their work.
“People are donating to provide meals, but it’s really about what the food empowers kids to do,” Loria said. “It shows that people care about their well-being and they’ll have what they need to succeed.”
Read More »
Alumni Spotlight
Public Health Major Leads on and off the Court
Kennedy Wilburn ’25 wanted a college where she could excel on the basketball court and in the classroom. She found that and more at F&M. Wilburn customized a joint major in psychology and public health (biology), became women’s basketball co-captain, a member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Council, and an active participant in other student organizations on campus. After graduating from F&M, Wilburn began pursuing her master’s degree in public health at the University of Pennsylvania.Read More »
Student Spotlight
Jocelyn Chow ’26 is Humanizing Medicine
Jocelyn Chow ’26, a public health major on the biology track, thrives in fields where science and the humanities intersect.“I feel like doctors can't just be scientific machines; they need to be compassionate, and I feel like public health really embodies that,” she says.
This desire to humanize medicine drives her involvement in research with Assistant Professor of Public Health Hollie Tripp. They are studying behavioral differences, including risk aversion, in smokers. They recently submitted their research, assessing the effectiveness and reception of cigarette warning labels, for publication.
Read More »
Related Fields of Study
Biology
The biological sciences expand and advance frontiers of knowledge about all forms of life. From molecules to ecosystems, from oceans to deserts, from the distant past to present day, biology gives you insights into other species, ourselves, and our world.
Government
F&M’s Department of Government has earned a reputation as one of the finest in the country. Study government at F&M and examine power, politics, justice, equity, and change while developing skills in language, economics, mathematics and philosophy.
Sociology
Sociology studies human interactions, the consequences of those relationships, and the broader organizations and institutions that shape those experiences. As a student of sociology, you will explore these interactions to better understand how they shape the world and cultures that we live in.
A Glimpse at Public Health at F&M
July 29, 2025
Julia Dorf '24 Forges Her Future in Medical Innovation
At F&M, Julia Dorf ’24 immersed herself in hands-on research and formed a strong foundation of the skills she needed for her post-graduate role. “The opportunity to conduct research with professors at F&M was crucial in landing an entry-level position at NYU Langone Health,” she said.
July 18, 2025
F&M Students Launch Global Nutrition Nonprofit
F&M's global community of students brought together Jordan Samuels and Lyla Loria, co-founders of Fuel for Thought, a nonprofit that provides meals and educational resources to students in South Africa.
April 17, 2025
Kennedy Wilburn ’25 Leads on and off the Court
Kennedy Wilburn ’25 wanted a college where she could excel on the basketball court and in the classroom. She found that and more at F&M, where she became women’s basketball co-captain, a member of the Student-Athlete Leadership Council, and an active participant in other student organizations on campus.