Public Health Major

As a public health major, you’ll prepare for a career that creates healthy communities through education, research and promotion of healthy environments and lifestyles.

At a Glance

Flexibility

Full Time
Delivery Options

On Campus
Degree

BS

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What courses will you take?

Public health student at UMass Lowell checks the heart sounds of a child

The B.S. in Public Health offers courses that provide a solid foundation in critical thinking, advocacy, leadership, teamwork, research, statistics, biological and life sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and communication.

With the public health major, you can choose between two concentrations, which lead to a wide range of career opportunities.

Community Health/Health Promotion Concentration — Prepare for a career as a community health professional in a variety of settings, including community health centers, hospitals, and public health departments. Courses help to increase skills in communication and teaching related to health promotion and disease prevention in community settings. You’ll be involved in experiential learning, including community health practicum experiences. Community Health/Health Promotion Concentration courses
Health Sciences Concentration — Focus on health sciences with flexibility in selecting courses in an area of your interest within a public health framework. Courses prepare you to work in the field of public health including areas such as epidemiology and disease surveillance. This concentration can also can serve as a pathway to graduate degrees in various areas of health sciences, including medical school, physician assistant, nursing and other postgraduate professional health programs. Health Sciences Concentration courses

In the final semester, you will participate in a required capstone experience, spending several hours per week in a setting that is associated with your career goals.

Visit the Academic Catalog for:

Find all degree pathways, including those from prior enrollment years.

Upon completion of the B.S. degree program in Public Health at UMass Lowell, our graduates will be able to:
Articulate critical public health problems and their causes, including an understanding of the environmental, social, behavioral, and biological factors influencing health.
Apply the basic concepts of data collection and analysis to health data.
Identify and use evidence-based approaches to address population and community health needs.
Identify prevention strategies for a range of public health, applying critical analysis and reasoning skills to problem solving.
Apply the fundamental concepts of program assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation and management in a culturally appropriate fashion.
Evaluate the economic, historical, ethical, and political/legal contexts of public health problems and solutions and the challenges that practitioners face.
Identify and access resources for researching public health problems and critically evaluate research.
Use the public health-specific tools of communication.

Why study public health at UMass Lowell?

UMass Lowell student Nery Rodriguez reads with a child

Fun Outside the Classroom

Put your learning into practice. Check out some of the fun ways UML students come together.

Advocates of Health Equity for Minorities

Pre-Medical Organization

Pre-Physician Assistant Club

Public Health Club

Public Health students at UMass Lowell collect water samples outdoors

Experiential Learning

Gain skills and career connections through learning experiences with our partner organizations, including:

Premier healthcare facilities
Laboratories and clinics
Non-profit organizations
Government agencies
Health science industry

UML Assoc. Teaching Prof. Arlee Dulak shows nursing student Fritza Jeudy a new anatomy model

Health Sciences Hub

Prepare for success in our Health Sciences Hub, a designated space in the Health and Social Sciences building where you can:

Meet with your advisor
Get tutoring help
Access anatomical models
Attend workshops on topics such as nutrition, wellness and mental health

Bachelor’s-to-Master's Program

Get on the fast track to an advanced degree with our accelerated bachelor's-to-master's program.

Available to juniors and seniors with a grade point average of 3.0 or higher
Offers a continuous, coordinated sequence of courses
Reduced credit-hour requirements can save you time and money

What can you do with a degree in public health?

Public health professionals are in demand as the U.S. places a high priority on preventative care. Our program produces successful public health workers who have the skills and flexibility necessary to thrive in federal, private and nongovernmental organizations, as well as pursue graduate studies in public health and health sciences.

Dan Howell conducting COVID testing in parking lot tent

Our versatile graduates can work in a wide range of settings, including:

Community health centers
Local and state public health departments
Hospitals
Long-term care facilities
Corporate wellness organizations
Nonprofit organizations

Meet Our Students

UMass Lowell alumni Michelle Palladino pictured in a school cafeteria with a table full of healthy snacks and information on leading a healthy lifestyle

Michelle Palladino '11, '17

Nutritional Sciences & Public Health

Once Michelle Palladino started taking courses in nutrition as an undergraduate, she knew right away that she wanted a career in the field of nutrition and dietetics.

I love that nutrition is ever-changing and offers so many career options for dietitians.