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 to view all Public Health courses and learn about the Public Health minor and Population Health Informatics and Technology minor.

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:

    1. Articulate critical public health problems and their causes, including an understanding of the environmental, social, behavioral, and biological factors influencing health. 
    2. Apply the basic concepts of data collection and analysis to health data.
    3. Identify and use evidence-based approaches to address population and community health needs. 
    4. Identify prevention strategies for a range of public health, applying critical analysis and reasoning skills to problem solving. 
    5. Apply the fundamental concepts of program assessment, planning, implementation, evaluation and management in a culturally appropriate fashion. 
    6. Evaluate the economic, historical, ethical, and political/legal contexts of public health problems and solutions and the challenges that practitioners face.
    7. Identify and access resources for researching public health problems and critically evaluate research.
    8. 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.

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
UMass Lowell student Rabia Haider

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 3.000 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

  • Public health is an exciting field with a variety of career opportunities focused on preventing disease and promoting health and well-being. Public health professionals can be found in local and state health departments, state agencies, federal agencies, nonprofit organizations, academia, community health centers, hospitals, and more. No matter your interests in public health or your skill set, there is a public health job out there for you! 

    What Are the Job Prospects for Public Health Graduates?

    Because there is no one standard job title for people with public health degrees like there are for many other helping professions, the information on employment opportunities and trends can vary, but rest assured, the public health field is rife with opportunity. 

    • Many of our undergraduate students will be well-prepared for careers as Health Education Specialists and Community Health Workers, for example. Employment for these professions is expected to grow by 12% between 2021-2031, much faster than the average growth rate for all occupations (5%).
    • Some of our graduate students may be excited to start their careers as Epidemiologists, for example. Employment for epidemiologists is expected to grow by 26% from 2021-2031. Others might be looking forward to starting careers in health care management-related roles. 
    • Employment for Medical and Health Services Managers, which includes careers in hospital administration and clinic management, is expected to grow by 28% from 2021-2031. 
    • Despite being a relatively new field, careers related to Health Informatics are expected to continue to grow. Some projections show that this field could grow by 17% from 2021-2031. This is good news for students in our public health informatics and technology program. 

    Whether you are interested in one of these careers or looking to do something else within public health, concerns over mental health and substance misuse, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases, climate change and environmental health, racial and gender equity, and other pressing public health issues have made the need for people with public health training clear.    

    Where Are UMass Lowell Department of Public Health Graduates Working?

    University data from 2020-2021 shows that 100% of our undergraduate public health students were either working or continuing their studies shortly after graduating from our program. These students are working in a variety of public health settings, including:

    • Hospitals
    • Community health centers
    • Pharmaceutical companies
    • Technology sector
    • Academia

    Where Can You Find Public Health Jobs?

    This list is certainly not exhaustive but should help you get started in your job search, especially if you are looking to work in Massachusetts. 

    What Are Examples of Public Health Job Titles?

    There are many career opportunities available to people with public health training. The following are some common job titles to get you started in your search.

    Community Health/Health Promotion

    • Community engagement coordinator 
    • Community health educator
    • Community health specialist 
    • Community health worker 
    • Community project coordinator
    • Health communication specialist 
    • Health education specialist 
    • Health educator 
    • Health equity coordinator 
    • Health equity strategist 
    • Outreach coordinator 
    • Outreach specialist 
    • Population health assistant 
    • Population health coordinator
    • Prevention coordinator
    • Program associate
    • Program coordinator
    • Program manager 
    • Program specialist 
    • Project associate
    • Project coordinator

    Health Care

    • Administrator
    • Clinical manager
    • Clinical assistant 
    • Clinical coordinator 
    • Health advocate 
    • Health care analyst
    • Health care data
    • analyst 
    • Health services advocate 
    • Health navigator
    • Operations assistant
    • Population health analyst 
    • Program associate
    • Program coordinator
    • Program manager 
    • Program specialist 
    • Project associate
    • Project coordinator
    • Regulatory coordinator
    • Quality improvement specialist

    Policy & Advocacy

    • Advocacy coordinator
    • Advocacy manager
    • Government affairs associate
    • Coalition coordinator
    • Community organizer
    • Health advocate 
    • Legislative advocate
    • Legislative aide 
    • Policy advocate 
    • Policy analyst
    • Policy associate
    • Policy coordinator
    • Policy & project coordinator

    Public Health Informatics & Technology

    • Clinical data manager
    • Clinical informaticist 
    • Clinical informatics specialist 
    • Epidemiologist
    • Health data
    • analyst 
    • Health informatics analyst 
    • Health informatics manager
    • Health information technician 
    • Medical informatics manager
    • Public health informatics specialist 
    • Public health scientist 
    • Population health analyst 
    • Population health specialist

    Research, Evaluation, & Operations

    • Development coordinator
    • Grant writer
    • Operations assistant
    • Clinical research assistant 
    • Clinical data manager
    • Clinical research manager 
    • Data manager
    • Data scientist 
    • Epidemiologist 
    • Evaluation specialist
    • Health care analyst
    • Health care data
    • analyst 
    • Policy analyst
    • Program analyst
    • Research assistant
    • Research data manager 
    • Research specialist

    Where Can You Get Additional Career Exploration Help?

    The UMass Lowell Career & Co-op Center is a resource for all public health students, even after they graduate. The UMass Lowell Career & Co-op Center can help you with your resume and cover letter, help you prepare for an informational interview, do a mock interview with you, and more. Schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor.

Meet Our Students

Ashley Ventrillo in her cubicle at work
Ashley Ventrillo '20
Public Health

Majoring in Public Health helped Ashley Ventrillo turn her passion for women's rights into a career.

I liked the public health program because it exposed me to so many different issues happening in the world today.
Read More About Ashley Ventrillo 
Sandra Ocampo standing in front of a dresser with books.
Sandra Ocampo '24
Master of Public Health, Dietetics

Sandra Ocampo switched her career from investment management to dietetics.

I felt confident that the MPH dietetics program would offer me a solid path to my future of becoming a registered dietitian.
Read More About Sandra Ocampo 
Stefany Campbell at the edge of a road holding a device to measure water samples
Stefany Campbell '20
Public Health, Healthcare Management option, B.S. to MPH

Stefany Campbell was hired by Comprehensive Environmental Inc, a civil engineering and environmental consulting firm, before she graduates.

If I didn’t come to UMass Lowell, ... I definitely wouldn’t have found these two internship opportunities that led to a job offer and an exciting career.
Read More About Stefany Campbell 
Marina Novaes works a CAPE table at a student event
Marina Novaes '19
Public Health

Marina Novaes was inspired to pursue a career in health after a mission trip to El Salvador. Marina's experiences through her sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau, and the peer-education group Campus Advocates for Prevention Education, motivated her to apply (and be accepted into) UML’s Accelerated Bachelor’s to Master’s Public Health program.

The thing that I appreciate most from my professors is their personal dedication to see us succeed as public health professionals, as well as informed, empathetic and compassionate individuals.
Read More About Marina Novaes 

Add a PHIT Minor

Pair the Public Health major with a minor in Population Health Informatics and Technology (PHIT) and gain solid knowledge in IT for solving public health problems. Join one of the fastest-growing fields of Health informatics and develop innovative ways of collecting, storing, analyzing, and sharing public health data.