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Public Health and Related Studies is a degree category that consists of the following common degrees:
- Read more about Public Health
In the simplest of terms, public health is about the overall improvement of human life. The goal of professionals who work in the field is to promote healthy lifestyles, from within the smallest of communities to across the globe. Public health officials work toward this goal by implementing educational programs, recommending policies, and conducting research.
Students who enter degree programs in public health look at how access and lack of access to healthcare, health education, and funding affect the spread, treatment, and prevention of disease. Epidemiology – the science concerned with the spread and control of diseases and viruses – is the science at the heart of public health.
Examples of courses in a typical public health curriculum are:
- Foundations of Public Health
- Public Health and the Environment
- Public Health and Society
- Principles of Epidemiology
- Health and Risk Communication
- Management and Administration
- Health Policy in Public Health
- Health Economics and Public Health
- Global Health
- Human Development and Health
- Read more about Environmental Health
According to the World Health Organization, ‘healthier environments could prevent almost one quarter of the global burden of disease.’ This statistic highlights the importance of the work of environmental health scientists and practitioners. Their mission is to ensure and promote clean air, stable climate, adequate water, sanitation and hygiene, safe use of chemicals, protection from radiation, healthy and safe workplaces, sound agricultural practices, health-supportive cities and built environments, and a preserved nature.
The wide scope of this branch of public health means that degree programs in the field span a variety of related subjects including microbiology, chemistry, epidemiology, biostatistics, land use, waste management, and risk assessment. Armed with knowledge and skills in these and other areas, graduates of environmental health are ready to manage the delicate relationship between people and our planet.
- Read more about Occupational Health
Occupational health (OH) is all about protecting people at work. Every year around the world, there are thousands of preventable injuries and deaths in the workplace. Many of these accidents happen because employees and managers don’t know about – or aren’t following – the right safety procedures.
Occupational health specialists are experts in workplace safety legislation and best practices. They know how to minimize risks and help businesses of all kinds avoid the trauma and loss of serious worker injuries.
OH degree programs teach students how to recognize workplace hazards, conduct a workplace safety audit, develop and deliver workplace safety programs, understand factors that impact worker health and performance, develop emergency procedures and fire control systems, deal with hazardous spills, and manage workers’ compensation claims. In short, the objective of every OH curriculum is to produce the next generation of OH specialists.
- Read more about Health Science
Degree programs in health science teach how the human body functions in health and disease and explore how environmental and social factors can impact both of these conditions.
The typical curriculum is broad-based, covering the basic sciences, health research, and healthcare systems. A health science degree can lay the foundation for further study and a degree in a specific health field such as nutrition, exercise science, or physical therapy. Here is a list of sample courses:
- Anatomy and Physiology
- General Biology
- General Chemistry
- General Psychology
- Health Communications, Promotion and Education
- Research Methods in Healthcare
- Healthcare Systems
- Introduction to Public Health and Public Health Agencies
- Introduction to Health Services Administration
- Ethical and Legal Issues in Healthcare