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There has never been a more exciting time to pursue a career in public health. Selecting public health as a career path opens up a myriad of different opportunities. Regardless of your intended profession, one thing is clear, the U.S. suffers from a shortage of public health workers and we need students like you to fill the gaps.
Schools with Undergraduate Public Health Programs
 Most experts agree that major advances in improvement of health over the next decades will not come from new medical findings or cures, but rather the broader development and application of population-based prevention programs.
- Health services delivery systems are undergoing rapid change. Greater emphasis is being placed on health promotion and disease prevention as a means to reduce the costs of care by improving the health of our populations. These changes have created a broad array of new opportunities for professionals with advanced training in public health.
- As the public has become better informed about the effects of toxic wastes and pollutants on their health, greater emphasis is being placed on assuring the safety of our communities as well as worker health and safety. As a result, there is growing demand for experts in environmental health and industrial hygiene.
- Public health research is focusing more on women's health, and child and substance abuse, and an increased emphasis is being placed on behavioral change to prevent the risk of STDs, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and unplanned pregnancies. Greater emphasis is also being placed on school health and the health of minority and disadvantaged populations.
For more information on confronting the public health workforce crisis, click here.
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| Would I enjoy a career in public health? |
Every type of talent or strength can be paired with a career in public health. The possibilities are endless!
Using the Holland Inventory to explore public health careers. The Holland Inventory is a tool used to map different personality types in suit with prospective careers. This model is tailored to the field of public health.
| Category |
Description |
|
Realistic |
People who have athletic or mechanical ability, prefer to work with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or to be outdoors.
(e.g. Public Health Veterinarian) |
|
Investigative |
People who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve prolems.
(e.g. Epidemiologist, Environmental Health Specialist, Biostatistician, Health Services Researcher) |
|
Artistic |
People who have artistic, innovating or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity.
(e.g. Health Educator, Public Health Communication Specialist/Writer) |
|
Social |
People who like to work with people to enlighten, inform, health, train, or cure them, or are skilled with words.
(e.g. Health Educator, Health Promotion Specialist) |
|
Enterprising |
People who like to work with people, influencing, persuading, performing, leading or managing for organizational goals or economic gain.
(e.g. Public Health Policymaker, Public Health Planner) |
|
Conventional |
People who like to work with data, have clerical or numerical ability, carry out tasks in detail or follow through on others' instructions.
(e.g. Biostatistician, Data Administrator) |
Contributed by Tricia Todd, University of Minnesota Health Careers Center -------------------------------------------
| Examples of public health jobs |
- Environmental Health Specialist
- Public Health teacher (grades K-12)
- Public Health professor
- Pharmacist
- Nutritionist
- Food Safety Inspector
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- Dental Hygienist
- Doctor
- Nurse
- Lawyer
- Social Worker
- Psychologist
- Biologist
- Epidemiologist
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- Public Health Policy Advisor
- Mathematician
- Journalist
- Laboratory Technician
- Paramedic
- Dentist
- Health Program Manager
- Technical Writer
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