Public Health Studies
Explore a Degree in Public Health at Elon
A degree in public health studies from Elon prepares students with the knowledge and skills to address the health challenges of the 21st century. Students graduate prepared to enter careers or continue their education in public health or related fields.
Public health seeks to protect and promote the health of communities. It addresses some of the greatest global challenges of our time: infectious diseases including AIDS and avian flu, chronic conditions such as obesity and diabetes, as well as violence and injury. Public health takes a proactive, preventive approach to health and emphasizes the need for health equity.
Our students learn to apply interdisciplinary and population health frameworks to analyze the determinants of health and interventions that address diseases and other health conditions. Elon’s Department of Public Health Studies emphasizes the pursuit of health equity at the local, national and global levels.
A major in public health prepares students with a strong grounding in the discipline. Twenty-eight hours of core courses include epidemiology, research methods and statistics. Students take additional credits in one of two interdisciplinary focal areas:
- socio-cultural context of health, or
- mathematical and biological aspects of health and illness.
The inclusion of interdisciplinary coursework through the focal areas gives many students enough flexibility to double major in a complementary discipline.
Students who major in public health studies have multiple opportunities to gain real-world experience. Our core courses include field-based projects where students explore and address local public health issues. The public health practicum includes three weeks of full-time experience during winter or summer terms.