Health Sciences BS
Build a strong health-care foundation that prepares you for advanced study in allied health professions like PA, PT, OT, nursing, athletic training, optometry, dentistry or cardiovascular perfusion.
Public Health BS
Become a community changemaker by exploring the factors that shape health and health care and gain the tools to tackle today’s biggest health challenges.
Learn how to prevent future disease outbreaks before they become epidemics as a public-health major at ACPHS.
Why Public Health at ACPHS?
Make a difference in your community — and beyond — with a degree that blends health sciences and social justice. In the BS in Public Health program at ACPHS, you’ll build the skills to address today’s most pressing health challenges.
Explore biology, genetics, data analysis and community-based research while learning to communicate effectively with diverse populations and understanding how to use prevention to improve health outcomes.
You’ll gain real-world experience through service-learning projects and public- health internships, and you can make an impact right away by volunteering or working in The Collaboratory to reduce health disparities in medically underserved neighborhoods.
Small classes and strong faculty mentorship mean you’ll be supported by experts who are not only accomplished researchers but also dedicated educators.
Thanks to more than 30 credit hours of electives and “selectives,” you’ll have the flexibility to personalize your public-health studies. Our program director and advisors will help you build a customized path aligned with your unique interests and career goals.
Your public-health degree can also set you up for advanced degrees in medicine, nursing and pharmacy or other doctoral programs. ACPHS public-health majors have gone on to become doctors, nurses and pharmacists, among other professionals.
You can also go on to earn a master’s degree in business, communication, public health or our Health Data Science program, or enter doctoral programs in health sciences and communication.
Program Accreditation
The public-health major at ACPHS is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH).
Currently, the program is undergoing a reaccreditation cycle. As a part of this process, CEPH invites program stakeholders, including students, alumni, faculty, staff, community and practice partners, and members of the public, to share relevant information about the program.
To find out how you can contribute your feedback, please visit our accreditation page using the following link:
What Is Public Health?
Public health is about protecting and improving health by bridging the gap between life-saving medical breakthroughs and the people and communities who need them most. Instead of focusing on treating one person at a time, public health looks at the big picture to prevent disease and promote healthy lifestyles for everyone.
Public-health professionals use research, education and outreach to help people live longer, healthier lives. Whether working in hospitals, government agencies or nonprofits, public-health professionals play a key role in making sure everyone has a fair chance to stay healthy.
Public Health Facts & Stats
Questions? Contact the Program Director
Maggie Doll
Phone
Email
margaret.dollCareer Opportunities for Public Health Majors
A bachelor’s in public health from ACPHS opens doors to countless opportunities, from entry-level roles to leadership positions. Our graduates make an impact at places like the New York State Department of Health, the State Senate and the Home Care Association of New York.
With demand for health educators and community health workers expected to grow 7% in the next decade, there’s never been a better time to start.
Jobs for Public Health Majors
Public-health graduates can find roles in various settings, such as government, public-health departments, health-care facilities, hospitals and nonprofit organizations, in roles like:
- Community health educator
- Community health worker
- Public health data analyst
- Biostatistical data technician
- Health communications specialist
Hands-On Learning Opportunities for Public Health Majors
Get real-world experiences and prepare to hit the ground running in public-health careers.
Public-Health Internships
At ACPHS, you’ll gain valuable experience through public-health internships, connecting with future colleagues and employers in the political and medical hub of Albany, New York.
Recent internship sites include Capital City Rescue Mission, Columbia County Department of Health, New York State Senate and Assembly, New York Public Health Association, South End Children’s Café and Radix Ecological and Sustainability Center.
Service Learning Opportunities
Volunteer and service opportunities such as blood drives, health screenings and Narcan training give you the chance to learn while expanding access to health care in the greater Albany community.
The Collaboratory
The Collaboratory brings together ACPHS students, faculty and partner organizations to help reduce health disparities in Albany’s South End, just two miles from campus.
With a team that includes pharmacists, educators and public-health students, The Collaboratory uses an innovative model of care to improve community health. For example, during the pandemic, public-health students supported COVID-19 testing and contact tracing while partnering with pharmacy students to vaccinate local residents.
Program Details
Public Health Degree Coursework
Rooted in science and driven by social impact, the Public Health major at ACPHS offers a well-rounded, practical and personalized education. You’ll build essential skills—like cross-cultural communication, research methods and a strong understanding of the health-care system—while exploring public-health principles such as social justice, prevention and program design.
ACPHS faculty enrich the classroom with their own real-world expertise, whether through role-playing health-emergency scenarios to boost teamwork or teaching regionally focused topics like local history and mapmaking.
You’ll complete your program with a capstone experience—choosing a research project or a public-health internship.
As a leading public-health college, ACPHS equips you with the skills you need to thrive in the field.
Learning Goals and Outcomes
Upon completion of the BS in Public Health, you will have:
- An understanding of public-health principles, including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health and health policy.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills to analyze public-health issues, identify contributing factors and develop effective interventions through health promotion and prevention at the individual and community level.
- Communication and collaboration skills through community-based research and service learning.
- Interpersonal and interprofessional collaboration skills to effectively communicate with diverse audiences and collaborate with other professionals to address public-health challenges and health disparities in medically underserved communities.
- Research skills to analyze and interpret data in preparation for a career in public health or further graduate study.
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