Public health is an exciting field of work dedicated to protecting and improving the health and well-being of communities, particularly those seen as the most vulnerable. While a doctor treats people who are sick, public health practitioners try to prevent people from getting sick or hurt in the first place, and promote wellness by encouraging healthy behaviors.
Public health is a diverse and collaborative field. Bachelor of public health graduates can work in numerous sub-disciplines such as epidemiology or disease tracking, biostatistics, health education, environmental health, health policy, or disaster preparedness. For example, graduates may develop health education materials or health education curricula for communities, hospitals or health agencies. In positions at local health departments graduates may work in teams to track emerging diseases, develop and administer HIV testing programs, or identify and address health disparities. They also may work in industry or academia researching public health problems and solutions. Graduates also may help develop policy briefs for public health agencies, assist in the development and implementation of disaster management policies and plans, or track and address environmental public health concerns.
Common Career Paths
You can do nearly anything with a Mizzou degree, but here are some common career paths taken by graduates of this major: