People trained in the field of public health are critical to keeping communities healthy, preventing and managing pandemics, working toward social justice, managing disaster relief, and increasing access to health care for all. The field offers vast opportunities for meaningful careers of vital work.
The OWU Public Health major trains you to understand and work in the promotion of health and the prevention of disease. You will build a foundation in the profession in a range of public health settings, and transferable skills for careers in public policy, health professions, social science, law, private industry, nonprofit institutions, education, and government.
You will learn to identify and address health inequities; evaluate community capacities to promote health; use epidemiological methods to explore major health concerns, disparities, and underlying causes; and leverage resources and collaborations to solve health-related problems to improve the wellness of the world.
Undergraduate research with faculty mentors is a key element of The OWU Connection.
Research opportunities are available to any Public Health student. We encourage you to apply for the Summer Science Research Program, a 10-week intensive research program where students work closely with faculty and present their results at an all-campus Patricia Belt Conrades Summer Science Research Symposium in the fall. Students also gain research experience in internships and off-campus opportunities.
From your first year on campus, you can get off campus—with Travel-Learning Courses that combine on-campus courses with travel for a week or two for hands-on learning. Journey to a distant land and immerse yourself in another culture. Travel-Learning Courses have taken students to South Africa to study health communication, to Italy for studies of obesity and food philosophies, and to England, Denmark, and the Netherlands to compare national healthcare systems.
You can also study away for a semester at one of OWU's many partnerships with other universities around the world. In the Tanzania program, you can study public health issues in East Africa.
Build your experience and connections to the professional world with internships at hospitals, public health agencies, nonprofit centers, and other organizations in Ohio, across the nation, and around the world. OWU faculty use their connections in the field to help many students secure valuable internships.
Public health students can access internships through OWU's Career Connection office and apply for OWU Connection grants to help cover expenses.
Students across OWU care deeply about making the world a better place. Through the OWU Connection, students participate in community service projects in central Ohio and around the world. Spring break service teams take on projects across the country, and other groups and individuals use OWU Connection Grants to connect their classroom learning with hands-on service.
Students majoring in Public Health have many opportunities to gain experience serving in local public health agencies, hospitals, and national organizations.
You can intern for a semester in Washington, D.C. - where national health policy is made - through OWU's Wesleyan in Washington program. Students intern in Congress, federal agencies, research centers, and public interest organizations.
OWU students help teach "Cooking Matters" classes to help local families experiencing food insecurity. Classes teach adults how to plan and cook healthy meals on a budget, focusing on grocery shopping, food budgeting, and nutrition. Students use a facilitated-dialogue approach when teaching, working to encourage problem-solving and discussion.
The Pre-Health Club helps undergraduates understand and overcome the challenges of entering medical school by providing support and insight. Club members also help educate the public about illnesses, preventative measure to take to remain healthy, and how to perform self-exams.
The OWU Women in Science (WinS) organization strives to cultivate a love of science and research and provide information about research opportunities, graduate school positions, and summer jobs and internships. WinS promotes discussion of issues facing women in science, brings guest lecturers to campus, arranges field trips, and participates in community service.
Allison Kolbe is a science policy analyst at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., where she has worked on issues such as rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine effectively.
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