Public Health
The public health minor at Earlham offers robust programming and coursework to those who plan to pursue a career related to public health. Supported by the Earlham Center for Global Health, the public health minor includes opportunities for you to shadow health professionals and conduct health-related research and projects around the globe.
In the past three years, Earlham students have been accepted into public health graduate programs at Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, the UCLA Fielding School, Drexel University, Colombia University, University of Washington, Boston University and the University of Pennsylvania.
“I spent my summer interning remotely in IUPUI Fairbanks School of Public Health. The project I am working on is an innovative telementoring program designed to create virtual communities of learners by bringing together healthcare providers and subject matter experts using videoconference technology, brief lecture presentations and case-based learning. I worked on facilitating COVID-19, HIV and cancer ECHO sessions. I also got the chance to learn from specialists discussing topics related to HIV, cancer and COVID-19.”
Yazid Barhoush, ’21
Public health minor
“As Earlham undergraduates, our public health students immerse themselves in a variety of local and regional public health endeavors including needle exchange programs, HIV awareness and surveillance, water quality, maternal health, health care access initiatives, vaccination programs and medical translation assistance. They can even engage on the world stage through participation and service in our global health Epic programs to Peru, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.”
Peter Blair, Ph.D.
Professor of biology; director of the Center for Global Health
Exploring society and healthcare
The Earlham Center for Global Health supports the public health minor and provides opportunities for you to engage in health career programming from your first year on campus.
Learn from professionals
Earlham’s health externship and community medicine programs allow you to shadow local healthcare providers and even become a certified health coach.
Conduct research around the globe
Our public health faculty frequently lead off-campus research and projects in partnership with organizations like the Foundation for the International Medical Relief of Children. Recent projects have taken place in Peru and Costa Rica.
Our faculty
There is nothing minor about a public health program with faculty who will train you to actively address the major issues of health care access, education and inequity.
Program details
Drawing on courses from across the curriculum, the public health minor will help you gain a broad perspective of public health challenges and potential solutions. You’ll take courses in economics, psychology and biology, among other disciplines.
To earn a minor in public health, you must complete a total of 22-24 credit hours.
- Core courses (12 credit hours)
- BIOL 200 Epidemiology
- EDUC 101 Public Health 101: Introduction to Population Health
- SOAN 333 Medical Anthropology and Global Health
- One of the following:
- MATH 120 Elementary Statistics
- MATH 300 Statistics
- PSYC 245 Research Methods and Statistics
- ECON 204 Statistics for Economics
- Electives (10-12 credit hours; at least one from each category)
- Natural science
- BIO 111 Ecological Biology
- BIO 112 Cells, Genes and Inheritance
- CHEM 111 Principles of Chemistry
- Social and cultural studies
- SOAN 118 Inequalities, Power and Society
- SOAN 335 Health, Medicine and Society
- SOAN 339 Topics in Sociology/Anthropology: Drugs and Health
- PSYC 116 Behavior, Healthcare and Society
- PSYC 368 Human Sexuality
- PSYC 376 Health Psychology
- PSYC 379 Community Psychology
- Natural science
Students who minor in public health are interested in pursuing a health-related career and/or applying their knowledge to improve health access to all people. Healthcare administration, policy and research are common career interests of public health minors. The Center for Global Health provides numerous public health experiential and research opportunities through our virtual and on-site externship program.
You can learn more about the available internships and off-campus study opportunities through the Center for Global and Career Education.
Those who minor in public health are typically interested in pursuing a health-related career or advanced degree in public health. Healthcare administration, policy and research are common career interests of public health minors.
In the past three years, Earlham students have been accepted into Public Health graduate programs at Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, the UCLA Fielding School, Drexel University, Colombia University, University of Washington, Boston University and the University of Pennsylvania.
Additionally, any Earlham student who completes the public health minor and maintains a 3.2 GPA is granted automatic acceptance into the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health (IUPUI) graduate program.
Working in public health doesn’t always mean attending medical school or becoming a healthcare provider. If you’re interested in working in public health from an administrative, policy or research position, the public health minor can prepare you for these careers by providing you with a broad foundation in public health issues, healthcare access, and research.
Please contact any faculty member of the public health minor to learn more.