Public Health Program

Public Health at Hamline is an interdisciplinary field of study that permits students to focus on health issues in local, national, and international arenas from a variety of perspectives. The field of public health focuses on improving the health and wellness of populations, whereas the field of medicine aims to prevent, diagnose, and treat illness, one individual at a time. Thus, the field of public health is broad, with many sub-disciplines. The Public Health major builds on connections between the liberal arts and the core concerns of public health, with the recognition that issues of human health are complex, influenced not only by human biology and statistics, but also by social structures, psychology, culture, and public policy.

Concentration Areas

Public Health offers two concentrations, one in Health Equity and one in Health Sciences.

Health Equity Concentration

The most central theoretical and applied concept guiding global and public health today, into our core curriculum preparing our students for tackling the real world public health challenges they will face upon graduation. The Health Equity concentration is designed for students interested in health advocacy, policy, education, global health, program management, law, or healthcare administration and want training in the social and political circumstances that impact public health and health disparities. This connects strongly to Hamline’s social justice mission.

Health Sciences Concentration

Health Sciences is designed for students who want a strong background in human and biological science and public health issues (such as infectious disease epidemiology). This includes pre-professional students (e.g., pre-med, pre-pharmacy, pre-PA, pre-DPT). Health Sciences is geared toward students who wish to include a strong science component in their undergraduate studies.

Optional Interdisciplinary Concentration

Public Health majors may also choose to complete an interdisciplinary concentration in public policy. The public policy concentration educates students about public policy and helps them to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to create innovative, socially responsible solutions to the most critical issues facing society. The program forms an arc, beginning with an introduction to ethical public policy, building skills with methodology coursework, and culminating with a capstone experience in which students engage directly with a public policy issue in a semester-long applied project or internship. Students will acquire an extensive set of skills in policy evaluation and analysis, equipping them to become agents of change to improve the quality of life for people and their communities, at home and abroad. The public policy concentration is open to students majoring in criminology and criminal justice, economics, environmental studies, legal studies, political science, or public health.

Faculty

Sarah McLarnan, assistant professor, Public Health and Biology

Casper Voyles, assistant professor, Public Health and Social Justice and Social Change

Affiliate Faculty

Kathy Burleson, senior lecturer of Biology

Kathryn Geurts, professor of Global Studies

Betsy Martinez-Vaz, professor of Biology and Biochemistry

Sharon Preves, professor of Sociology and Social Justice and Social Change

Affiliated Interdisciplinary Program

Public Policy Concentration