Public Health (BPH)

Why Earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health at Indiana State?

Indiana State’s Bachelor of Public Health (BPH) focuses on health promotion and disease prevention for local, state, national, and global populations. This program will prepare you to serve as an educator and a health professional who helps people and communities maintain and improve health, well-being, and quality of life.

A male student of color with short black hair, wearing a black suit jacket and gray, open-collared shirt, presents his Honors research poster to an onlooker, an older man with a bald head and wearing a white shirt. The poster depicts photos, charts, and graphs related to the student’s research. Another blue, green, and white poster is visible in the background.

Gain Experience in the Field before Graduation

You will have an advisor who assists you with professional development, career paths, internships, and other issues related to your professional growth. You will complete an internship in a health setting to gain practical skills in the health arena.

Our graduates frequently comment on the usefulness of the internship program and how the experience fully prepared them for professional careers or graduate work.

Upon graduation, you will be eligible to sit for the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination.

Learn from our Excellent Faculty

You will benefit from small classes taught by award-winning faculty, all of whom are dedicated to your success.

Most professors hold doctoral degrees and engage in research and scholarly activities in areas such as: health promotion; healthcare quality improvement; care transition in rural hospitals and long-term care facilities; reducing health disparities in underserved and high-risk populations; and identifying determinants of physical inactivity and unhealthy eating behaviors.

Enrich Your Learning

As a public health major, you will have opportunities to enrich your studies with dynamic learning experiences and hands-on activities. Your courses will be centered in the recently renovated Health and Human Services Building, which is designed to foster faculty-student interaction.

In addition to your coursework, you may participate in a number of activities and organizations, including the Indiana State University Chapter of Eta Sigma Gamma, a national honorary organization for students in the health sciences.

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What You’ll Learn in the Public Health Program

The Public Health program provides you with an interdisciplinary understanding of public health issues.

You will complete the Public Health Core, which includes coursework in subjects including epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health screening, research methods, anatomy and physiology, and public administration and policy.

In addition, you will select electives in areas such as mental health, substance abuse, human sexuality education, and communicable and chronic disease. To obtain practical skills, you will complete an internship in a health setting at the local, state, federal, or international level.

Transfer Credit

Indiana State University accepts credit from regionally accredited colleges and universities within the United States, and from selected schools located outside the United States. Credit also may be granted for military training and experience. Previously earned college credit can be applied toward completion of the program per Indiana State's transfer guidelines.

Transfer Guidelines

Career Possibilities for Public Health Majors

Our graduates are prepared for careers as community health specialists in medical, public, and nonprofit settings. Responsibilities include conducting health education and health promotion for diverse populations with the goal of promoting healthy lifestyles and behavior.

Professions in the public health arena include a variety of roles, including health education specialist, community health worker, public health advocate, disease prevention specialist, public health researcher, environmental health officer, and public policy writer.

Demand for these positions continues to increase. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects an overall growth rate of 12% from 2021 to 2031 for careers in the public health arena, much faster than the average.