When people think about careers in health, many think about clinical careers (such as doctor or nurse) that involve treating individuals who have illnesses or injuries. Public health practitioners address the health of whole populations and focus on injury and disease prevention, as well as the promotion of optimal health, rather than on treatment. At Montclair, the Department of Public Health offers an integrated approach to public health that addresses local, national and global health issues with an emphasis on social justice. Graduates of the program will work in a variety of settings – including government agencies, community clinics, hospitals, nonprofit organizations and corporations – and focus on a variety of age groups, populations and health issues.
Students can choose between two concentrations:
The BS in Public Health with concentration in Community Health Education provides future community health educators with the skills and knowledge they will need to develop, implement and evaluate programs that target issues as diverse as cancer, obesity, sexuality, aging, violence, maternal and child health, substance abuse, adolescent health, mental health and many more. Students will also understand how to create programs and promote policies that eliminate disparities in health outcomes among different populations so that everyone has an equal opportunity to be healthy.
The BS in Public Health with concentration in Health Systems Administration and Policy prepares future public health administrators with strategic skills for the management and administration of hospitals and healthcare systems with a focus on prevention and in service of social justice and health equity. Along with learning basic administration skills such as budgeting, funding, management, and analysis, students will understand how the contexts of gender, race, poverty, history, migration and culture can be taken into account to create systems and institutions that are fairer and more accessible to a wider range of people.