What is
Public Health?

Founded on the principle of social justice, Public Health ensures that all citizens have the opportunity for good health. It is the art and science of protecting and improving population health through education, service and prevention.

Jeevan Murthy Undergraduate Public Health student

“To me, public health means helping an entire population versus a single patient. It means preventing issues from occurring rather than treating issues at the hand.”

View Profile What Other Students Are Saying

A career in Public Health gives you the opportunity to…

Track and prevent diseases
Prevent injuries
Develop health policies
Gather, evaluate and interpret data
Influence change in healthcare systems
Promote healthy lifestyles
Conduct population-based research
Sustain healthy environments
Improve access to affordable healthcare
Create lasting solutions

…save lives.

Students who earn a degree in Public Health want to make a difference in their communities.

Public Health students complete field placements and gain hands-on, real-world experience working with local community agencies or participating in hands-on clinical research.

Our Academic Programs

Throughout your coursework, you will engage in the five core Public Health disciplines:

Biostatistics
Environmental health sciences
Epidemiology
Health policy and administration
Social and behavioral sciences

Explore Our Programs

Career Planning

Look for career opportunities on each of the academic program pages and see what interests you.

As a student, you will be able to take advantage of our job counseling, mock interviews, active job board and more!

Review Our Resources

Choosing Public Health at WVU provides you with access to service and professional organizations across the campus and region to expand your network.

465+ student organizations exist at WVU.

Find Groups That Fit You

Get involved in the Student Association of Public Health from day one!

Meet SAPH

Tayler Lee ’20 Bachelor of Science in Public Health

“We have the ability to positively impact the well-being of local and global communities.”

View Profile What Other Graduates Are Saying

What
will you
achieve?

Achievements In Public Health

Preventing motor vehicle crashes can save an estimated $99 billion in medical and lost work costs annually. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Public health campaigns encouraging women to increase their folic acid intake led to a 36 percent reduction in babies born with neural tube defects. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Research shows that the current childhood immunization schedule could prevent approximately 42,000 deaths and 20 million cases of disease. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tests to screen for West Nile Virus has identified an estimated 3,000 potentially infected U.S. blood donations, removing them from the blood supply. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start
your
journey.

Get to know us. Visit our campus. Ask questions.

Take your first step toward a career in Public Health.

Request more information by filling out our short form, and we'll be in touch!

Fill out our form

Contact Lauren Devine

Director of Admissions and Recruitment

Get to Know Your Future Neighborhood

Whether you’re interested in the arts, culture, food, music, nightlife or sports, Morgantown has something for everyone—plus, we’re only 90 minutes from Pittsburgh and four hours from Washington, DC.

Explore Morgantown

What isPublic Health?