Public Health
major, minor
Our Public Health program encourages people from across a variety of disciplines to work together to explore the causes of the world’s health problems and develop solutions.
Saint Michael’s College is rooted in a passion for bettering our world and an academic tradition of interdisciplinary work, giving students an ideal place to engage in the inquiry and action needed for success in public health. The College provides a path for a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health.
As a discipline, public health is especially concerned with people’s access to health care, the quality of that care, disease prevention, and the sustainability of the health care system.
Inside Look
Curriculum
Public health is a field that has its origins in science and in the social reform movements of 19th-century Europe. U.S. public health focuses on the biosocial determinants of disease and the health of populations. As a discipline, public health is especially concerned with people’s access to health care, the quality of that care, disease prevention, and the sustainability of the health care system.
Major Requirements (Bachelor of Arts)
Special Opportunities
Research
Public Health majors have the opportunity to conduct original research projects in collaboration with a faculty mentor. The Trustee Scholar Program provides students with stipends for full-time summer research projects. Other student-faculty research is funded through external grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, or other private foundations or government agencies.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteering with local health providers is a great way to help the community while gaining valuable experience. For information about finding clinical experiences and making the most out of your volunteer opportunities, visit the Association of American Medical Colleges.
University of Vermont Medical Center
There are many positions available at the nearby UVM Medical Center, including:
- Art from the Heart: Assist with art sessions for children on the Pediatrics Unit
- Emergency Department Waiting Room: Serve as a liaison between staff, family, and patients. Escort visiting family members.
- Pediatrics: Participate in Child Life Play Program. Involve pediatric patients in play activities. Training provided by Child Life Specialist.
- Surgical Intensive Care Unit/Medical Intensive Care Unit Liaison: Assist staff by supporting families of patients who are in the SICU/MICU waiting areas. Act as a liaison between families and staff.
- No One Dies Alone Volunteer: Volunteer to sit vigil with dying patients in the absence of family or friends.
Visiting Nurse Association
The Visiting Nurse Association provides volunteer opportunities in hospice, respite care, and other areas.
Highlight
News
Peace Corps Prep Complements Public Health
News
Students Venture Outside Classroom, onto Capitol Hill
Careers
The field of public health is very broad, and so is the array of career paths related to it.
Entry-level positions are available for Public Health majors in health departments at the local and state level, hospitals, national health agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control, community health centers, clinics, relief organizations, home health care agencies, rehabilitation centers, hospices, sports and fitness facilities, refugee and immigrant organizations and a wide variety of non-profits dedicated to addressing population-level health concerns and the conditions (such as poverty and inequality that drive them).
Faculty
Contact
Patricia Siplon
Dean’s Fellow for Development and Innovation, Professor of Political Science, Director of Public Health Program
Saint Edmund's Hall 347, Box 372
psiplon@smcvt.edu
802.654.2766
Ready to apply?
Take the next step at Michael’s College.