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Public Health

B.A.

single-paper-background Public Health

Students who major or minor in public health at Hollins learn to recognize, assess, and address various issues of health on individual, community, and global levels. A commitment to social justice guides and informs all aspects of study in the field.

Courses and Requirements (PDF)

Tracks

Public Health Major

The public health program at Hollins is specifically designed with a core that builds a foundation of knowledge in public health and a slate of electives that allows the student to build their own path of specialty study. Working with the program director, students can construct a generalized program, one focused on socio-cultural perspectives, or one anchored in the natural sciences.

Public Health BA Major Map (PDF)

Public Health Minor

  • Introduction to Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Introduction to Statistics
  • Global Health
  • Choice of two electives

“The public health program has helped me create a bridge between my passion for the social sciences and the natural sciences. Public health is important to me because I want to help communities obtain better health outcomes by creating programs and policies as well as engaging with communities. The public health program has provided me the knowledge I need to achieve those goals and hopefully pursue a career in community health promotion and education.”

Adriana Harrison

Class of '24, public health major

Adriana Harrison

"I’ve gained a wide range of perspectives from different professors in the public health program. I explored topics and engaged in discussions I would not have learned about or had exposure to otherwise. My experiences in the classroom and beyond, through internships and research, have opened many doors of opportunity for work and study in the public health field."

Savannah Scott

Class of '22, currently working for the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a Public Health Associate

Savannah Scott '22

"Through the public health program, I transformed my care for others into a career improving and protecting community health and well-being. I gained a wealth of knowledge and experience that I was excited to include on my resume. Thanks to the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Public Health Abubakarr Jalloh, my peer-reviewed research was published in the Virginia Journal of Public Health. After graduation, I turned my internship at the Virginia Department of Health into a position with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. Because of Hollins, I can confidently and competently perform my job duties and, most importantly, improve the lives of others."

Annie D. Morgan

Class of '22, currently working for the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts, Virginia Department of Health

Annie Morgan

Isabell Kingori, an authority in parasitic diseases who teaches at Kenyatta University’s School of Public Health in Nairobi, further infused a global perspective into Hollins’ public health curriculum. Kingori, who teaches in the School of Public Health at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, was at Hollins for the 2021-22 academic session.

Isabell Kingori

Assistant Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies Lindsey Breitwieser and Assistant Professor of Public Health Abubakarr Jalloh led Hollins students during the university’s inaugural study abroad experience in Kenya. The trip was designed to foster cross-cultural understanding and help students see what health care is like in a country on the African continent.

Kenya - Short Term
Meet Our Public Health Faculty

Public Health at Hollins

Public health is an ideal fit within Hollins’ rich liberal arts experience. Students in the program grasp the broad social, cultural, and economic elements related to the field by completing courses in each of the university’s four academic divisions: Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Fine Arts. The program at Hollins includes internships and experiential learning opportunities that enable students to study diverse communities on a macro and micro scale and conduct significant undergraduate research.

Hollins Goes to Kenya

During Short Term 2024, Hollins students were in Kenya participating in an academic and experiential program that centers on women’s reproductive health.

Thanks to a collaboration between Hollins and Kenyatta University in Nairobi, students gained a global health perspective with a focus on studying reproductive health issues through an interdisciplinary lens, including maternal and child health, birthing experiences, and gendered economic disparities. Students also learned about the Kenyan culture via immersive experiences with local organizations and populations. Hollins Goes to Kenya blog >

Some sites the students and faculty visited in Kenya included local health clinics and NGOs, KU’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Hub, the National Museums of Kenya, the Maasai Mara, and Fort Jesus. Plans are already in development for January 2026.

Careers in Public Health

With the expansion of public health in the 21st century, a bachelor’s degree in public health can be the foundation for many career options in both the public and private sectors:

  • Communicable disease investigator
  • Environmental health worker
  • Emergency manager
  • Health educator
  • Healthcare consultant
  • Human services worker
  • Nutritionist
  • Public health informatics specialist
  • Public health administrator
  • Researcher

The degree may also be helpful to those seeking careers in health professions such as nursing, medicine, physician assistant, or physical therapy. Students who choose to go on to pursue a Master’s degree or Ph.D. in public health can advance their careers in the following fields:

  • Administration
  • Biostatistics
  • Community health
  • Environmental health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health policy
  • Maternal and child health

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