Public Health

Director and Professor: Philip E. Shuler
Email: shuler_p@fortlewis.edu

Public Health is the science of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, environmental monitoring, public inspections, and research for disease and injury prevention. Public Health professionals analyze how genetics, personal choice, and the natural and built environment affect health, in order to develop programs that protect the health of families and communities.

The Public Health degree program at Fort Lewis College is composed of a core of foundational courses that covers a basic public health curriculum. The program is designed to provide students with broad career preparation through the core courses that enable them to develop competency in critical public health concepts and skills. The program offers students the opportunity to develop more specific career preparation by selecting among three degree options that allow them to pursue areas of interest to them.

The three options to choose from are: Allied Health, Psychosocial Health, and Environmental Health.

The Allied Health option is intended for students interested in pre-requisites for medical programs (such as nursing school) following graduation; the Psychosocial Health option provides focused training in health psychology, sociology, and anthropology; and the Environmental Health option provides training to focus on public health issues related to the natural and human built environment. Each option culminates in a public health service learning opportunity where students receive ‘real life’ experience.

Careers in public health cover a broad spectrum, including areas such as public health education, environmental health assessment, epidemiology, and disease prevention. Examples of public health careers include: Public Health Nurses, who are registered nurses that deal with health issues on an individual and community level to promote community health; Environmental Health Specialists, who are involved in collecting samples, conducting inspections, and making recommendations with regard to the health of human environments such as homes, businesses, and institutions. Their work involves a wide range of health issues including drinking water quality, occupational safety, food safety inspections, radon assessment, and toxic chemicals in the environment; Public Health Administrators are employed by governmental and private organizations to manage and promote community public health programs; Public Health Epidemiologists work in health departments and other organizations to investigate the causes and spread of diseases or other public health issues. Using interviews, sample collection, and other information gathering techniques they provide well-organized data to public health organizations that are designed to help prevent the occurrence and spread of disease or other public health problems; Public Health Educators design and implement public health education programs in communities for the purpose of promoting community health.

You may consult the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook for more information about the outlook for Public Health Career pathways.

Majors and Minors in Public Health:

Public Health Major - Environmental Health Option

Public Health Minor

Public Health Major - Psychosocial Health Option

Public Health Major - Allied Health Option