Public Health

Public health and related fields are among the fastest growing employment sectors in the New York region and nationally. Driven by efforts to improve the health of the public, the demand for public health professionals with formal training is expected to grow significantly in the future. Public health professionals are defined as all those responsible for providing the essential services of public health regardless of the organization in which they work. They are employed in such diverse positions as health educators, health care workers, epidemiologists, environmental health specialists and public health administrators. 

The Public Health Program at Queensborough Community College is an Associate of Science degree program that offers students a challenging, educational experience with courses in the fields of biology, statistics, epidemiology, nutrition, general education and public health education. The curriculum provides a strong foundation in public health that will prepare students to pursue further education in baccalaureate programs in Public Health related fields or as entry-level professionals in a variety of workplaces including public, private, and non-profit organizations. 

The program has transfer agreements with Hunter College's and York College’s B.S. degree programs in Public Health which are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). The program also has an agreement for students seeking to transfer to York College’s B.S. Community Health Education degree program. 

Students who enroll in the Public Health degree program are part of the Queensborough Health-Related Sciences Academy who along with the Department of Biological Sciences and Geology and the Department of Health, Physical Education and Dance advises students on their curriculum and opportunities for transfer to 4-year institutions. The Transfer Resource Center at the College will help students prepare to transfer. 

Upon completion of the A.S. Degree Program, students will be able to: 

1. Analyze public health theory and practice in the following areas: social and behavioral sciences, epidemiology, environmental health, health communication, health care systems and policy.  

2. Apply and synthesize basic quantitative and qualitative data, professional and scholarly literature to produce papers and oral presentations related to public health.  

3. Analyze and evaluate the biological principles associated with the distribution of infectious and non-infectious diseases of public health importance.  

4. Examine the current research related to public health problems, and formulate methods for the prevention and control of diseases.  

5. Evaluate the role of social justice in bringing about social change to improve the health of the public.  

6. Communicate, promote and advocate for improvements in the health of the public. 

Students enrolled in the program must complete 32 credits in the common core and 20 credits in the major. An additional 8 credits will be satisfied by advised Public Health major electives.