Promoting healthier communities through science, policy and prevention
Are you passionate about improving the health and well-being of communities?
A minor in public health provides students with the opportunity to explore how data from biological, social and behavioral sciences is applied to prevent illness, promote well-being and prolong life. Public health professionals go beyond individual health, focusing on the societal, economic and environmental factors that shape population health.
Through a combination of education, policy development and research, the field works to address issues like health disparities, infectious disease prevention and global healthcare differences.
In their own words
“Completing the public health minor at Eckerd will help me tremendously in applying to Master of Public Health programs. I have taken many public health courses at Eckerd and have off-campus experience with organizations like Planned Parenthood, Progress Florida, and Metro Inclusive Health—thanks to mentoring from the public health faculty. I even studied abroad in Ghana to get more research experience and education in the field before applying for a master’s degree.”
—Nadia Plechaty ’25
Why Public Health at Eckerd
- Gain access to ample internship opportunities to work with diverse populations with community health organizations in St. Petersburg.
- Receive advice for future health-related careers from local health practitioners and Eckerd alumni across the globe.
- Build close working relationships with faculty who provide hands-on learning experiences—including faculty-led research teams, preparation for Peace Corps programs and volunteer opportunities in the Tampa Bay area.
- Explore global health issues via Eckerd’s Study Abroad programs.
Preparing you for a career in public health, medicine and related fields
The public health minor is designed to provide a pre-professional background for students interested in careers in public health, medicine, healthcare administration, health education, epidemiology, and related fields. Throughout their coursework, students will develop critical thinking skills essential for analyzing health data, communication skills essential for collaborating with varying audiences, cultural awareness necessary for working with diverse populations across the globe, and a comprehensive understanding of the social determinants of health. Completion of the Public Health minor equips students with the knowledge and skills necessary to address complex health challenges and contribute meaningfully to the improvement of human health outcomes.
The minor in Public Health requires five courses, including Foundations of Public Health (PU 201S), a statistics course selected from the list below, and three approved electives. No more than one elective course may be selected within the same discipline. Courses taken at other colleges or universities may count toward the minor only if approved by the minor coordinator, and no more than two courses can be transferred in from other colleges or universities.
Required Course:
- PU 201S - Foundations of Public Health
Complete one of the following statistics courses:
- AZ 260M Statistical Methods for Animal Studies
- BE 260M - Statistical Methods for the Sciences
- IB 201M - International Business Statistics
- MA 133M - Statistics, an Introduction
- MA 333 - Probability and Statistics I
- MN 260M - Statistical Methods for Management and Economics
- PO 260M - Political Science Research Methods
- PS 201M - Methods II: Statistics for Psychology (prereq.: PS200M)
- SO 160M - Statistical Methods
Complete three of the following approved courses:
- AZ 335 - Human-Animal Health Dynamics
- AN 341S - Medical Anthropology
- AN346S - Disease in Human Antiquity
- BI 204 - Microbiology
- BI 313 - Endocrinology
- BI 344 - Cases in Neuropathology
- BI 397 - Neuroscience
- CL 212H - Language and History of Medicine
- CL 220G - New Diseases in History and Literature
- CS 130 - Python for Biology & Life Sciences
- CS 370 - Data Science Fundamentals
- EC 331 - Global Health, Poverty, & Economic Development
- ES 357 - Environmental Health
- HD 235S - Aspects of Aging
- HD 255E - Health Equity and Social Justice
- HD 303 - Death and Dying
- HP 201 - Science Communication
- HU 225H - Health Humanities
- LI 240H - Bioethics and Literary Imagination
- PO 202 - Public Policymaking in America
- PS 209 - Perspectives in Mental Health
- PS 234 - Health Psychology
- SO 229S - Health, Aging, and Society
- Human health-related internship via an independent study or course associated with the student's primary major (requires advance approval from minor coordinator if requesting credit toward minor)
Key questions you’ll explore
- How do social, political and economic conditions impact health outcomes?
- How do natural environments shape the spread of infectious diseases?
- What policies can reduce health inequalities? And how can we ensure longer, healthier lives for all?
Coordinator
Lisa Miller, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Sociology
