Overview
Public health focuses on preventative rather than curative care for specific populations. According to the website What is Public Health?, "Public Health is the science and art of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention." The field includes two kinds of public health pathways—a practice-focused career that is generally paired with a health professional degree and a research-focused career.
Here you will find information on pre-public health required coursework, tests for admission to public health programs, and additional helpful websites about the public health field.
Coursework
Prerequisite coursework varies significantly across programs. Some programs have no required undergraduate coursework whereas others, like the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Public Health program, require one semester of college-level mathematics and one semester of a science.
Contact individual public health programs to ensure you meet requirements for admission.
Relevant tests
Some public health programs require Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores for admission. A fee reduction program is available. Since admission requirements vary, check with individual programs about prerequisite tests.