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Study Public Health

Improve lives and build healthy communities. Discuss disease prevention, access to care, and environmental health through our public health degree program.

Program Snapshot

Undergraduate Bachelor of Arts

Major, Minor

124

4 Years

Salem Campus

Four students standing outside wearing safety vests and carrying clipboards.

Our Public Health Major & Minor

The charge of public health is to promote and protect the health and well-being of all people and their communities. Our Public Health Ethics, Advocacy, and Leadership program (PHEAL, pronounced ‘feel’) prepares students to engage in this important mission in diverse settings. Learn more about how a degree in Public Health can enhance your life and the lives of others.

Why choose Public Health at Willamette?

  • Build experience through student groups. Consider joining Willamette Emergency Medical Services or Burning Bright. Students can apply their knowledge to real-world experiences through student clubs on campus.
  • Gain different perspectives. Public Health is a global concern, impacting a variety of communities and cultures. Spend a semester abroad and gain an interdisciplinary education to develop a fuller perspective on public health. Students can also take courses related to public health in Willamette's graduate programs.
  • A pathway to a professional health degree. Our campus sits between the Oregon State Capitol and the Salem Hospital and students can witness how government and healthcare work together. Our college-wide pre-health advisory committee assists students with academic plans for further professional health degrees beyond Willamette.

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Alumni Stories

Our alumni have pursued graduate degrees and careers in public health. They've worked on the front lines during COVID-19 for the CDC and they've designed custom anesthetics for surgery patients. Our graduates are making a difference and helping the community around them.

  • Adrian Uphoff smiling and sitting on the floor of the Oregon State Capitol

    Adrian Uphoff ‘19

    Forming the future of policy.
    Adrian Uphoff ’19 earned dual Master’s degrees in Public Health and Public Policy from the University of Minnesota, led healthcare legislation in the Oregon Senate, and now supports Minnesota physicians in developing policy and advocacy strategies on population health and healthcare.

  • Montana Kekaimalu Hunter ‘21

    Willamette grad earns fellowship to participate in biomedical summer programs.
    Montana Kekaimalu Hunter ’21 earned a Master of Science in Epidemiology from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. They received fellowships and grants to complete biomedical summer programs at NYU Langone and Grossman School of Medicine Summer Undergraduate Research Program and the Mayo Clinic School of Biomedical Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Montana will begin medical school in Fall 2025.

    Portrait of Montana in a white lab coat against a white background.
  • A portrait of Nathan standing in a forest with a closeup on his face.

    Nathan Garcia-Diaz ‘23

    Forecasting Population Health.
    Nathan Garcia-Diaz ’23, a Graduate Research Fellow at Brown University School of Public Health, is completing an MPH using spatial modeling and machine learning to study socio-environmental factors in Rhode Island, with plans to pursue a CDC Applied Epidemiology Fellowship or a PhD in epidemiology.

Curriculum

Address complex modern challenges that affect us all. Students can collaborate with nearby communities and partners to investigate topics like vaccine coverage and food security. By learning concepts, theories, and ethics, students are prepared to build effective and well-planned public health programs.

  • PHEAL 301 Public Health Ethics

    Explore the roles of ethics, advocacy, and leadership in public health with case studies and evidence-based ethical deliberation. Open to all students, this course is ideal for those passionate about health and social justice.

  • PHEAL 214 Public Health Epidemiology

    Dive into the science of public health epidemiology to understand and prevent diseases while promoting health. Explore historical and current methods, case studies, and controversies like health disparities and data gaps to develop effective interventions.

Program Requirements

Our Public Health major requires 44 semester hours to complete the degree. Of those hours, 20 semester hours are core courses, 8 semester hours are dedicated Health courses, 4 semester hours are Public Engagement courses, 8 semester hours are allied concentrations, and 4 semester hours are an additional elective.

Students pursuing a minor will need to complete 24 semester hours in Public Health.

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Admissions Information

Our Public Health program is open to first-year students, transfer students and international students. Learn more about Willamette’s undergraduate admissions process to get started.

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Financial Aid and Scholarships

Willamette University is committed to supporting Public Health majors with generous merit scholarships and financial aid. The Heatherington Public Health Scholarship awards up to $11,500 annually. All admitted undergraduate applicants are automatically considered for merit-based scholarships, starting at $26,000 per year. These scholarships are awarded based on academic excellence, taking into account cumulative GPA and SAT or ACT scores, if provided.

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Public Health FAQs

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Public Health