• Control of diseases like cancer, coronary artery disease and stroke
• Improvement and redesign of health services integration and delivery
• Prevention programs in schools and at work sites
• Cessation of risky behaviors such as cigarette smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and substance abuse
• Improving the health of mothers, children, and families
• Evaluating and redesigning public and private insurance and funding mechanisms
• Outreach and intervention in populations at risk, such as the aged and the mentally ill
• Reductions in domestic violence
• Improving the quality of the environments in which people live and work
• Changing public policies that impact health and health behavior

This approach to health and health care is creating exciting opportunities in every field of public health, including management and administration, community practice, education, research, and policy. With human resources shortages in nearly every public health discipline, most School of Public Health graduates receive job offers within a few months of graduation. Students, in fact, frequently accept jobs or other post-graduate offers before graduation.

The School’s graduates are employed all over the nation and internationally in a wide variety of settings, including:

The program in Community Health provides a wide range of programs of study leading to the MPH degree. The School’s MPH graduates are working in a variety of public and private health and health care organizations, providing a growing network of alumni to support students in their professional and career development. Students entering the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program can concentrate in the following areas:

Behavioral Science and Health Education: This concentration educates students for careers in the development, management, and assessment of health promotion and disease prevention programs in a wide variety of community and organizational settings in both the private and public sectors.

Biostatistics: This area of concentration prepares students for analytic careers in all areas of public health, with coursework emphasis in biomedical statistical methodology, data management, and statistical analysis.

Environmental and Occupational Health: Environmental health scientists are prepared for careers as managers, researchers, and consultants in private industry, academia, and government. Areas of study include toxic agent control, industrial hygiene, accident prevention, workplace safety, and general environmental health.

Epidemiology: The Epidemiology concentration prepares students for careers in disease prevention and control in public health research and practice settings. Students acquire the skills needed to collect, manage, analyze, and interpret health data. The program also provides a solid background for professionals in public health administration.

Professional Option Program: Designed for students who possess an advanced degree (i.e., MD, PhD, DDS) or students with a minimum of 3 years of full-time work experience in a health related field, this 36 credit hour program offers two tracks: a Practice Track and an Analytical Track. The Practice Track curriculum is designed for persons whose interests are in public health administration and practice, whereas the Analytical Track is intended for students interested in acquiring additional research an methodology skills.

Health Policy: This concentration prepares students for careers as health policy analysts and advocates in both public and private sector organizations.  Program graduates will develop the financial, economic, and evaluation skills necessary to understand, develop, and advance policies that address these and other public health issues.

Joint Concentrations and Dual Degrees: The Department of Community Health offers three joint concentration programs: Biostatistics/Epidemiology, Environmental and Occupational Health/Epidemiology and Behavioral Science & Health Education/Epidemiology.  Community Health students may also pursue various dual degree programs with the School of Law (MPH/JD), the School of Medicine (MPH/MD), the School of Nursing (MPH/MSN), the School of Social Service (MPH/MSW), and the College of Health Sciences' program in Nutrition and Dietetics (MPH/MS).

Featured Link: "What Is Public Health?"

Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH) website: http://www.asph.org/document.cfm?page=300

Program in Health Administration: U.S. News & World Report ranks the program in health administration at Saint Louis University among the top Master of Health Administration (MHA) programs in the nation. The School’s MHA graduates are well prepared for management positions in health care systems, hospitals, managed care companies, physician, practice organizations, medical service organizations, consulting firms, and virtually every type of public or private health care organization. As the nation’s third oldest program of its kind, the program’s graduates benefit from an extensive network of alumni in their career and professional development. Featured Link: http://www.healthmanagementcareers.com/

Joint Degrees: The Department of Health Management and Policy offers joint degree program opportunities with Saint Louis University’s School of Business and Administration (a joint MHA/MBA degree), and the School of Law (a joint MHA/JD degree).

The MHA/MBA degree provides graduates with more flexibility and career choices as well as additional coursework in business. Saint Louis University’s School of Business and Administration is nationally recognized as one of the best among Jesuit universities and among the top 25 business schools for entrepreneurial studies by Success Magazine.

The MHA/JD Program is one of just six such programs in the United States. The School of Law’s Health Law Program is rated #1 nationally by U.S. News & World Report. The School’s MHA/JD graduates are among the nation’s most highly sought health law professionals, finding careers in hospital and health system legal departments, law firms, consulting firms, and government. In addition to supporting an excellent joint degree program, the Department of Health Administration’s close ties to the School of Law give all MHA students the opportunity for superior exposure to health law issues.