Department of Public Health Programs

Public health officials play an important role in society, whether they're researching and tracking the spread of disease, running awareness campaigns in schools, or advising corporations on health programs and policies. The Public Health program at Southern is intensively hands-on, with internships and class activities that center on community-service. Graduates work at local health departments, community-based agencies, hospitals, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, and nonprofit agencies.

In the Public Health major, students graduate knowing how to promote, maintain and enhance the public's health. In today's complex world, the field of public health is becoming an increasingly vital part of our daily lives. It's a field in which professionals can make a difference, whether they're researching and tracking the spread of disease, running awareness campaigns in community agencies, advising corporations on health programs, or maintaining a safe environment.

In the undergraduate students study an array of public health topics with emphases on health promotion, environmental health and epidemiology – the science of public health. The program at Southern is intensively hands- on, with many class activities centering on community-service and a culminating internship where students get real world experience working with a public health or community agency.

Southern's public health graduates are leaders in Connecticut’s state and local health department, as well as community-based agencies, hospitals, insurance and pharmaceutical companies, and nonprofit agencies. Our graduates work to eliminate health inequities, organize community responses to health problems, address the AIDS epidemic; promote a healthy environment, design public health policies and interventions, and lead international health relief efforts.

The Department of Public Health is excited to offer a Bachelor of Science degree in Health & Wellness Coaching. Health and wellness coaching is a new and growing field, with coaches becoming an integral prevention partner for insurance companies, health care organizations, and for those who want to run their own health businesses. Coaches work with individuals to address critical health needs and create individualized plans. Coaches can work on a variety of areas, including obesity reduction/diet/exercise, mental health, stress management, substance use reduction (alcohol, tobacco, other drugs), and chronic disease (diabetes, cardiovascular) management.

Our program is designed so that graduates can apply for a variety of jobs, including Health & Wellness Coach, Worksite Health Coach, and Behavioral Health Technicians. The program was designed so that graduates can sit for the National Board of Health & Wellness Coaching certification exam (approval in process). Corporate Wellness Programs are currently growing, according to the US Department of Labor, because lifestyle related chronic diseases are linked to 70% of our nation’s medical costs. The need to reduce medical costs by both worksites and individuals is important to reducing medical-cost related poverty.

While health care offices and Corporate Wellness Programs, including Connecticut-based WellSpark, are a strong placement area for certified coaches, there are other employment options. Our program includes management courses so graduates can create their own practices, allowing for freedom and control over workload. Digital apps and platforms, including Noom and Fitbit, offer upgrade options to work one-on-one with personalized health coaches, which is another strong avenue for employment.

The Executive Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree Program with its unique concentration in management and leadership, develop public health leaders who will assume managerial positions in healthcare entities, local, state and federal government agencies, insurance companies, community-based agencies, biotechnology and research organizations. It is intentionally designed with the needs of mid-career public health professionals in mind. Premised on practice-based teaching and learning, the program allows students to incorporate their professional experience into the classroom through two modalities – fully online and hybrid.

To ensure a qualified, well-trained public health workforce, the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program offers a planned program of study that provides prospective and current public-health workers with: a strong general background in areas of knowledge basic to public health, experience applying public health knowledge through independent research, a field-placement experience under qualified supervision, and specialized coursework in health promotion.

The Program's Health Promotion specialization focuses on developing the capacity to address community health needs. Graduates are able to perform community assessment; plan, administer and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs; advocate effectively for sound public health policies; and provide leadership and innovation in the field.

To ensure a qualified, well-trained public health workforce, this fully online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program offers a planned program of study that provides prospective and current public-health workers with: a strong general background in areas of knowledge basic to public health, experience applying public health knowledge through independent research, a field placement experience under qualified supervision, and specialized coursework in health promotion.

The Program's Health Promotion specialization focuses on developing the capacity to address community health needs. Graduates are able to perform community assessment; plan, administer and evaluate health promotion and disease prevention programs; advocate effectively for sound public health policies; and provide leadership and innovation in the field.

With a minor in Public Health, students complete 18 credits of core public health courses, including: epidemiology, health policy, social and behavioral sciences, and introduction to public health. This minor could lead students towards furthering their education in public health (ie. BS or MPH in public health) and will give them a foundation of knowing how to promote, maintain and enhance the public’s health.

With a minor in Nutrition, students complete 18 credits of introductory nutrition courses, including: meal management, community nutrition, and food hygiene. This minor provides students a foundation for applying good nutrition principles in professional settings and personal choices.

With a minor in Wellness, students complete 18 credits in courses that focus on personal wellbeing and enrichment, such as: stress management, women’s/men’s health, and health across the life span. Students acquire skills and knowledge in how to live their healthiest and become their best selves through healthy behaviors and lifestyles.