Public Health

Public health professionals must be good communicators and enjoy working with people. They need to feel comfortable speaking with individuals and groups and must have strong writing skills. Students who major in public health are often committed to their own well-being and are excited about helping others improve theirs. Creativity is also valuable in this field because motivating individuals and communities to change health behaviors often requires new ways of thinking.

Prospective students who succeed in public health are those who are curious about the world around them and motivated to make a difference. They are willing to listen, collaborate, and learn from communities. Successful students are also adaptable and open to feedback, since public health work often involves solving complex challenges without a single right answer. A willingness to advocate for others, work through uncertainty, and stay engaged in ongoing learning helps students thrive both in the program and in their future careers.

Graduates of this program can work in a variety of settings including public health departments, health organizations, non-profit organizations, voluntary health agencies, hospitals and insurance companies.

Potential career opportunities include:

• Health Educator
• Health Communication Specialist
• Prevention Specialist
• Environmental Health Specialist
• Infectious Disease Specialist
• Disaster Preparedness Coordinator

We offer a minor in Public Health.

The University of Cincinnati has online enrollment services advisors (ESAs) available to help learners complete their application and get started in the Online Bachelor of Science in Public Health program. If you have not already, please use the request information form above to be connected to an ESA today! 

Upon starting the program, a dedicated student success coordinator (SSC) and academic advisor will be assigned to all learners to help them achieve their academic goals. You will be introduced to your SSC and your academic advisor as your first semester approaches, and they will be your primary liaisons to the university all the way through graduation. 

As an online student, you can complete your internship from virtually anywhere in the world. Our students intern with public health organizations across the country and internationally, gaining hands-on experience in settings that align with their goals and locations. Recent internship sites have included health departments, hospitals, community organizations, nonprofit agencies, global health programs, and a wide range of public health and healthcare partners. You will have the flexibility to find an internship near you or explore opportunities beyond your local area.

All graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam to become certified health education specialists (CHES). The Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) examination is a competency-based tool used to measure possession, application, and interpretation of knowledge in the Seven Areas of Responsibility for Health Education Specialists. There is a 90-Day Eligibility Option offered to students scheduled to graduate within 90 days of the exam date, please speak with an Academic Advisor regarding this opportunity.

Eta Sigma Gamma
ESG is a national student health education honorary organization with a chapter (Gamma Eta) at UC. The mission of the honorary is to promote the discipline of health education by elevating the standards, ideals, competence, and ethics of professionally prepared men and women in health education. This group is open to both online and in-person students. 

In order to apply to the University of Cincinnati as a transfer student, learners must submit a transfer application form and have official transcripts sent directly to UC from all prior institutions they’ve attended. High school transcripts will not be required for transfer applicants with 24 college credit hours or more. 

To request these transcripts, please contact your previous institution’s registrar and ask them to send the official transcript to the University of Cincinnati via an approved electronic method such as Parchment, eScrip-Safe, National Student Clearinghouse, or similar services.

This is the preferred method. If electronic submission isn’t available, transcripts may be mailed to the Office of Admissions at: 

University of Cincinnati 
Office of Admissions 
PO Box 210091 
Cincinnati, OH 45221 

Learners who are currently enrolled at University of Cincinnati can apply to enter the online BS in Public Health program by following the major change instructions found on the Office of the Registrar’s website. 

Past UC students who have not attended any other institutions since their departure can apply to be readmitted to the university and enter the online BS in Public Health program by following the readmission instructions found on the Office of the Registrar’s website. 

Both of these applications are subject to the same admissions criteria listed above. 

Students living abroad are eligible to pursue this program, but will not be qualified for F1 Visa applications. 

Applicants with college coursework completed outside the United States are required to provide a course-by-course foreign credential evaluation for each college or university you attended outside the United States. This evaluation must be obtained from a service listed on the NACES member website.