Public Health
About Public Health
What is public health?
The mission of public health is to fulfill our society's interest in assuring the conditions in which people live can be healthy. Public health improves quality of life, helps struggling populations to thrive, protects communities against disease threat, and saves healthcare dollars through prevention and health promotion.
What do public health professionals do?
Medical professionals such as doctors and nurses treat individuals who are sick.
Public Health professionals try to prevent individuals from getting sick; by promoting healthy behaviors. Public Health professionals work with individuals, families, or communities to prevent individuals from getting sick by promoting healthy behaviors.
Public Health professionals play a variety of roles
- Provide education to inform and empower people about health issues.
- Conduct research to inform people about health.
- Monitor health status data, identifying trends regarding emerging infectious diseases or other health problems that are
- occurring, or may occur, in the community.
- Set safety standards and regulations to protect workers and prevent injuries.
- Respond to disasters and emergencies in the communities, such as earthquakes, wildfires, hazardous materials accidents.
- Respond in pandemics by tracking and monitoring disease data from all local healthcare agencies, establishing recommendations
- for policy based on data and scientific principles, and by providing contact tracing and education to other healthcare providers,
- businesses and the community in general.
- Develop and carry out programs to help eliminate health disparities and increase awareness regarding social determinants of
- health.
- Lowering risks and health impacts from environmental exposures that may cause health problems.
Where do Public Health professionals work?
- Local, State or Federal Public Health Agencies
- Healthcare Systems, such as HMOs or large hospitals
- Elementary and High Schools
- Advocacy Groups or Non-Profit Organizations
- Grant Writing or Consulting Firms
- Academic and Research Institutions
CSUB Public Health Program
Our goals are to advance Public Health education in Kern County, contribute to the local public health workforce in the county and the Central Valley, and collaborate with our community partners to improve our community's health.
How to Apply
You can apply to California State University, Bakersfield online at csub.edu/apply
Explore Courses
Curious about what kinds of classes you'll take as a public health student?
Contact Information
Helpful Links
- Using a variety of methods to encourage healthy behavior.
- Acting as a resource person to provide accurate and appropriate health information.
- Advocating for health related issues, funding, and program
- Developing health education materials.
- Assessing individual and community health needs.
- Developing, implementing and evaluating health education programs.
- Coordinating health education activities with other community agencies.
- Managing health education programs, personnel and funding and other resources.
- Writing and implementing grants.
- Building community coalitions for a healthier community.
- Identifying health resources and referring individuals to health services.
- Developing mass media and social marketing campaigns.
- Mobilizing communities for change.
- Working with individuals and populations from diverse backgrounds.
- Influencing health policy.
- Medical care settings Community-based organizations
- Non-profit organizations
Schools and educational settings - Businesses and corporations Health Insurance companies
- Consumer advocacy groups
State & local public health departments - Federal governmental agencies (such as the CDC)
- Master Degree in Public Health focusing on Health Education, Community Health, Epidemiology, Health Administration, Health Policy, or Health Promotion
- PhD in Public Health
- Master Degree in a social service such as psychology, human services, or family relations
- Masters in Social Work
- Registered Nurse
- Physical Therapist
- Occupational Therapist Dental Hygienist Dentist
- Physician
- Radiological technician Ultrasound or MRI technician Physician's Assistant