Public Health
Students who major or minor in public health at Hollins learn to recognize, assess, and address various issues of health on individual, community, and global levels. A commitment to social justice guides and informs all aspects of study in the field.
Tracks
Program Curriculum/Major
The public health program at Hollins is specifically designed with a core that builds a foundation of knowledge in public health and a slate of electives that allows the student to build their own path of specialty study. Working with the program director, students can construct a generalized program, one focused on socio-cultural perspectives, or one anchored in the natural sciences.
Core courses include:
- Introduction to Public Health
Includes an overview of epidemiological, environmental, occupational, cultural, behavioral, and policy issues relevant to the health of populations around the world. Also provides historical context for current health issues and global practices. - Epidemiology
Analyzes the distribution, determinants, and prevention of disease, disability, and premature death in populations. Includes a quantitative analysis of the biological, social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect health. - Global Health
Expands ideas introduced in Introduction to Public Health and Epidemiology to infectious and chronic disease in terms of global prevalence. Considers case studies and theory and methods about health from a multidisciplinary perspective. Explores the relation of biological, economic, political, cultural, and behavioral factors to disease spread and management. - Introduction to Statistics
Topics are methods of description, measures of location and dispersion, simple linear regression, normal distributions, sampling distributions, interval estimation, and significant tests of proportions. Use of a statistical computer package is required. - Senior Capstone
Guides students through the process of public health intervention design, from needs assessment to evaluation. Students work in groups mentored by the course instructor to develop and pilot research instruments and study protocols, simulating public health working environments. - Internships/Practicum
Academic component of supervised field experience in public health. Students attend a weekly seminar to discuss readings linking research and practice, complete in independent project that builds on the internship, and develop presentations of their work.
Students majoring in public health must also complete six elective courses, chosen in consultation with the program director.
Internships are required and guaranteed for public health majors.
Minor
- Introduction to Public Health
- Epidemiology
- Introduction to Statistics
- Global Health
- Choice of two electives
What You'll Learn
Public Health at Hollins
Public health is an ideal fit within Hollins’ rich liberal arts experience. Students in the program grasp the broad social, cultural, and economic elements related to the field by completing courses in each of the university’s four academic divisions: Humanities, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, and Fine Arts. The program at Hollins includes internships and experiential learning opportunities that enable students to study diverse communities on a macro and micro scale and conduct significant undergraduate research.
Experiences in the classroom and beyond have opened many doors of opportunity
I’ve gained a wide range of perspectives from different professors in the public health program. I explored topics and engaged in discussions I would not have learned about or had exposure to otherwise. My experiences in the classroom and beyond, through internships and research, have opened many doors of opportunity for work and study in the public health field.
Savannah Scott '22, pursuing a master of public health degreeTransformed Care for Others Into a Community Health Career
Through the public health program, I transformed my care for others into a career improving and protecting community health and well-being. I gained a wealth of knowledge and experience that I was excited to include on my resume. Thanks to the mentorship of Assistant Professor of Public Health Abubakarr Jalloh, my peer-reviewed research was published in the Virginia Journal of Public Health. After graduation, I turned my internship at the Virginia Department of Health into a position with the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts. Because of Hollins, I can confidently and competently perform my job duties and, most importantly, improve the lives of others.
Annie D. Morgan '22, currently working for the Roanoke City and Alleghany Health Districts, Virginia Department of HealthPublic Health Expert from Kenya was Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence in 2021-22
Isabell Kingori, an authority in parasitic diseases who teaches at Kenyatta University’s School of Public Health in Nairobi, further infused a global perspective into Hollins’ public health curriculum. Kingori, who teaches in the School of Public Health at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, was at Hollins for the 2021-22 academic session.