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Public Health Studies

Available as a major or minor

Public Health Studies reveals how health is related to all aspects of human life and how societies serve the health care needs of people. The course of study will help you find a niche in the health field that matches your own personal passions and will give you an advantage over those who've pursued a purely technical approach to health education.

Curriculum & Courses

Sample Course Offerings

PHST 201:  Health and Society  
PHST 301:  Introduction to Epidemiology
PHST 420:  Community Health Seminar

Students listening to a lecture

Learn By Doing

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    Roanoke student’s project selected for prestigious national program

    Hannah Guthrie ‘20 started researching the relationship between social connection and childhood obesity. Guthrie, a Public Health Studies major who grew up in Salem, was particularly interested in the 42 percent of Roanoke children who were overweight or obese.

    Many people are finding that they underestimated the importance of social connection to their health, Ackley said, and this study sheds light on that.

    “I think her data really highlights that for the first time,” Ackley said. “It’s the first study that we’ve been able to find that actually looks at this relationship in small children.”

    Ackley wasn’t the only one impressed by Guthrie’s research. The Council on Undergraduate Research, based in Washington, D.C., selected Guthrie’s project from hundreds of submissions nationwide to include in its annual Posters on the Hill session. During the event, student researchers have an opportunity to present their studies to members of Congress and their staff, who in turn,  learn about the importance of undergraduate research. Only 30 students nationwide are selected each year to participate.

Student Experiences

Public Health at Roanoke

"It was overall just a really fantastic experience." Hear directly from real students about their time in Roanoke College's Public Health Studies program.

"I took my first public health class at Roanoke College, and I just really fell in love with it. I've always wanted to go to medical school, and this class showed me exactly what kind of physician I want to become. I don't want to only think about the one patient who's in front of me. I want to think about how I can improve policies and procedures for all patients in the community."

Zoe Krut '20

Careers & Outcomes

Caitlin Sharkey ’21

Joining the front lines of health care 

While still a junior, Caitlin Sharkey ’21 landed an internship at the busy Bradley Free Clinic — just weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

Overnight, the world was turned on its head. For Sharkey, a public health studies major, it was also a call to action. She knew patients needed the free clinic’s services more than ever.  

“If we close down, they aren’t going to get the medications they need or the treatment that they need,” she thought.

So, she stepped up. Sharkey joined the front lines, screening patients and providing testing. After graduating, she was inspired to pursue a master’s in public health at Virginia Tech, where she researched the diverse social factors that affect health and developed a framework for an infection control plan that now is the Bradley Free Clinic’s standard of care.

Today, she works at the clinic as its health administrator, managing hundreds of volunteers, overseeing complex federal compliance standards, and administering its electronic health records and IT systems.

And it all started with an internship that Sharkey's advisor at Roanoke first encouraged her to consider. Years later, she continues to answer the calling that she discovered here, stepping up to help those in need access essential care. 

Photo by Andrew Mann of Virginia Tech

The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects demand for medical and health managers to grow by 17% in the next decade, more than twice the national employment growth average. 

Roanoke graduates go on to do great work in health care

Logos from Boston Children's Hospital, Centra, Carilion Clinic, UnitedHealthcare, and Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers

Faculty

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News

"With the rapid growth of specialties and the need for trained experts across the health sector, we want to provide an avenue for more students to find a place for their expertise and passions within the global health system."

Dr. Shannon Anderson, Associate Professor

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Our program is an interdisciplinary approach to the health care arena, offering you diverse perspectives on health through courses in both life and social sciences. 

Through rigorous investigation and analysis, Public Health Studies provides you with a strong foundation for a range of careers in the health field, such as administration, advocacy, counseling, medical practice, public policy, research and analysis, social work, and occupational and physical therapy.

Roanoke has exceptionally strong relationships with local health care organizations. These partnerships offer you a myriad of opportunities for research and internships in some of the finest health organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region. Practical experience through community projects, internships and research, coupled with strong academic and alumni connections, will prepare you for a top graduate program.

We offer both a major and a minor in Public Health Studies.