Public Health Careers

About the role

Public health careers focus on preventing disease, promoting healthy habits, and shaping health policies to keep everyone safe and well. Whether you want to become a doctor, nurse, or lawyer, create impactful health programs, or advocate for better health policies, public health offers endless ways to do meaningful work that improves lives and strengthens communities.

Values and interests

If the following values and interests resonate, a career in public health could be a great fit.

• Values: Community engagement, Continuous learning, Environmental responsibility, Health equity, Helping others, Social justice, Supporting underserved communities, Sustainability
• Interests: Access to healthcare, Advocating for health policy changes, Effects of climate change on human health, Global health challenges, Health administration, Health promotion, Improving systems for public health, Managing chronic disease, Occupational impacts on health, Preventive healthcare, Preventing and managing disease outbreaks

Career paths

Public health prepares you for careers in medicine, law, research, and community health. Many graduates go on to medical, nursing, or physician assistant school, while others pursue law degrees in health policy and advocacy. If you’re drawn to data and research, you might become an epidemiologist, biostatistician, or environmental health analyst. Others work in health education, policy, or public health program management, creating initiatives that improve community well-being.

Job titles

• Community health worker
• Behavioral health prevention specialist
• Environmental health and safety technician
• Environmental health specialist
• Health administrative analyst
• Health educator
• Health navigator
• Health promotion specialist
• Nurse epidemiologist
• Policy analyst
• Program manager
• Substance use prevention coordinator

Organizations

• American Health Association
• Child Protective Services
• County Health Departments (Benton, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, etc.)
• HIV Alliance
• Inpria
• Marquis Companies
• Oregon State University
• PacificSource Health Plans
• Peace Corps
• PeaceHealth
• Samaritan Health Services
• The Springs Living
• Washington County Health Department
• Willamette Dental Group

Graduate programs

• MPH programs: Oregon State University, The City University of New York, Emory University, Boston University
• Medical schools: Oregon Health and Sciences University
• Nursing schools: University of San Diego, Johns Hopkins University
• Other Graduate Programs and Fellowships: Master of Healthcare Administration (The George Washington University), CDC-UCLA John R. Lewis Public Health Scholar

Career outlook

• Annual average salary: $65,000
• Job outlook (2016-2026): 19% growth

Internships

Internships in our public health program give you hands-on experience while building problem-solving, leadership, and resilience—so you're ready to tackle real-world health challenges with confidence. You'll also gain a competitive edge in the job market, with many College of Health public health graduates securing jobs where they interned.

Testimonials

Ammara Molvi, ’20
Majored in: Public health - Health promotion and health behavior
Next step: Attending medical school at Oregon Health and Sciences University
“Public health is a social justice perspective. You’re looking at why people are coming to the hospital or why certain populations are suffering outcomes while others aren’t. It looks at community organizing, policy action, and the root causes of health issues.”

Denna Alnasser, ’24
Majored in: Public health
Now: Environmental health and safety technician, Inpria
“What inspired me to choose a degree in public health is wanting to help prevent disease, prolong lives, and help others achieve a better quality of life. My overall goal is to help people achieve optimal health and well-being, no matter who they are or what their background is. I truly believe that everyone deserves equal treatment and quality care.”

Liberty Pertiwi, ’12
Majored in: Public health - Health management and policy
Now: Director of primary care services, Samaritan Health Services
“If you’re passionate about taking care of others and believe that everyone deserves healthcare, then public health is the right field for you. Most people who think of healthcare may think of going into medicine, nursing, or other allied health routes, which are much-needed professions. But there are other ways to make a difference in the healthcare world outside of those options.”

Joe Page, ’23, MPH ’24
Accelerated MPH graduate
Majored in: Public health - Health management and policy
Next step: MPH - Health systems and policy, ’24
Now: Healthcare policy fellow, Office of U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse
“A strong understanding of public health principles is so important in shaping the laws and policies that impact our health and well-being. I’m currently a healthcare policy fellow in the office of U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse at the United States Senate, where I’m applying my background in health law and policy to tackle the issues most important to Sen. Whitehouse, including payment reform and the opioid crisis.”

Katie Hart, MPH ’23
Majored in: MPH - Health systems and policy
Now: Community engagement manager, Umpqua Health Alliance
“A large part of my role is conducting a community health assessment and improvement plan. This project centers health equity to address health needs and the social determinants of health across the region. I love this project because I get to leverage my Oregon State education to take on big and complex problems and identify creative solutions.”

Laura Syron, MPH '10, PhD '18
Majored in: MPH
Next step: PhD - Environmental and occupational health, OSU, ’18
Now: Epidemiologist, CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
“By focusing on our environment – including the workplace – we can improve entire populations’ quality of life. Preventing human suffering is a worthwhile pursuit.”

Programs

• Public health undergraduate program: Offered in-person or fully online
• Accelerated MPH program: In-person, hybrid, or fully online
• Graduate certificate in public health: In-person or fully online
• Master of Public Health: In-person or fully online
• PhD in public health: In-person