Public Health, Bachelor of Arts
Faculty: Mary Allen (Biology); Stephanie Carr (Biology); Elena Chernyak (Sociology); Carlena Ficano (Economics); Reid Golden (Sociology); Kristin Jones (Economics); Malissa Kano-White (Theater Arts); Karl Seeley (Economics); Karina Walker (Spanish); William Kowalczyk (Psychology); Justin Wellman (Psychology), Melonie Walcott (Public Health)
Teaching Faculty and Steering Committee
Connie Anderson (Anthropology); James Buthman (Political Science); Lisle Dalton (Religious Studies)
Program Coordinator
Cherilyn Lacy (History)
Major
Public Health
Minor
Public Health
About
As a collective endeavor to promote well-being, public health needs people who can understand health from a variety of perspectives and who are dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of all members of society. The newly created major in public health brings to bear the interdisciplinary resources of the liberal arts on the challenges of building healthier communities in an increasingly complex and dynamic world. It holistically combines foundational concepts in the science of human health and disease with theories and methods of public health data collection, and an appreciation of the socioeconomic and cultural factors that impact health.
The public health major also emphasizes the value of experience out in the community, where students can put into practice the ideas and methods they have learned in their public health courses. Fieldwork, whether through a course, a clinical placement, or an internship, is a core component of the public health major. Hartwick College’s location in a town that is a regional hub for healthcare and social services is ideally suited to a focus on the urgent contemporary issues related to rural public health. As the world becomes increasingly urban, resources essential to health become more concentrated in cities, creating economic, educational, and healthcare challenges for rural populations. Hartwick’s network of local community partners in the Susquehanna Valley region, and its off-campus J-Term courses in places like Thailand, Dominican Republic, and South Africa, afford rich opportunities for students to engage meaningfully with public health where affordable and sustainable solutions are most needed.
Upon completing a major in public health, students will be prepared for a broad array of career or graduate study opportunities in fields that include epidemiology, biostatistics, health education, health policy, environmental health, emergency preparedness, health communications, consumer health and safety, and community health project management.
Grades for all courses taken in Public Health are used to calculate the average in the major for Departmental Distinction.