Public Health Associate of Science Degree

Program Overview

Major ID: 372S

Program Start Dates Fall, Spring, Summer-limited course offerings

The Public Health AS degree is designed for students who plan to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public health, health education, community health, epidemiology, health administration, or environmental health. The program builds upon foundational knowledge of the biological sciences and emphasizes communication, cultural competency, and the ability to interpret qualitative and quantitative research. Students admitted to the program will explore the public health system, population health challenges, biometric and social determinants of health, and public health preparedness through a variety of applied learning and community service opportunities.

Career Opportunities

Want to help change lives? Public Health professionals work in federal, state, and non-profit agencies, as well as in academic institutions, hospitals, and clinics. They influence change through education, health promotion, research, and policy. Specific job titles may include; health educator, healthcare administrator, emergency preparedness specialist, field investigator, food-safety inspector, epidemiologist, public health nurse, WIC nutrition specialist, or refugee coordinator. Employment Outlook for Health Educators in the seven county Minneapolis-Saint Paul, MN area is expected to increase by 8.8 percent between 2014-2024. 

Program Outcomes

1. Identify concepts of personal and population health and disease, including evidence-based interventions that address health-related needs.
2. Discuss concepts of marketing, analysis, selection, and decision-making regarding health care, products, services, and health providers.
3. Describe key concepts of public health, including the history, core values, and practice.
4. Explain the key concepts, purpose and theories of public health education and promotion.
5. Define major components in health care management and administration, including the characteristics and organizational structure of the public health systems.
6. Discuss the historical development of environmental health, focusing on the basic relationships between the physical environment and human health.
7. Describe key concepts of global health, including demographic and epidemiological transitions, measures of health status, and the burden of disease.
8. Explain the ways in which public health core competencies are used in public health work.
9. Compare methods for assessing individual and population determinants of health, disease, and health disparities.

Program Faculty 

Christopher McKenzie 
​christopher.mckenzie@saintpaul.edu

Jessica Tokunaga
jessica.tokunaga@saintpaul.edu

Transfer Opportunities 

Saint Paul College has transfer agreements & partnerships between many post-secondary institutions. For more information please go to saintpaul.edu/Transfer.