If you are interested in the promotion and protection of people’s health and the communities in which they live, you might consider exploring careers in public health and health promotion. Careers in this field focus on educating the public to promote healthy and safe behaviors, preventing, detecting, and responding to disease outbreaks and the spread of infectious diseases, conducting research, and crafting and implementing policies that improve and protect public health.
Explore Career Paths and Possibilities:
Below is a non-exhaustive list of sample roles for students and alums interested in careers in public health and health promotion including potential internships, post-grad entry points, higher-level positions, and a sample list of Chicagoland organizations focused in public health and health promotion. Roles in this area can be found in a wide range of sectors, including at nonprofit organizations, government agencies, schools & universities, hospitals, clinics, businesses, and private companies.
- Civic and Public Policy Awareness Intern
- Community Outreach Intern
- Global Awareness Intern
- Grantmaking Intern
- Health Education Intern
- Health Policy Advocacy Intern
- HIV/AIDS Research Intern
- Public Health Intern
- Reproductive Health Intern
- Wellness and Health Promotion Intern
- Community Educator
- Community Engagement Coordinator
- Community Health Worker
- Emergency Response Specialist
- Health Educator
- Public Health Program Specialist I
- Research Assistant - Infectious Diseases
- Community Health Promotion Coordinator
*Note: These are common job titles for individuals graduating with a Bachelor's degree*
- Biostatistician
- Community Health Specialist
- County Health Department Director
- Director, Infectious Disease Preparedness
- Disease Ecologist
- Emergency Management Specialist
- Epidemiologist
- Health and Human Services Administrator
- Health Data Analyst
- Health Policy Analyst
- Health and Safety Engineer
- Occupational Health and Safety Specialist
- Population Health Analyst
- Prevention Specialist
- Professor, Global Health
- Public Health Director
- Public Health Nurse
- Research Associate, Infectious Disease
- Senior Scientist, Vaccine Research and Development
- Health Promotion Specialist
*Note: These are common job titles for individuals that have obtained a Master's degree or hold many years of professional experience*
Professional Organizations:
Professional associations offer excellent opportunities for staying up-to-date on industry issues, trends, and research, as well as opportunities for networking and finding jobs and internships. Below are a few public health and health policy-related professional associations to get you started (click here for more tips on how to effectively engage with professional groups).
Transferable Skills:
- Strong communication skills
- Interpersonal skills
- Leadership
- Initiative
- Advocacy
- Flexibility/adaptability
- Empathy
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Program evaluation, program development, foreign language, statistical software systems (e.g., SPSS and Excel) (hard skills)