Help create healthier, happier communities.

Public health professionals help shape community well-being — and opportunities in the field are increasingly in demand.

A degree in public health prepares you for a diverse range of careers, such as an epidemiologist, biostatistician, policy analyst, community educator, occupational safety specialist, and other roles that positively impact communities. It’s also an excellent foundation for public health and related graduate programs.

With a strong focus on social justice, John Carroll’s public health major centers on ethical practice, addressing health disparities, and improving patient outcomes for marginalized populations. Our program brings together faculty expertise from across disciplines, allowing you to combine courses in the biological and social sciences, business, humanities and other areas in a way that aligns with your goals.

Service-Learning & Community-Based Research

Participate in service-learning courses that combine classroom and community elements. Engage in community-based research projects, such as JCU in the City.

Immersive Internships

Gain professional experience in a public health setting, such as a government agency, nonprofit organization, community clinic, or healthcare provider.

Program Overview & Outcomes

John Carroll University’s public health major draws from biology, economics, exercise science, management, political science, psychology, and sociology. However you choose to structure your schedule, you’ll learn from dedicated faculty and participate in meaningful hands-on experiences starting your first year.

Upon graduation, you will be able to explain:

  • the history, philosophy, and core functions of public health
  • the environmental, biological, genetic, behavioral, and psychological factors that affect a population’s health
  • the social, political, and economic determinants of health and how they contribute to inequities
  • how globalization affects global burdens of disease
  • the connections between human health, animal health, and ecosystem health

Curriculum: What You Will Learn

The public health major requires foundational classes in areas like epidemiology, statistics, human nutrition, and population health. You’ll round out the program by selecting electives from five areas of focus. Explore topics like psychology of addiction, policy analysis, climate change, science communication, social movements, and bioethics.

Your Path Forward Starts Here

Plan your future from day one. Finish faster with accelerated degrees or secure your spot with early assurance partnerships.

4 years

Bachelor of Science

Protect and promote community well-being with an interdisciplinary major that blends biology, social science, and policy—grounded in ethics and social justice. You’ll graduate ready for roles from epidemiology to community education or for advanced study.

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LECOM · NEOMED · Toledo · OU Heritage · Duquesne · CWRU

Early Assurance

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO)

Guaranteed admission to medical school for our early assurance partnerships. Any major welcome—multiple paths to MD or DO.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

Combine your JCU bachelor's degree with a master's in business administration in just one additional year.

Master of Education (MEd) – Primary P-5

Earn your teaching license and master's degree together. Graduate ready to lead your own elementary classroom with advanced credentials.

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Future in Focus

Lock in your medical school acceptance while you're still an undergrad. No MCAT stress, no application uncertainty. Focus on your JCU education knowing your future in medicine is already set.

Future in Focus

Nine graduate credits count toward both degrees—building executive-level skills while completing your bachelor's. You pay your undergraduate tuition rate with financial aid applied. An MBA for the cost of a few extra courses.

Future in Focus

Nine graduate credits count toward both degrees—earning your teaching license and master's while finishing your bachelor's. You pay your undergraduate tuition rate, and your financial aid still applies. Get into the classroom sooner.

 
JCU's Distinct Promise

Pathways are just the beginning.
Onward makes them happen.

From your first semester forward, Onward connects your goals with the people, experiences, and support that help you build momentum with purpose.

Watch the Story

Quincy's Story

Starting in his first semester at John Carroll, Quincy Unger '26 found a team who helped him shape his ideas, find the right opportunities, and launch his own business.

Discover Onward

Where Our Alumni Go

JCU alumni from a variety of majors pursue careers in public health. They positively impact their communities as educators, advocates, communicators, health practitioners, researchers, and other roles. Some go on to earn advanced degrees in epidemiology, public health, and other fields.

Cleveland Clinic
Darden
Cuyahoga County Board of Health
Fda
A man in a blue shirt speaks into a large yellow megaphone while three people stand nearby outside on a campus walkway.

Make It Happen Here

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