Environmental and Public Health: Prospective Students

Health Sciences: Environmental and Public Health 

The polar ice caps are melting; birds are carrying a flu virus that may spread to humans causing a global pandemic. HIV/AIDS still affects the lives of thousands of people around the world and natural disasters continue to cause death and ruin lives. These environmental and public health problems are among the most serious challenges we face today. Environmental and Public Health is an exciting and challenging career focused on solving these problems. If you are a person interested in helping solve environmental and health issues on a local or global scale, Linfield's Environmental and Public Health major is for you.

Overview

The Environmental and Public Health major is a 21^st Century curriculum focusing on health and health care needs of populations as well as disease prevention and management. The curriculum includes formal classes, field work, and practical internships that will improve Environmental and Public Health in our increasingly fragile world.

Environmental factors such as pollution and global warming have a pervasive impact on human health and our quality of life. Environmental and public health professionals systematically study interactions between humans and their environment to identify risk factors for disease to a variety of populations and seek to identify practical solutions to maintain long-term human health and environmental quality.

Challenging Careers

A career in Environmental and Public Health is both challenging and vital work protecting and promoting human health in local, national, and international settings.  Professionals in this field:

• Implement prevention measures to control communicable and non-communicable diseases
• Protect the health of the general public and community by providing clean and safe water and food, sanitation, mosquito abatement, and reducing or eliminating other environmental risk factors
• Incorporate prevention and early intervention into health care in the US
• Monitor and reduce water, soil, air, chemical and noise pollution
• Monitor and reduce bacterial and pesticide contamination of food crops
• Establish procedures to keep work, home, community and school environments safe
• Investigate causes and prevention of disease affecting populations in the U.S. and around the world
• Plan for and aid in the management of responses to pandemics, and natural disasters
• Investigate and help manage local disease outbreaks and epidemics
• Work with legislative leaders to improve current health policy, outcomes, and value in the U.S. health care system
• Work with international organizations such as the U.N., World Health Organization, and CDC to promote health throughout the world
• Work with public health agencies to educate the public about healthy life styles, disease prevention, and early intervention
• Work with governmental agencies to monitor and regulate use of hazardous chemicals and materials
• Work to lessen the gaps between poverty, economic development, and human health

The Linfield Program

Students majoring in Environmental and Public Health at Linfield College-Portland Campus study environmental health, public health, and health care delivery in the United States and throughout the world. This major prepares graduates to examine and respond to human perceptions of health from a cultural, scientific, biological, environmental, and organizational perspective. The program is based on foundational principles that include theory and practice. Combining classroom, guest lectures, and field visits, students develop knowledge and skills to work with current public and environmental health issues. Students learn about public health informatics and research methods, basic epidemiology, global, national, regional, state, and local environmental and public health issues and policies. They will learn the use of the latest 21^st century tools and technology including quality improvement, analytical tools, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This curriculum prepares students with the knowledge, skills, and experiences sought by health career organizations as well as graduate and professional schools.

*Specific prerequisites to Medical, Dental, and Osteopathic schools must be taken prior to matriculation to Linfield College-Portland Campus or after graduation to meet entrance requirements to these institutions.