College of Public Health

- Academics Overview
- Accreditation
  Explore our rigorous accreditation standards that ensure our high-quality education in public health.
- Admissions
  Dive into our admissions process and embark on your journey into public health.
- Programs
  Find the perfect fit for your public health education with our diverse program options.
- Student Experience
  Learn how we enhance student learning and engagement with resources, activities, organizations, research and more.
- Departments Overview
- Biostatistics
  Through rigorous emerging data sciences, our department connects numbers to reality to help people make informed decisions that improve health.
- Epidemiology
  Our department dives deep to find out the whys behind who’s getting sick and injured then trains practitioners and researchers to change things for the health of it.
- Health Services
  Our department specializes in understanding and transforming care delivery systems so people can live their healthiest.
- Environmental
  Healthy and safe people in all environments we live in, produce food in, and work in is our department’s big picture goal.
- Health Promotion
  Our department engages with people and communities to expand our collective understanding of good health and how to achieve it, together.
Centers
Research & Programs
Services
News & Events

Careers in Public Health

Public Health Careers

A public health degree opens doors to careers across many sectors.

Public health’s interdisciplinary nature prepares graduates for careers across sectors—including government, non-profits, community organizations, academia and private industry. With proven expertise and growing workforce needs, the UNMC College of Public Health is uniquely equipped to train the next generation of public health leaders. Explore just a few of the many career paths available to our graduates.

$69,790 - $134,440

most public health career pay ranges.

79%

job satisfaction among public health professionals.

94%

of professionals feel the work they do is important.

Career Opportunities

Careers in health promotion and maternal and child health take an honest look at why different groups of people have different health outcomes and then work hard to improve health for all. People trained in health promotion are equipped to perform high quality assessments, deliver meaningful programs and interventions and conduct evaluation of those efforts. Each of those functions are done in collaboration with individuals, communities and other organizations.

Possible career opportunities in the industry include:

Health Educator
Health Communication Specialist
Program Evaluator (with a focus on community-based interventions)
Chronic Disease Educator
Community Planner
Adolescent Health Coordinator
MCH Nutritionist
Family Health Specialist

Careers in biostatistics use data and statistical methods as tools to design studies, model potential outcomes, create data visualizations, and more! Through rigorous emerging data sciences, biostatisticians play a critical role in translating data into reliable information that is used to make evidence-based decisions throughout public health.

Possible career opportunities in the industry include:

Biostatistician
Statistical Analyst
Data Analyst
Research Analyst
Clinical Data Coordinator
Quality Improvement Analyst
SAS Programmer
Applied Statistician

Careers in Environmental & Occupational Health are some of the most scientifically diverse in public health. From studying exposure to toxins, to identifying the health impacts of climate change, to ensuring protective equipment and regulations for workers, people trained in this area are equipped to safeguard our surroundings, food and workplaces.

Possible career opportunities in the industry include:

Environmental Health Specialist
Occupational Health and Safety Officer
Industrial Hygienist
Food Safety Inspector
Toxicologist
Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator
Environmental Consultant
Industrial Safety Engineer
Water Quality Specialist

Careers in epidemiology revolve around investigating the patterns, causes, and effects of diseases and health conditions in populations. They study and investigate foodborne illness outbreaks, infectious diseases, chronic illnesses, and more to understand how to prevent future cases.

Possible career opportunities in the industry include:

Chronic Disease Epidemiologist
Cancer Epidemiologist
Public Health Analyst
Infection Control Practitioner
Clinical Data Coordinator
Surveillance Coordinator

Careers in emergency preparedness play a vital role in helping communities and organizations plan for, respond to, and recover from emergencies and disasters. Their responsibilities range from planning and risk assessment, training and public education, response coordination, and recovery and evaluation.

Possible career opportunities in the industry include:

Emergency Response Specialist
Preparedness Exercise Coordinator
Emergency Management Director
Homeland Security Agent
Environmental Emergency Planner
Emergency Management Analyst
Public Information Officer

Careers in public health administration and policy specialize in understanding and improving systems. They examine whether the right services are being provided in the right ways, to achieve the goals of any given organization. If you like thinking strategically, identifying efficiencies and improvements and aligning resources for impact, then this is the area for you.

Possible career opportunities in the industry include:

Health Policy Analyst
Director of Operations
Health Economist
Global Health Consultant
Healthcare Policy Advocate
Health Services Researcher
Accreditation Specialist
Public Health Planner

Create Your Future in Public Health

View Our Programs

How to Apply

Meet With Admissions