Bachelor of Science in Public Health

Bachelor of Science in Public Health
03.15.2025
120
05.12.2025
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Watch our Latest Program Webinar

Learn more about the program from the director, Regan Johnson, and the dedicated support staff at UC Online!

Application Fees Waived

Apply now and save the $50 application fee. Start your journey today!

The University of Cincinnati’s Bachelor of Science in Public Health is a fully online, four-year degree program.  Students pursuing their undergraduate degree in Public Health gain the knowledge and skills to become leaders in the health profession, helping improve the health of people and communities. This program is the next step from the Associate of Science in Public Health program, and provides an environment that reaches beyond course work and class discussions. You will learn about the public health care system in the U.S. and abroad as well as emerging public health concerns such as pandemic infectious disease and new threats to the environment.

What is Public Health?

Public Health is the science of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting the health of people and communities through organized efforts to educate, develop policy, conduct scientific research and regulate health systems. Public Health is part of the human services field of study, which means its primary objective is to improve the quality of life for as many people as possible!

There are many facets of public health – from improving access to healthcare, controlling infectious diseases, reducing environmental hazards to working toward decreasing substance abuse. Public Health professionals work to improve the health of individuals and communities. Their role can vary greatly, depending on their work setting and job responsibilities.

Public health professionals are passionate about giving back to their community. The right to be healthy helped shape public health as we know it today. Working in this field helps ensure everyone can exercise that right!

Understanding Public Health

Public health professionals work to keep people and communities safe and healthy by reducing harm. Public health is not a typical “health” degree like nursing or pre-medicine. Public health professionals use an upstream approach to examine potential issues impacting communities. Through this, they develop prevention programming to improve health while also enhancing the quality of life.

Professionals in public health take the “public health approach” to determine what will improve the quality of life in a community. Read more about this approach and how it works in the field and in an online public health degree program from the resources at UC Online.

While other health degree programs focus primarily on an individual’s health, our public health program emphasizes larger groups and teaches how to make a positive impact on an entire community!

Public Health Job Outlook

A public health degree is a gateway to a versatile job field that offers a variety of career paths that focus on the safety of the community and improving the general well-being of entire populations. These opportunities can range from focusing on the general population to more specialized groups and functions. There are three general categories of public health careers, including: research, community wellness, and administrative. Learn more about the career outlook for public health on our public health careers page.

Improving Public Health

The mission of Public Health is to promote health, prevent disease, and protect the environment of our communities, locally and beyond. We achieve this through our evidence-based interdisciplinary approaches in education, research, practice, and community engagement. Recent studies have shown that underserved communities need more public health professionals now more than ever. Make a difference in public health today!

 

UC Online Public Health Degree Highlights:

  • 100% online: no campus visits are required.
  • Ranked in the 15 Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degrees by Best Health Degrees.
  • Ranked in the 25 Best Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degrees by University HQ.
  • Employment Opportunities: our graduates are knowledgeable, skilled, and in high demand in today’s job market! At least 80,000 new employees are required for state and local health departments, according to research in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.
  • Part-time and full-time scheduling: have the flexibility to balance work and family obligations while completing your degree.
  • Certified Health Education Specialist: all graduates of the program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam to become a certified health education specialist (CHES).

15 Best online BSPH degrees 2021

University HQ - Top 25 Online Bachelor's in Public Health

Business Partnership Logo with university of Cincinnati online

University to Business Scholarship Program

If you are an employee or member of one of the University of Cincinnati’s partner organizations, you could receive a tuition scholarship.

Learn More
open hand with dollar sign icon
Financial Aid
Learn more about tuition rates for in-state and out-of-state students.
Financial Aid Information
Cartoon computer monitor
Flexibility
The program is designed for working professionals who need the flexibility of online classes.
Flexibility
Student Testimonials
UCO LOGO
“I would like to recognize all the awesome staff in the department of Public Health. The advisors, professors, etc., are all extremely valuable to making the online program successful... I really did not know what to expect after being out of school for over 20 years. I can say that the online program has exceeded expectations. ”

Nyoka Paul
BS Public Health Graduate

Harley D. - BS in Pubic Health
“The main motivation I had to pursue a degree in Public Health was my passion for helping others. I had such a great experience at UC and believe that UC Online was a catalyst for my academic success. I enjoyed all of my professors in this program and all of the classes I had!”

Harley Dawson
BS Public Health Graduate