Media Contact
Kenya King
Director
Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Perimeter College
[email protected]
Dunwoody, Ga.—Georgia State University Perimeter College is proud to announce the launch of a new Public Health Pathway designed to help students build the knowledge, skills and experience needed to pursue careers and advanced education in public health.
The Public Health Pathway is open to all undergraduate students across all majors and launched this fall. The new pathway provides students with a structured route to explore public health while developing an interdisciplinary foundation that connects health, communities, policy, data and social determinants of health.
“Health is not just the absence of disease – it’s really focused on answering the question, “How can we live well?” Public health expands beyond conventional medicine by combining prevention, policy and advocacy to confront modern health issues – from the quiet afflictions of addiction and domestic violence to the chaos of natural disasters or global pandemics,” said Sarah Callaghan, associate professor of Kinesiology and Health. “Treating disease is vital, but championing wellness requires a different toolkit. Public health empowers future health professionals to master the science of prevention, use their voice for systemic advocacy, and shape the public policy that closes the gap between who gets care and who gets left behind.”
The Public Health Pathway offers a sequence of courses that integrate science, data analysis and social impact, opportunities for fieldwork and community engagement and preparation for graduate study and careers in public health, healthcare, policy, research and nonprofit sectors.
The program builds on Georgia State's commitment to accessible, career-focused education and its longstanding emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, research and community engagement. Students interested in studying public health will gain skills that prepare them for high-demand careers within healthcare organizations, federal, state and local agencies, as well as academic institutions, private companies and nonprofit organizations. Students who complete the Public Health Pathway at Perimeter College will be well prepared to transition into the School of Public Health at the Atlanta Campus to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Public Health.
“The new Public Health Pathway reflects Perimeter College’s commitment to preparing students for careers that make a difference in their communities,” said Perimeter College Dean Barbara Johnson. “By providing a strong foundation in public health, we are creating new opportunities for students to address today’s most pressing health challenges and continue their education at Georgia State.”
Located in the heart of Atlanta, Georgia State’s School of Public Health combines instruction from expert faculty with immersive, hands-on learning in a thriving global city. The school is ranked in the top 30 among public institutions by U.S. News and World Report, and all undergraduate students complete a signature capstone experience in which they apply their public health knowledge through community engagement, research experiences, service-learning or internships. Students in the Bachelor of Science in Public Health program can choose one of two concentrations: Health Policy and Behavioral Sciences and Population Health Sciences, which has an optional pre-med track.
“The Public Health pathway creates a seamless transition for Perimeter College students and expands access to the knowledge and hands-on experiences needed to address today’s most pressing public health challenges,” said Shannon Self-Brown, Distinguished University Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the School of Public Health. “It reflects our continuing focus on removing barriers to earning degrees that open doors to careers that improve the health of populations.”
About Georgia State University
Georgia State University is a leading public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, serving a diverse student population across multiple campuses. Through innovative teaching, research and community engagement, Georgia State prepares students to succeed in a rapidly changing world and contributes research and expertise to challenges affecting communities locally, nationally and globally.
Learn more about the Public Health Pathway at perimeter.gsu.edu/pathway/public-health-as.