Why UCI Public Health?

What is Public Health?

In the medical field, clinicians treat diseases and injuries one patient at a time. In public health, researchers, practitioners, and educators prevent disease and injury at the community and population levels. We identify the root causes of disease and disability to inform large-scale solutions — solutions that improve population health and well-being on a massive scale.

At UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health, social justice lies at the heart of what we do: we work to protect health as a human right.

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In the Real World

Learn more about real-world public health research in practice from some of our alumni who are building careers of impact and working in positions where they are utilizing the skills and knowledge they gained while at UCI.

Anne Nguyen headshot
Anne Nguyen ’10, MPH ’14
Health IT Project Manager
Anne was initially interested in medicine, but after getting her MPH, she decided that working in healthcare operations would be more aligned with her interests in population health. From there, Anne has been leveraging her public health background in her career within hospital, process improvement, and IT. She owes her successes to the UCI professors who mentored her and Public Health Association colleagues in undergrad and grad school.
Krisitna_Faeldan
Kristina Faeldan ‘08, ‘12
Senior Project Manager, Kaiser Permanente National Delivery System Strategy and Innovation
Kristina plans space renovations and new building construction for the Kaiser Permanente Southern California service delivery system. Working for Kaiser Permanente has been a great experience because the organization understands integrated, value-based, and proactive care. She appreciates that public health knowledge is relevant for many different exciting jobs and our personal lives.
Bernadet Younesi
Bernadet Younesi ’09, MPH ’12
Program Manager at the Nutrition and Physical Activity Program in LA County’s Department of Public Health
Works closely with community-based partners and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank to redistribute surplus food to community based settings as part of a broader effort to prevent diet-related chronic disease in low-income communities. “I love learning new things about our food system and how it affects our health and the environment. There’s so much potential for positive change.”
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A Career of Making Impact

Earning a degree in public health will open doors to a number of professions and fields, including statewide/regional health care agencies, community clinics, water and air quality management districts, biomedical companies, research institutions, and non-profit advocacy organizations.

Public health is a broad field that encompasses a wide array of career opportunities. See below for job titles that represent a sampling of the options available to you post-graduation:

Biostatistician

Studies a blend of applied statistics and biology in order to forecast and analyze clinical trials and research health-related data. Works with government agencies and legislative offices, using research to influence change at the policy-making level.

Health and Wellness Manager

Develops programs that include fitness and nutrition improvements, which can affect the mental stability and physical well-being of a community. Often takes holistic approach to wellness and work to find long-term and sustainable solutions to mental and physical health problems.

Academic Policy Advisor

Communicates with nonprofits, legislative offices, academic institutions and outreach groups to collect data, creates report and guides decision makers during policy creation and updates.

Healthcare Policy Analyst

Supports researchers, assesses programs for results and works with data. Creates stakeholder groups to spread the message of how important knowledge of public health issues can be.

Intervention Researcher

Defines programs and develops theories, gathers information and synthesizes data. Formulates, tests evidence-based intervention programs and publishes findings through peer reviewed journals and conference presentations.

HIV/AIDS Research Associate

Works closely with HIV/AIDS studies participants and head researchers to ensure research findings and participant information are properly recorded and filed.

Director of Family Health Services

Works directly with community members to plan, coordinate, and manage family health programs for an organization. Hires and allocates staff, oversees budgets, secures financing and ensures client service standards are met.

State/Federal Environmentalist

Represents the environmental interests of state-level and/or federal agencies, such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, or the Department of Natural Resources.

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Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are critical to addressing unequitable distributions of health impacts through communities, and also to the sharing of ideas and perspectives that are essential to higher education and advanced scholarly research.

Commitment to Diversity in our student body

With the five-year average enrollment for underrepresented minority students at 36%, we are fully committed to promoting unique opportunities to creating a diverse student body.

Commitment to DEI in our research and public health practice

Health equity is at the core of what we do and that value is reflected in our faculty’s research and public health practice.

Commitment to DEI in our workforce

In addition to securing the winning proposal to the UCI Black Thriving Initiative Faculty Cluster Hiring Program, we represent the highest number of faculty, staff, and student participants in DEI training & professional development.

Diversity and Inclusion at UCI

Wen Public Health at UCI

With a larger and more diverse undergraduate and graduate student body than almost any other program of public health in the country, a focus to address health equity in research, teaching, and service is at our core.

90+
Dedicated faculty
Experts in their field who help train the future generation of public health practitioners
#9
In the nation
Among public universities, according to Forbes 2022 America’s Top Colleges List
100
Practicum Sites
Students have their choice from nearly 100 sites for their practicum requirement
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Our Dean
Our Faculty

Take Action

Never has the world looked toward the discipline of public health for more guidance as it has during recent and ongoing turbulent times. The COVID-19 global pandemic, the movement for social justice, and the science of climate change highlight the call for health as a fundamental human right. Let us help you on your journey to pursuing a career of impact.

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