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Doctors might help a dozen or so patients a day. Public health professionals help thousands.
Explore how social, cultural, political, and geographical conditions play a pivotal role in health — and how understanding these factors can help us tackle smoking, obesity, infectious diseases, and other modern-day health challenges.
By drawing on skills from different disciplines, you’ll learn how to develop health policies that work and health messages that hit home. In your final year, you’ll complete a thesis, an independent study, or a community engagement placement.
A Bachelor of Public Health degree will equip you to make important contributions to society, whether it’s researching ways to control infectious diseases such as COVID-19, developing healthy eating campaigns for teenagers, or improving social services for seniors in your community.
Aiming for grad school? You can get a head start by applying for an accelerated master’s in your third year.
With small class sizes right from first year, you’ll create close bonds with your classmates — and your world-renowned professors.
Andrea chose to pursue a Public Health degree at Waterloo because she wanted to study at the root causes of the issues she was passionate about.
On average, 97% of Public Health grads are in professional or graduate school or working within one year of graduating
Co-op students earn $42,000-$69,000 on average over their work terms
Ontario students: six Grade 12 U and/or M courses including
Admission averages: Regular: Low 80s | Co-op: Mid-80s
We recommend completing the Admission Information Form once you've applied.
Not studying in Ontario? Search our admission requirements.
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About half of the classes you’ll take will be Health courses. With your remaining classes, you can choose electives from many of the 100 subject areas at Waterloo.
View all the courses required for your degree.
HLTH 280 – Applied Public Health Ethics
HLTH 304 – Health Communication
HLTH 355 – Public Health Nutrition
HLTH 410 – Health Policy
Electives in your degree to explore your interests
Apply directly to this program on your application
Offered by the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences
By alternating school terms and paid co-op work terms throughout your degree, you can explore new career areas and types of employers as your career interests evolve.
You can also add additional areas of interest and expertise by including one or more of the areas of focus within the program.
You can also include one of the minors available to all Waterloo students. Popular areas of focus for Public Health students include Psychology, Gerontology, Sociology, and Health Informatics.
Graduates typically pursue careers in community health centres, public health departments, social services agencies, non-profit organizations concerned with social justice and social services, and health consulting.
Learn about the future of careers in health and helping professions.
While the full range of further education depends on your individual interests, graduates commonly pursue a master's, PhD, or other professional program in areas such as public health, epidemiology, health promotion, or social work.
