Pharmacy, Natural & Health Sciences

Population Health

population-health

In line with Manchester University’s mission to “respect the infinite worth of every individual,” you, as an MU population health student, will learn how to gather, interpret, and communicate health information that can deeply impact communities, and collectively work with others to empower people and organizations to advocate for a better quality of life for all.


Program Opportunities

  • Major in Population Health
  • Certified Community Health Worker Training

Overview

Population health enables graduates to handle health issues that affect societies both worldwide and at home. In a world of finite resources, Population Health works to find health initiatives that achieve the best outcomes for society in ways that are both equitable and cost-effective.

Collecting, analyzing and using health care data in public health programs and campaigns leads to improved disease awareness and prevention; better medical treatment and healthy living; better patient-provider relationships; and more accurate representation of disease in the media.

Through the University’s mission, Manchester students continue to grow and “lead principled, productive, and compassionate lives that improve the human condition.”

Careers in Population Health

Manchester students build skills to be competitive in the fields of health and increase health equity and social justice in people’s lives.  Through these skills, you can look forward to careers as:
  • Chronic disease health educator
  • Clinical Research Coordinator
  • Clinical researcher
  • Crisis intake specialist
  • Disaster relief support technician
  • Environmental health specialist
  • Health communication specialist
  • Health department administrator
  • Health finance manager
  • Health professional
  • Health services manager
  • Nutritionist
  • Patient navigator
  • Public policy analyst
  • Worksite wellness coordinator

Program Highlights 

  • Community Health Worker certification – COMM-241 Community Health Work is certified by the Indiana Community Health Workers Association, offering students an opportunity to earn a certification in community health work.
  • Medical Practicum to Guatemala – An annual, three-week, off-campus class providing a short-term experience in global health in which students assist doctors, dentists, pharmacists and nurses in staffing a clinic for underserved and underrepresented populations. It is one of the internship or practicum options.
  • Conflict Resolution/Mediation & Conciliation – Students learn to deal with conflict at the interpersonal or organizational level.
  • Experiential learning is a key component to the program, as it gives students the opportunity to work with community and public health professionals as they apply understanding to real world.

Why Manchester?

Grounded on teaching you the necessary skills to improve the health of groups of people, the population health major squarely aligns with Manchester’s mission to graduate students who lead principled, productive and compassionate lives that improve the human condition.

The population health coursework exposes you to a deeper understanding of the use of service-learning, as well as innovative and creative methods of understanding and sharing health information with different populations and demographics. While the health sciences are among Manchester’s greatest strengths, the course sequence for this major crosses into disciplines in the University’s various core competencies, combining sciences, communications, peace studies and social work to satisfy the requirements to work in this field.

Along with a foundation in the natural sciences, you learn the dynamic nature of culture, open and engage in dialogue, and understand and appreciate different perspectives on how health is viewed. By keeping true to Manchester University’s mission to graduate “persons of ability and conviction,” you become a leader in making sure health initiatives are equitable and accessible to all.

Biology-Chemistry Medical Practicum