Program Overview

Second Major in Public Health

The Second Major in Public Health is a double major programme that allows students to broaden their knowledge and capacities by pursuing a second major alongside their primary major. This programme welcomes students who are keen to learn the approaches and skills necessary to understand the individual and social factors that impact the health of individuals, families, and communities.

Overview

Public health is a growing and dynamic field that addresses the most pressing and challenging health issues in local communities, the region, and the world. Combining both science and art, the goal is to advance the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations. The Second Major in Public Health is designed to complement students' first major, grooming their soft skills and perspectives to work effectively as public health professionals or in public health teams.

Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of public health principles and practices. Students will learn about the broad functions and multidisciplinary nature of public health, the role and importance of data in public health, and how to identify and address population health challenges.

Learning Outcomes

The programme aims to equip students with the following learning outcomes:

• Role of public health in today’s context: Understand the broad functions and the multidisciplinary nature of public health
• Role and importance of data in public health: Learn to synthesise information and draw conclusions from evidence-based approaches, understanding their importance in public health practice
• Identify and address population health challenges: Understand the concepts of population health, and apply fundamental processes, approaches and interventions to identify and address the major health-related needs and concerns of populations
• Determinants of health: Integrate the socioeconomic, behavioural, biological, environmental and other factors to understand how these factors combine to impact our health
• Health systems:
  • Recognise the fundamental characteristics and organisational structures of the Singapore health system, as well as the differences in systems in other countries
  • Understand and address how the basic concepts of legal, ethical, economic and regulatory dimensions of healthcare and public health policy impact health
• Health communication: Learn to communicate public health information in both oral and written forms

Career Opportunities

The Second Major in Public Health prepares students for careers in the public, private, or non-profit sectors, in areas such as community health and health surveillance, urban space planning, environmental health, epidemiology, nutrition, biostatistics, healthcare data analytics, and health policy and planning. Students will have the opportunity to explore and experience public health in action through internship attachments with organisations that engage in public health work.

Areas of Public Health

The programme covers various areas of public health, including:

• Data Analytics & Modelling: Computing, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics
• Disease Prevention: Business Administration, Life Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, Sociology
• Health Policy: Business Analytics, Economics, Nursing, Pharmacy, Political Science, Social Work
• Health Promotion: Area Studies & Languages, Communications & New Media, Food Science & Technology, Nursing, Pharmacy, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology
• Health Systems: Architecture, Business Analytics, Business Administration, Economics, Political Science, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work
• Research & Technology: Business Analytics, Data Science, Engineering, Food Science & Technology
• Social Services: Area Studies & Languages, Communications & New Media, English Literature, Geography, Pharmacy, Social Work, Sociology
• Surveillance & Outbreak: Business Analytics, Data Science, Geography, Information Systems, Life Sciences, Nursing, Pharmacy, Social Work, Sociology

The Second Major in Public Health programme is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of public health principles and practices, preparing them for careers in various areas of public health.