Community Health Sciences
Important contemporary health issues call for a deep understanding of how we—as individuals, families, and communities—live and act in our social, cultural, economic, and political contexts. In the Department of Community Health Sciences, we apply social and behavioral sciences to enhance the health and well-being of communities and promote health equity.
Community Health Sciences faculty have diverse experiences and skills to contribute to public health training, research, and practice. We have, for example, scholars with expertise in the following areas: community-based participatory research, evaluation of public health programs, public health leadership, health services research, training of the public health workforce, intervention development with minoritized populations, implementation science, global health, sexual health among sexual and gender minority youth, racial justice, maternal health, women’s health, mental health, gun violence, HIV, low-income communities, college-in-prison programming and collegiate recovery, substance abuse, and genetic counseling.
Community Health Sciences scholars are also actively engaged in existing and emerging topics such as social media; diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism studies; COVID-19; the impact of natural events; and MPOX.
Faculty maintain strong ties to local, state, and federal public health agencies as well as community and professional organizations throughout the US and globally. Department faculty and staff participate in interdisciplinary master’s and doctoral degrees across the school.
Academic Programs
Our educational programs emphasize practice-based, community-engaged, and interactive learning, giving students substantial real-world experience and readiness for the workplace. We host four BU MPH certificates (Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation; Health Communication and Promotion; Maternal and Child Health; Mental Health and Substance Use), and we are home to a federally funded Center of Excellence in Maternal & Child Health.
