The mission of the Department of Public Health is to provide quality learning experiences and professional preparation for students, and to promote excellence in learning, teaching, scholarship and community service. Students completing this degree program are prepared for careers as public health educators, health promotion specialist and wellness program directors in public health departments, voluntary and private health agencies, industry, health care facilities, professional health associations, and consulting firms. This program is approved by the Society of Public Health Education and the Association for the Advancement for Health Education (SOPHE/AAHE). Public health work is done in a wide variety of settings in the public and private sectors. Graduates of the baccalaureate program in Public Health are prepared to use their skills in a variety of government agencies, hospitals and other facilities of the health care system, community mental health agencies, employee health programs in business and industry, student health services on college campuses, and many non-profit health agencies in communities. Graduates have a comprehensive knowledge base in health science, and skills in planning educational programs, designing instructional materials, conducting community health needs assessments, working with mass media, writing grants to support program activities, conducting individual health assessments, and completing common administrative duties, such as budgeting and supervising volunteers. Graduates have gone on to find employment throughout Kentucky and in other states. Many students choose to pursue advanced degrees in public health, and this is strongly encouraged.