Public Health (AST)
Program Overview:
Keep Our Community Healthy and Fit
Discover how measles is being spread in public places, survey a community’s awareness of how to prevent the flu, research what action would be best to use to curb car accident-related deaths, learn how different social behaviors can affect the health of a population. Public Health professionals uncover issues around the world to help keep people healthy and safe.
Unlike most medical professionals who provide individual patient care, careers in Public Health focus on promoting and protecting the health of the overall population. Public Health professionals educate the public, monitor the community’s health status, coordinate with other community organizations to prevent diseases, solve health hazards, and develop plans to increase access to quality health care.
Careers in Public Health
Careers in Public Health provide a diverse working experience. Public Health professionals serve in communities, public health agencies, and laboratories. This multidisciplinary health profession offers opportunities in public policy to address local and national health priorities. This is a field of study that’s in high demand and offers a lot of job satisfaction.
Here are just a few of the careers and their salaries you could have with a degree in Public Health:
Career information below taken from bls.gov January 2020. Go to bls.gov for most current career information
Plan, direct, and coordinate the business activities of healthcare providers.
National data
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | $99,730/year | $47.95/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| Less than 5 years | 18% increase (much faster than average) |
406,100 |
Teach people about behaviors that promote wellness. Collect data and discuss health concerns with members of specific populations.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree or higher | $58,500/year | $28.13/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 5% increase (as fast as average) |
2,610 |
Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and use their knowledge of the natural sciences to protect the environment and human health.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $89,260/year | $42.91/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 5% increase (as fast as average) |
3060 |
Combine knowledge of engineering and of health and safety to develop procedures and design systems to protect people from illness and injury and property from damage.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s Degree | $108,080/year | $51.96/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 5% increase (as fast as average) |
1020 |
Analyze data and apply statistics to medical and public-health research.
Data for Los Angeles/Long Beach/Anaheim
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Master’s Degree | $87,260/year | $41.95/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 3% increase (slower than average) |
1,260 |
Conduct research aimed at improving overall human health.
National data
| Typical Education Level: | Salary: | Hourly Median Wage: |
|---|---|---|
| Doctoral or Professional Degree | $84,810/year | $40.77/hour |
| Work Experience in a Related Occupation: | Job Outlook 2018-2028: | Number of Jobs 2018: |
| None needed | 8% increase (faster than average) |
130,700 |
What You’ll Learn about Public Health at LASC
You can get an Associate in Science for Transfer (AST) degree through LASC’s Public Health program:
- Discover what makes public health such a unique, necessary, and exciting field of study, and how you can make a difference and improve the health of our community right here in Los Angeles!
- Learn how Public Health professionals work to protect the environment, find sources of illness in different populations and organize with community organizations to control outbreaks, analyze how community demographics can create changes to our economy, promote healthy behavior by intervening with public service announcements and policy legislation you help to create.
- LASC provides internships so you can build your career connections and create community ties for after you graduate. This also allows you to directly assist your community.
- Getting an AST in Public Health can also lead to careers right out of LASC, including being a Health Educator, Community Health Worker, Medical Records Administrator, Medical Laboratory Technician, and more!
- To transfer to a four-year college or university with your Associate in Science for Transfer in Public Health (AST) degree, you will save money on your first two years of college learning from dedicated, experienced faculty. You can graduate with guaranteed admission into a CSU, and some UCs, to work towards your Bachelor of Science in Public Health (BPH) degree. Visit your academic counselor for details.
Degrees & Courses You Will Take
Review LASC’s Associate in Science in Public Health for Transfer degree and our suggested course of study for this program. Go to LASC’s current Course Catalog for specific course information:
Major Code: 1201.00
Total Units Required: 60
The intent of the Associate in Science in Public Health for Transfer Degree is to help you in seamlessly transferring to a CSU or possibly a UC Public Health bachelor’s program. If you successfully complete this degree, you will be guaranteed admission into a CSU and some UCs.
If you are interested in completing an Associate Degree for Transfer, you must:
- Complete 60 CSU transferable units including the minimum 33 units in the major and the completion of either IGETC or CSU GE;
- A minimum GPA of 2.0. Students should meet with a counselor to determine the necessary course work to complete the general education requirements.
| Required Courses | Units |
|---|---|
| HEALTH 11 Principles of Healthful Living | 3 |
| HEALTH 101 Introduction to Public Health | 3 |
| MATH 227 Statistics | 4 |
| BIO 3 Introduction to Biology | 4 |
| CHEM 101 General Chemistry I | 5 |
| PSYCH 1 General Psychology I | 3 |
| ANAT 1 Introduction to Human Anatomy | 4 |
| AND | |
| PHYSIO 1 Introduction to Human Physiology | 4 |
| OR | |
| BIO 20 Human Anatomy | 8 |
| List A: Select One Course | |
| ECON 1 Principles of Economics I | 3 |
| ECON 2 Principles of Economics II | 3 |
| HEALTH 21 Human Sexuality | 3 |
| TOTAL UNITS | 30 |
Get Ready Before You Start
Get ready for your career in Public Health! Before your first class starts at LASC, you can start preparing for your future in the public health sector:
- Make an appointment with an LASC academic counselor to review LASC’s Public Health program, start to develop a Student Education Plan (SEP), and discuss which four-year colleges and universities would be a good match for your career goals.
- Once you’re at LASC, make sure to get involved with off- and on-campus clubs and organizations, such as the Anthropology Club, Phi Theta Kappa, Toastmasters, and you can become a student ambassador, or run for student body government. Getting involved builds new relationships and shows potential employers you enjoy participating and want to learn more about others in your community.
- Still in high school? You can start taking courses now through our dual enrollment program that will lead to your AST in Public Health! Make an appointment with your high school’s college and career counselor to enroll at LASC. Find out if your school has internships in public health where you can learn more about identifying environmental health problems and priorities, prevention and control of diseases or learn how to research and create health messages to increase a community’s awareness of healthy habits. You can also find out if local hospitals and community health clinics have internships in public health.
Program Learning Outcomes
The Transfer Degree is designed to provide you with a Transfer Model Curriculum learning about how to protect the environment, identify sources of illness in population groups, control disease outbreaks, evaluate the economic impacts of changing demographics, develop interventions to promote healthy behavior, and produce health policy legislation.