Asbury University is expanding opportunities for students interested in meeting the real-world health challenges facing individuals and communities today through its new Pre-Public Health Sociology, B.A. program.
Housed in the Department of Social Sciences and History, this interdisciplinary program prepares students to understand not only the science of health, but also the people and communities behind it.. Students will explore how culture, environment, social structures and human behavior can shape health while developing practical research and data skills.
As one of a few Christian universities offering this distinct program, this degree connects scientific and social research with Christian ethics, equipping students to pursue the common good and promote healing in their communities.”
Centering Asbury’s liberal arts tradition, its curriculum addresses big questions about social ethics, community flourishing and holistic human well-being. Students will work closely with faculty mentors in both biology and sociology as they develop practical skills that prepare them for success in growing career fields.
The combination makes Asbury’s program particularly distinctive. Asbury’s intentional fusion of biology and sociology offers students the opportunity to approach health through both natural and social science within a Christian liberal arts education.
We want to equip students with skills not just to serve local communities, but also to lead them forward through the social and technological changes facing our world today."
This program cultivates an expansive vision of human flourishing in a wounded world, beginning with the students themselves.
Why do some communities experience greater health challenges than others? How can poverty, access to resources, culture or environment affect a person’s well-being? Students will learn to ask questions like these and use both scientific and social research to better understand and serve the people and communities behind the data.
For current Asbury sociology student Abigail Beck, those questions are already taking shape through her work examining rural poverty and the needs of local communities.
Studying sociology has impacted the way I see beyond what’s in front of me and enhanced my ability to approach others with greater empathy."
“I want to serve in communities by listening to the unseen individuals, giving them a voice, and then bridging that gap between individuals and organizations. I want to create meaningful connections through active community engagement.”
Students will also gain practical experience in research design, data collection and analysis. These are skills they can carry into graduate school, research and community health careers.
Graduates will be prepared to pursue Master of Public Health (MPH) programs and related graduate study. The degree can also prepare students for entry-level opportunities in areas such as research, epidemiology, health education, overdose prevention and other community health initiatives.
The vision for the program has already been shaped by Asbury students. Jessica Liu ’26, who majored in biology and minored in sociology, helped encourage the program’s development and completed an internship with the Jessamine County Health Department during her senior year. Now pursuing doctoral studies at the University of Illinois Chicago, Liu’s experience demonstrates how scientific study, sociology and community-based work can come together.
“At Asbury, I was supported by faculty and connected with resources that ultimately helped shape me into who I am today."
By connecting scientific knowledge with an understanding of people, cultures and communities, the Pre-Public Health Sociology program gives students a foundation for addressing health challenges with both technical skill and compassion.
For students who want to combine an interest in science with a desire to understand and serve people, the program offers a pathway to use research and interdisciplinary learning to help communities flourish.
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