Community Health Sciences

Contemporary health challenges require understanding how individuals and communities live within social, cultural, economic, and political contexts. In the Department of Community Health Sciences, we apply social and behavioral sciences to advance community health and promote health equity.

Our faculty brings expertise in community-engaged research, public health leadership, program evaluation, implementation science, health services research, and intervention development with minoritized populations. We address a wide range of issues, including maternal and women’s health, mental health, substance use, gun violence, racial justice, HIV, sexual and gender minority health, and workforce development.

Faculty are actively engaged in evolving topics such as social media, antiracism, infectious and chronic diseases, and climate-related events, and maintain strong partnerships with public health agencies and community organizations locally, nationally, and globally.

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 also home to a new PhD program.