School of Public Health | University of Illinois Chicago

Next information sessions

Oct 19 2021

SPH Undergraduate Programs Information Session

Nov 18 2021

SPH Graduate Programs Information Session

Public health degrees for health justice

Centered in the nation's largest urban medical district, our push for health equity and social justice starts at home in Chicago neighborhoods. Across numerous CDC, NIH and World Health Organization projects and global collaboration spanning 65 countries, our mission remains the same: to confront and mitigate social, economic and political determinants of health so that people across the globe can pursue their full life opportunities.

Policing and public health

The deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in encounters with police captured the nation's conscience in 2020. But even these high profile cases cannot alone illuminate the scale of the effects on public health that can be caused by law enforcement activity. SPH faculty are building a surveillance system for Chicago, Illinois and the nation to systematically track and describe civilian injuries and deaths in interactions with law enforcement.

Residents of Columbus, Ohio walk down a street as a group protesting the death of George Floyd.

Law Enforcement Epidemiology Project

Community engagement

An underpass on Chicago's south side contains a mural showing a wide variety of people, with differences in age, size and ethnicities.

Democratizing population health data

We believe citizens should play an active role in improving the public health of their own neighborhoods and communities. SPH's PHAME Center is strengthening access to timely, detailed and understandable health data.

Population health data links

Advancing health justice

All people should have the power and resources to have agency over their health, which requires addressing systems of oppression such as classism, racism, sexism and xenophobia.

Collaboratory links

Public health isn't an action performed on others

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the need for citizens to be collaborators in public health. We're building capacity for citizen scientists as researchers and contact tracers.

Community capacity examples

Global health

SPH students, faculty and staff are collaborating in 65 countries around the world. Our global health concentration builds on-the-ground experience for MPH and MS students, and our bidirectional emphasis is strengthening training of public health leaders in other nations, notably Indonesia, Cuba and Mexico.

SPH Program in Kenya

SPH students travel to Kisumu City each year, working with community partners on HIV/AIDS interventions, sexual and reproductive health, safe water access, interpersonal violence, tobacco cessation and LGBTQ health.

Learn More About SPH Program in Kenya

SPH Program in Mexico

In partnership with Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, SPH students travel to Cuernavaca, capital of Morelos state, to work with community partners addressing community health challenges in the region and country.

Learn More About SPH Program in Mexico

World Health Organization Collaborating Center

SPH's World Health Organization Collaborating Center focuses primarily on occupational and environmental health and is a global leader in training occupational health practitioners to address the health and safety needs of informal workers around the world.

Learn More About World Health Organization Collaborating Center

Global Health Research Portfolio

SPH leads the way in developing and testing interventions and programs to investigate causes of disease, improve health and deliver acceptable, feasible and affordable services. Underlying our efforts, we prioritize equity, compassion and idealism as we address health equities and human rights worldwide.

Learn More About Global Health Research Portfolio

Environmental justice

All too often, the burdens of pollutants, toxic emissions and climate change disproportionately impact people in low and lower-middle income communities. At SPH, we're committed to strengthening environmental justice, the principle that all people should be protected from environmental pollution and have the right to a clean and healthy environment.