Sociomedical Sciences
Sociomedical Sciences sets public health challenges in broad social, historical, and political context. Faculty engage in action-oriented research that not only deepens critical scholarly perspectives in the social and behavioral sciences, but also empowers communities and informs public policy. We stand apart with our emphasis on social structure and how it is shaped by culture and history which, in turn, are shaped by the power and agency of individuals as well as social and political groups.
By bringing an interdisciplinary approach to public health, we enable students to apply social science theory and methods - ranging from anthropology, psychology, and sociology to economics, ethics, and history - to current public health issues. Students explore an expansive array of issues that includes sexuality, aging, health-promotion, urban health, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, drug use, healthcare access, and immigrant health.
Fast Facts
- 27 full-time faculty
- 214 MPH students
- 2 MS students
- 28 DrPH students
- 48 PhD students
Department Contacts
Our faculty are engaged in an extraordinary range of research projects and applied programs. See some examples below. View a complete list of Sociomedical Sciences faculty.
- Coercion and Persuasion in Public Health: Ethical and Historical Perspectives
- Evaluation of Health Programs
- Ethnographic Methods in Health Research
- Social Dimensions of Aging
- Race and Health
- A Social History of American Public Health
- Structural Approaches in Global Health
- Theories in Public Health Research and Practice
- Theories & Perspectives on Sexuality & Health
- Urban Space and Health
Practicums are individually selected and tailored to meet the needs and interests of each MPH student. They enable students to clarify their career goals and often lead to permanent positions upon graduation. Here is a sampling of recent placements:
- Harlem Health Promotion Center
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
- Idaho Commission on Aging
- National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health
- Oklahoma State Department of Health
- International Family AIDS Program, La Romana, Dominican Republic
- Del Hospital Militar, Managua, Nicaragua (United Nations Population Fund)
- Komo Center for Autistic Children, Uganda
- Columbia University Arsenic & Health Project, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Many of our MPH and MS graduates pursue work in public health agencies and service-delivery systems; participate as members of research or health promotion teams; or use the degree to complement such professional careers as nursing, law, medicine, social work, urban planning, occupational therapy, or international affairs. Doctoral graduates pursue careers in research and teaching.
Job titles of recent graduates include:
- Program Manager for Training and Education, AIDS Alliance for Children/Youth/Families
- Public Health Prevention Service Fellow, Centers for Disease Control
- Associate, Healthcare Consulting, Cicero Consulting
- Associate, Health Practice, Deloitte Consulting
- Service Fellow in Communications and eHealth, HHS Office of Disease Prevention & Health Promotion
- Project Officer, ICAP at Columbia
- Allen Rosenfield Fellow, Kaiser Family Foundation
- Project Coordinator, Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health, Mailman School of Public Health
- Project Manager, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
- Associate Research Scientist, RAND
- Tenure track faculty, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill
- Fulbright Scholar, U.S. Department of State
- Presidential Management Fellow /Operations Research Analyst, U.S. Food and Drug Administration