What kinds of opportunities do Tulane public health majors usually have outside the classroom?

Tulane public health majors usually have a lot of hands-on opportunities outside class, especially through community engagement, research, and public health work in New Orleans. Tulane is known for its service-learning culture, and public health students often connect coursework to local health issues through community-based projects. The School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine also gives undergrads access to faculty research and a city that functions almost like a living lab for public health.

A common experience is community work tied to health equity, education, food access, environmental health, or disaster recovery. Because Tulane places such a strong emphasis on public service, many students work with local nonprofits, clinics, schools, and neighborhood organizations. In practice, that can mean helping with health outreach, program evaluation, data collection, or projects focused on underserved communities.

Research is another major option. Undergraduates can get involved with faculty-led work in areas like epidemiology, maternal and child health, global health, infectious disease, behavioral health, and environmental health. Students often assist with literature reviews, survey design, community-based research, and data analysis, especially if they build relationships with professors early.

Internships are also pretty common, both during the school year and over the summer. Tulane’s location in New Orleans helps because students can pursue roles with hospitals, public health agencies, advocacy organizations, and community health groups nearby.