About

Grounded in history, embracing the future

At the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, we take a comprehensive and holistic approach to disease prevention, wellness, and teaching with an emphasis on robust, reproducible, and transparent research.

One of the largest schools of public health in the United States, we offer top-ranked programs in a wide range of health-related fields.

As a school of public health accredited with the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), we have proudly built on our historic foundation in health and wellbeing to take on the complex health challenges of today.

Our history

Health and wellness began to take hold as an academic discipline at Indiana University in the 19th century with health-related coursework and classes in physical education, sowing the seeds for what was to become the future School of Public Health.

By the early 20th century, health-related facilities were being constructed on campus and a curriculum to promote physical fitness, as well as overall health, was established.

The programs eventually became a part of the School of Education, and then, with the establishment of the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, a new era began. One of the first such schools in the nation, it adapted to the needs of the time with a robust curriculum and health-related research and practice.

As health needs and challenges have evolved in the 21st century, we have continued to evolve as a school.

With a renewed focus on promoting health, preventing disease, and enhancing quality of life, the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington was created in 2012 and received accreditation as a school of public health in 2016.

The IU School of Public Health-Bloomington has offered a master's degree in public health since 1969.

Our vision, mission, and goals

Vision Statement

The vision of the School of Public Health-Bloomington is a healthier tomorrow for individuals and communities.

Mission statement

The mission of the School of Public Health-Bloomington is to promote health among individuals and communities in Indiana, the nation, and the world through integrated multidisciplinary approaches to research and creative activities, teaching, and community engagement.

Goals

The goals of the School of Public Health-Bloomington are to:

  1. Offer curricula that promote integrated multidisciplinary approaches to public health.
  2. Maintain acceptable rates of successful degree completion and positive post-graduate outcomes for SPH-B students.
  3. Offer courses that provide high-quality instruction and sound pedagogical methods.
  4. Recruit and retain a diverse faculty, staff, and student body.
  5. Engage public health students in community-based activities that enhance their ability to address contemporary health challenges.
  1. Conduct and disseminate research.
  2. Demonstrate success in acquiring extramural funding for research and creative activity.
  3. Conduct research focused on Indiana-specific health issues.
  1. Deliver continuing education to the public health workforce.
  2. Sustain community-academic partnerships designed to enhance the capacity of Indiana's public health workforce.
  3. Engage faculty, staff, and students in service to community-based organizations.