You believe that numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. You are curious about people’s lived experiences and want to understand how culture, history, power and context shape health. You care about equity and trust, and you want public health work to be done with communities, not just about them. You are drawn to listening, learning and asking questions that numbers alone can’t answer.

As a student in Qualitative and Community-Engaged Methods, you will learn how to systematically gather and analyze qualitative data through interviews, focus groups and participatory approaches. You will develop practical skills for building authentic partnerships, conducting ethical research and translating community perspectives into evidence that can inform programs and policy. This concentration is for students who want rigorous methods and meaningful engagement, not one without the other.

As a public health professional, you envision yourself designing programs, conducting research or shaping policy in ways that are responsive to real community needs. Whether you work in government, nonprofits, health care systems or research settings, you consider success in terms of return for the community. The Qualitative and Community-Engaged Methods concentration prepares you to do exactly that: elevate community voices, strengthen public health practice and translate findings into action in ways that build community capacity and address systemic problems.