Julia Sarrasin ’23, of Massachusetts, credits her high school’s infectious disease class for sparking her interest in public health.
“I always knew that I wanted to do something in the health field, but I never really knew what,” Sarrasin said. “I couldn’t articulate what I was passionate about at that point. [The class] was my first introduction to public health, how vast this field is, and that there is so much opportunity.”
Julia enrolled at the University of Vermont, planning to major in microbiology and work someday in epidemiology.
Then, as a first-year student, she learned about the Accelerated Master of Public Health (AMPH) program at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine. Sarrasin discovered she could get her master’s in just one year if she tacked it on to her undergrad degree. The program provides a solid foundation for graduates to pursue careers in health policy, community health education, epidemiology, and more.
She talked to her advisor, and after a “really productive and honest conversation,” Julia switched her major to Health and Society and set her sights on her public health master’s degree.
“That was the first time I had heard about social determinants of health. Healthcare as a way to improve the world,” Sarrasin said. “It was clicking even more. I was so excited. It was really the first time in my academic career where I was really enthusiastic, and I was just so happy to find something that I felt like I was thriving in and passionate about.”
Julia was so excited she went to her first AMPH informational session, and she was eager to enroll by the end of her first year. She learned she needed to wait until the spring of her junior year. UVM undergraduate students accepted into the Graduate College complete six to nine public health graduate credits during their senior year, which apply toward their undergraduate and MPH degrees.
February 21, 2024 at 4:00 p.m.
An Online Public Health Master’s with Community and Connection
Sarrasin was accepted into UVM’s AMPH program and completed her undergrad degree in 2023. She moved back to Massachusetts and will finish her master’s in spring 2024. She says she enjoys the flexibility of learning online.
“It’s been easier than I thought to adapt to learning online. I feel like there is a very strong community in the program, and among graduate students at the University of Vermont,” Sarrasin said. “A lot of people are in Burlington, but a lot of people are located around the world, which I think is a great aspect of our program, and it’s easy to feel like you’re still on campus and you’re still involved.”
She says it often doesn’t feel like an online program.
“I just really love the UVM community,” Sarrasin said. “While it is online, as an AMPH student, you get a lot of opportunities to be in person, collaborate, and do research with professors. It’s very much a hybrid program if you want it to be.”
Sarrasin is looking forward to reaping the benefits of her five-year undergrad and master’s degree.
“I’m feeling very proud of myself for being able to get my bachelor’s and my master’s degrees in five years. It’s an opportunity that’s not available at all colleges, and I love that it’s something that the University of Vermont does.”
Julia Sarrasin, ’23 UVM Master of Public Health Student
With a combined bachelor’s and public health master’s degree in five years, you can:
- Start your career earlier than expected
- Build professional connections to help you find a job
- Increase your earning potential faster
- Work toward life goals faster with the savings from a shorter master’s program
Sarrasin says the program has also opened her eyes to more career options.
“I wanted to give myself the opportunity to educate myself about other roles in public health and say, ‘Maybe this is something I could try’ and, ‘Maybe this is my passion, and I just didn’t know it yet,’” Sarrasin said. “A class I was surprised about that I enjoyed was environmental public health.”
Sarrasin enjoyed her experience at UVM so much that while she initially thought she would work in her home state of Massachusetts after graduation, she’s now considering working in Vermont.
Finding Success with a Public Health Master’s Degree
After Sarrasin finishes an AmeriCorps service team position with the Epilepsy Foundation of New England, she hopes to work in public health data analysis. She is exploring opportunities at the Vermont Department of Health and other state agencies.
Her public health career advisor, an added benefit of UVM’s MPH program, is working with her to polish her resume, customize her cover letter, and line her up with interviews for jobs and internships.
“People are eager to work with UVM and PhD and grad students and would love to have you in an internship or a mentorship role. It’s just a really strong community.”
Julia Sarrasin, ’23, UVM Master of Public Health Student
Sarrasin says professors and program staff have also connected her to job opportunities. Many have decades of experience in public health, like the program’s director, Dr. Jan Carney, who served under three gubernatorial administrations as the Vermont Department of Health commissioner.
“I’ve contacted past professors of the programs to say, this is what I want to do. They respond quickly and enthusiastically and give you great advice,” Sarrasin said. “I’m hoping that I can succeed and given that I’ve been a member of this program, I truly feel like I have.”
