The Department of Community Health at Tufts is one of the oldest multidisciplinary programs at the university. Since 1975, CHP has provided students with a diverse, integrative experience in learning. The department's relatively small size encourages a sense of community among fellow students, faculty, and staff. As a multidisciplinary program, CHP touches on diverse aspects of health and society, and encourages the exploration of health issues from a variety of perspectives.

Through classes and field work, the Program exposes students to: (1) analyses of the major health issues of today and of the institutions that plan and deliver services; (2) the variety of social, psychological, environmental, cultural and political factors that influence decision-making about health and health care as well as (3) the ways people maintain health and cope with illness. The program is multidisciplinary in nature, drawing students from all academic majors, and includes courses in economics, public health, epidemiology, medical ethics, history, and sociology as they relate to health and health care.