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By Staff Writer

Thinking about beginning or continuing to advance in a career in public health? There are many ways in which a master’s degree in public health can be used – in the research, education, governmental, non-profit, insurance, and various other fields. Students in the public health sector find that investing in their degrees has reaped excellent benefits in terms of improving the health and well-being of communities as well as gaining individual professional and financial success. Some highly lucrative careers that genuinely involve making a difference in the public health sector include:

Other excellent public health careers include community health worker, health educator, medical and health services managers, healthcare social workers, mental health and substance abuse social workers, mental health counselors, and natural sciences managers.

When beginning a career in public health, it’s a good idea to earn a bachelor’s degree in public health or a related healthcare field. There are over 60 public health bachelor degree programs in the United States to choose from. Depending on where you live, how much you’re willing to invest in a bachelor’s degree, and many other factors, you’ll be able to start narrowing down your options and honing in on an ideal school to help you achieve your career dreams.

Pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree in public health is a great idea. Invest in your future with a degree in public health. It requires lots of hard work and a considerable financial investment, but the future benefits far outweigh the costs. Some programs are more affordable than others, and there are many other variables to weigh before making a final decision as to which school to enroll in. Read on to learn plenty of information about your options before you make a well-informed decision.

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Kinds of Public Health Degrees

There are various public health degrees to choose from at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. No matter which stage of career you may be at, you can find a program that’ll help you achieve your goals.

A public health major at the collegiate level is a wise choice for anyone who wants to be involved in this booming industry. A public health bachelor’s degree will help you begin a career well and with an excellent work ethic, eventually go far. A public health major, which results in a public health bachelor’s degree from a well-established program will enable you to be prime candidate for well-paying jobs in this incredibly important, ever-expanding field here in the United States.

Those who have earned a public health bachelor’s degree already and have been working in this field for a few years may wonder about the benefits of pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Health. Perhaps you’d like to become eligible for leadership roles or new positions outside of the organization in which you currently work, and earning an MPH degree is the perfect way to enhance your skills, network, and opportunities for advancement in the public health sector. Start researching MPH programs and you’ll quickly find a wide assortment of in-person and online options to choose from at a wide range of price points. Many programs require applicants to take and submit a graduate record examination (GRE), though some don’t require it at all or offer waivers to those who qualify.

Thinking about pursuing a doctorate degree in Public Health? Selecting a competitive program will provide students with the opportunity to gain the skills needed to advance their careers in the Public Health sector. Enhance your expertise with a doctorate degree in Public Health. Of course, prospective students will need to hold bachelor’s and master’s degrees in public health or a related field such as business, health care, psychology, economics, medicine, or biology. Students must also have 2-4 years of full-time work experience in the public health sector. Ideal students have held various jobs in the public and private areas of the public health industry. A selection of the best online doctorate in Public Health programs can be found here.

Researching the programs at these schools is a great start for finding the right doctorate program to meet your wants and needs. They’re all accredited by respected organizations, require various time commitments, and involve different financial investments. Many former students have found that these programs have been worthwhile for enhancing public health careers and enabling progress.

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How to Pick an MPH Concentration

There are various specialties to choose from when pursuing a Master’s degree in public health. There are more 20 major fields of study under the general umbrella of public health, but most fall into 5 broad categories:

  • Behavioral science/health education
  • Biostatistics
  • Environmental health
  • Epidemiology
  • Health services administration

Other core public health care areas include global health, laboratory practice, maternal and child health, nutrition/dietetics, and occupational health and safety. Are you wondering, “Is public health a good major?” Prospective college students of all kinds have found that yes, is public health a good major, and a wise long-term investment. There are many opportunities for advancement in this in-demand field, especially for people who are committed to investing plenty of hard work and enhancing their skills with bachelor’s, master’s, and event doctorate degrees in Public Health during their careers.

After achieving your bachelor’s degree in public health and gaining a few years of experience in this industry, you may start to wonder, “Why pursue a masters in public health?” Earning a MPH global health has allowed many future-driven career-seekers the ability to quickly advance up the ladder and achieve greater success. With an MPH degree, plenty of people have found that they are able to take on more leadership roles and qualify for more lucrative positions. A few examples of highly lucrative jobs that MPH graduates often apply for include:

  • Biostatistician
  • Consumer safety officer
  • Disease ecologist
  • Emergency preparedness specialist
  • Environmentalist/sanitarian
  • Epidemiologist
  • Health and wellness manager
  • Health inspector
  • Health promotion program coordinator
  • Industrial hygienist
  • Medical investigator
  • Medical writer
  • NGO director
  • Nurse educator
  • Nutritionist/dietician
  • Public health attorney
  • Public health engineer
  • Public health information officer
  • Public health nurse

The MPH global health field is in need of responsible, conscientious workers who are able to improve health outcomes in populations across the US and even, across the world. With a global health focus and an MPH degree, you’ll be able to affect change and improve health outcomes in populations across the world. Whether you end up working for a governmental, non-profit, research, or any other kind of organization, as long as you have a MPH global health degree, you’ll make a real impact.

Why pursue a masters in public health? Simply put: to help people in communities across the US (and perhaps even the world!) become healthier and give longer, happier lives. The field of public health exists to prevent people from experiencing illnesses and injury through systems and policies that support optimal well-being for people of all kinds. After earning a bachelor’s degree in public health and successfully completing 2-4 years of work in the field, pursuing a masters in public health is a wise choice to learn more skills and enhance your leadership potential.

Additionally, a career in the public health sector is something people will always look back on with pride. Invest in a career in public health today – you won’t regret it. During your career in public health, you may have the opportunity to improve the health of millions of people at the local, regional, national, or perhaps even global level. Obtaining a high quality education is the ideal first step towards a securing successful career in public health.

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Is an Online or On-Campus Program Right for Me?

After deciding to pursue a degree in public health, you’ll need to determine whether you’d like to apply for an online or on-campus program. There are a whole bunch of options for both tracks. Earning a public health degree online, online public health degree masters, or bachelors in public health online allows people the flexibility to complete coursework whenever they have free time. Fitting in some reading material is so much easier when you can just pull up your coursework on your phone, tablet, or laptop.

For those who are busy working full-time or taking care of children all day, pursuing an online degree offers the flexibility needed to complete the bachelors, masters, or doctorate program. However, prospective students should know that many public health programs require the completion of an in-person practicum, which may not be realistic for everyone. The majority of online programs allow for the completion of almost all coursework to occur whenever students have time – whether that’s at 2am on a Wednesday night or Sunday morning while the kids are still asleep.

Another advantage of pursuing a public health degree online is that students can take one class at a time. This often allows students to digest and assimilate information more readily than if they were to take a full course load at the same time. However, taking classes on a part-time basis naturally lengthens the amount of time it takes to complete a degree. When considering online programs, it’s a good idea to keep in mind your priorities in terms of time it will take to earn a degree and the amount of effort required to complete course work successfully. Before beginning a program, make sure your schedule is set up in a way that will enable you to pursue your degree in the most effective manner possible. Your future self will be glad you did!

Many public health degree online, online public health degree masters, and bachelors in public health online degrees offer opportunities to complete internship and research programs. Students’ participation in internship and research programs is beneficial because it allows them to apply what they’ve learned during their coursework as well as expand their networks, and potentially secure employment upon graduation. For all the schools you’re considering, make sure you closely examine the opportunities for internships and research programs to make sure your time completing the program will be well-spent and lead to future success in the public health field.

Take some time to thoroughly investigate all variables before beginning an online on on-campus public health program. There are so many excellent programs to choose from according to students’ interests, financial parameters, schedule requirements, and other variables. It’s also essential to make sure whichever program you choose is accredited. Accreditation is a process in which a third party evaluates a school’s program to make sure it offers a high standard of education. Choosing a school that has been accredited by the CEPH (Council on Education for Public Health and the AAPHP (Association of Accredited Public Health Programs) is highly recommended. Accreditation ensures your degree will be approved and accepted by many regional, national, and global organizations. With a degree from an accredited school, you’ll be able to confidently pursue your career goals immediately after graduation.

Do your homework before deciding to invest in a public health program so that you’ll be well-informed and totally confident as you begin the hard work required to complete your public health degree. Some significant time investments now will pay off for many decades to come as you actively continue in your prosperous career in public health.

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Accelerated, Executive, and Other Non-Traditional Formats

Looking for a program that’ll deliver fast results in the shortest amount of time? Perhaps an accelerated MPH program would meet your needs well. There are so many accelerated MPH programs to choose from, but MPHOnline’s rankings focus on those that provide the strongest return on investment and job market potential. These accelerated MPH programs last from 11-16 months so that students can achieve their degrees much faster than other programs and move on with their careers. While these programs are intense, many people have found the time savings to be totally worth it.

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What Will I Learn in a Public Health Program?

While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public health, students will take various courses to earn their place in this industry. Completing public health major requirements involve choosing between a natural science or social science focus (8). Those who choose natural science will take many courses with premed majors, including physics, chemistry, and advanced biology. Those who choose social sciences will be required to take classes in psychology, sociology, history of medicine, anthropology, economics, political science, geography, and environmental engineering.

Public health major requirements, whether people choose the natural science or social sciences track, include taking biology, calculus, English, and 4 public health courses – in epidemiology, environmental health, health policy and management, and biostatistics. The completion of internships and research programs may also be public health major requirements.

As for MPH requirements, it depends on what specialty is chosen by each student. For instance, to achieve an MPH degree at UCLA (9), students must choose between the following specializations: Biostatistics; Community Health Sciences; Environmental Health Services; Epidemiology and Health Policy and Management; or a Doctor of Public Health degree with a specialization in Biostatistics.

MPH requirements including coursework in the following areas: Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, Biostatistics, and Community Health Sciences, and well as 3 Elective Courses. 400 hours of fieldwork are also part of the MPH requirements before graduation.

MPH requirements for online programs vary. For instance, in most cases requirements vary based on concentration chosen. Students can choose between environmental health, epidemiology, or social and behavioral sciences. Most affordable online MPH programs requirement include a practicum – a course designed to put theory and knowledge into practice. Other MHA requirements for the online program include maintaining a minimum 3.0 GPA and the submission of recent GRE scores before admittance.

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Ready to Begin a Career in Public Health?

Public health is quickly becoming a sought-after industry. As the Baby Boomer generation starts to enter their retirement years and populations in many countries continue to grow, healthcare systems are feeling more stressed than ever before. This requires people in lots of countries, especially here in the US, to develop high impact, far-reaching solutions to ensure our healthcare systems, methodology, and policies continue to improve and meet the needs of individuals, families, and communities. Make sure healthcare outcomes continue to advance and become even more efficient to benefit all sectors of the population here in the US and abroad by pursuing a career in public health. With a bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degree in public health, it will be impossible not to make a lasting impact on healthcare outcomes locally, regionally, nationally, and perhaps even globally. Begin today!

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