Online Degrees in Public Health

Today's public health professionals work in education, administration and management, policy, community practice, and research. Job titles for public health workers include the following:

• Health scientist
• Policy analyst
• Health care administrator
• Health educator
• Research associate
• Data analyst
• Epidemiologist

Public health professionals work across a wide range of settings, including public and private foundations, academic or governmental institutions, research laboratories, consulting companies, crisis centers, relief agencies, regulatory agencies, hospitals and clinics, health care industries, and national or global health care organizations.

There are a wide range of campus-based and online degrees in public health available, and interested students may also pursue degrees in a closely related field such as nursing or public policy. Professionals typically complete undergraduate coursework in biology, mathematics, biostatistics, epidemiology, anthropology, behavioral science, information technology or education.

The ASPH recommends that professionals earn at least a master's degree in public health. Public health degrees at the graduate level include:

• Master of Public Health (MPH)
• Master of Health Administration (MHA)
• Master of Health Services Administration (MHSA)
• Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)
• Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Professional degrees are most applicable to those looking to practice in a health care or community education setting, while academic degrees such as the PhD or MSPH may be more appropriate for those interested in research. Students may also choose to earn a dual degree, adding a specialty in business, nursing, medicine, dentistry, social work, public policy or law.

Public health professionals earn a diverse range of salaries depending on the specialty and employment setting. As health care professionals, many public health workers stand to benefit from the explosive job growth in this sector, and many public health careers are growing faster than average.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that job growth for health educators will reach 18 percent during the decade from 2008 to 2018. The mean annual wage for health educators in 2010 was $50,270. Epidemiologists are projected to see a 15 percent increase in openings from 2008 to 2018 with mean annual wages of $68,280. Openings for medical and health service managers are expected to grow by 16 percent over that same period, with mean annual salaries of $93,670.

• Top employers in the public health sector include governmental agencies, research laboratories, public clinics and social service organizations.
• Many agencies require administrators and other professionals to hold master's degrees.
• Job growth in many public health fields is predicted to be between 15 and 20 percent from 2008 to 2018.