Online Public Health Degree Programs

An online public health degree is ideal for those interested in working on a community level in a health profession? What can you do with public health qualifications?

Public health is defined as the art and science preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized, deliberate efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals. It is concerned with threats to the overall health of a community. Public health professionals work in various settings and confront complex health issues which involve providing access to health care, controlling infectious disease, and reducing environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse, and injury. It deals with the science and practice of community hygiene, including preventive medicine, health education, sanitation, and environmental safety. In most cases you can earn a Master of Public Health or Ph.D. in Public depending on your current academic qualifications. Public Health professionals come from many educational backgrounds and can specialize in many fields. These include teachers, journalists, researchers, administrators, environmentalists, demographers, social workers, lab scientists, attorneys, who work to protect the health of the general public.

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Selected Online Public Health Degree Programs

Walden University

• Master of Public Health
• Ph.D. in Public Health

Capella University

• MPH - General Public Health

• Master of Public Health
• Master of Public Health with Dental Emphasis

Benedictine University

• Master of Public Health - Disaster Management
• Master of Public Health - Health Education & Promotion
• Master of Public Health - Health Management & Policy
• Master of Public Health/Master of Business Administration
• Master of Public Health

Kaplan University

• Master of Public Health - Epidemiology
• Master of Public Health - Health Education
• Master of Public Health - Public Health Program Development

University of Liverpool

• Master of Public Health
• Master of Public Health - Epidemiology
• Master of Public Health - International Public Health
• Master of Public Health - Management of Health Systems

Public Health Education and Training

An MPH - Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is a key degree in health care. Many health professionals for example nurses, doctors and therapist go on to get a degree in public health. If you pursue a PhD in Public Health, this will prepare you for careers in research, teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level, working in policy analysis and development, and other high-level public health positions. Other jobs in public health are monitoring the environment, health inspection, public education, and actual health care provision. Many health professionals with a campus or online public health degree also work as health care managers and public health social workers. A Master of Science (MS) in Public Health - Management and Policy will prepare you. Educating the community on good health practices is a key component in the career, so if you enjoy teaching, this might be a career option for you.

Public Health Careers

Public health degrees prepare you to work with health issues that apply to communities or entire populations. Public Health can be split into the fields of epidemiology, bio-statistics, and health services. Emphasis on Public Health education focuses on issues that affect environmental, social, behavioral, and occupational health. There are many areas of practice in the public health profession:

• Health Education
• Health care Management
• Public Safety Management
• Health Services Administration
• Biostatistics
• Epidemiology
• Environmental Health
• International Health
• Nutrition
• Public Health Practice/Program Management
• Biomedical Laboratory

Public health professionals work public and private sectors in local, state, or federal health departments. Jobs include safety inspectors, health educators, policy analysts, epidemiologists, and researchers. Still, others prefer to work in non-profit organizations while others work for pharmaceutical and insurance companies.

Expected Salary and Projected Career Growth

For graduates with a bachelor's degree, salaries range between $25,000 to $32,000. With a master's degree, entry-level salaries range from $30,000 to $40,000 but with a few years of experience in the field can command salaries exceeding $50,000. With some specializations or training such as Health Services Administration, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, and Program Management, salaries can go up to between $86,000 and $162,000 a year.

An online public health degree offers many opportunities particularly at the masters degree level as students are prepared to plan, implement, and evaluate public health education in higher education, the work-site, and community and health care agencies.