Public health is a broad area that focuses on many aspects including prevention of disease, education, development of immunizations, safety of food, and clinical research. A Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree provides students with an advanced understanding of the practical components of the public health field. It is designed to prepare students for a variety of careers in the public health arena such as promoting community awareness regarding infectious diseases and immunizations to preventing violence. Individuals with a MPH degree have the ability to help a wide range of people in many different types of populations. The top three benefits of getting a MPH degree include expansion of skills, wide range of career opportunities, and positive job outlook and competitive salary.
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Expansion of Skills
A MPH degree provides students with a well-rounded public health education that covers nearly all disciplines of the field such as biostatistics, environmental health, behavioral science, epidemiology, global health, health policy and management, informatics, and leadership. The programs help individuals expand their set of skills and stay up to date of the changes in the field to make a difference in battling the health care issues of today’s society. Master’s in Public Health students become better problem solvers and gain the ability to describe the origins of current health care issues and develop ways to improve these issues. They learn how to incorporate the best practices in promoting good general health in their communities and the application of epidemiological methods. A MPH also helps individuals increase their communication skills.
Wide Range of Career Opportunities
A MPH degree demonstrates a person’s commitment to the public health field and makes them more marketable in a variety of job fields. Graduates typically have an array of employment opportunities in a variety of settings such as health care facilities, government organizations, or non-profit agencies. Some graduates are able to land research positions if they demonstrate strong abilities in statistics. Others can pursue instructor and leadership positions. Also, many colleges and universities offer specialized Master’s in Public Health degree programs to enable students to pursue specialized training in a specific area of public health such as public health education, disaster management, or health care policy. Specialties allow students to pursue various job opportunities in many different fields. Additionally, many career options for MPH graduates are well paying with great outlooks.
Positive Job Outlook and Competitive Salaries
Health care will consistently continue to be one of the biggest industries in society and future advances will likely stem from preventative public health programs. Graduates with a Master’s in Public Health will be entering a society where future career options will be constantly increasing. For example, the position of management analyst is projected to grow 24 percent over the next ten years. The job stability of a public health related career is very high because even in economic downturns, there will always be a constant need for public health professionals.
The salary ranges for individuals holding a MPH degree are excellent. Also, many public health professionals receive bonuses and have the options for commission, profit sharing, and stock. Payscale.com states the median salary for those with a MPH is between $50,000 and $70,000 per year. Salaries will vary by type of job, employer, and location, but the highest paying positions are often with private consulting companies and the lower salaries for those working for non-profit organizations. Examples of possible jobs and their yearly salaries include: clinical research coordinator $48,000, health educator $43,000, epidemiologist $48,000, and non-profit organization coordinator $42,000.
Larry Pearson is a public health educator and guest author at Best Public Health Schools, a site with information on a variety of top-rated public health degree programs.
