Types of Public Health Degrees Available to You

Do you want to make a difference in your career? Public health is a growing and ever-evolving field that has made quite an impact on populations across the world. It is full of healthcare professionals, advocates, and educators who have a passion for protecting and serving our communities. We need people like them (people like you) to assess, support, and care for our public health – and that is where a public health degree will serve you well.

The life expectancy of Americans has continued to rise over the past 50 years, as stated by the World Bank Group. At the same time, the population itself has also continued to increase. And with the rise in overall population has come the rise in cancer, Alzheimer’s, and several infectious disease outbreaks such as the Noro Virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Norovirus is the leading cause of sickness in the U.S., affecting 20 million people each year. This contagious illness can be spread from close contact with those who are already sick, consuming contaminated food or beverages, or touching contaminated surfaces. There is currently no medication or vaccine to prevent this particular illness. If this type of case study piques your interest, you may be perfect for a role in the public health field.

More than ever before, our country needs trained professionals who can respond to public health emergencies, widespread illnesses, and health epidemics. If you are considering pursuing a career within the public health field, you may be curious about the different types of public health degrees that you can pursue today. What can you study, and what exactly can you do with these degrees? Read on as we explore your options.

Bachelor of Science in Public Health Degree

Thanks the advanced technologies, our world is smarter than ever before. But that means that our health precautions must be better, stronger, and faster than ever before. When there is a public health emergency, it is critical to have experts in the field who know exactly how to react and handle the situation at hand. A career-focused school, like Goodwin College, for example, can help prepare you for a role in this exciting and rewarding field with a public health degree.

Many people believe that a master’s degree is the only gateway to a public health career. However, a bachelor’s degree in public health also promises great career and knowledge potential. In Goodwin’s bachelor’s program, courses are taught by industry experts, who can provide you with the expertise and skills needed to succeed. Some of these valuable courses – which are offered days, nights, weekends, on-campus, online, or a hybrid of online and on-campus – include:

• Introduction to Public Health
• Health Behavior and Chronic Disease
• Human Health in the Environment
• Leadership in Health
• Ethics in Public Health
• Injury Prevention and Public Safety
• Introduction to Global Health
• Health and Social Issues in Aging
• Community Health

Unlike some other public health programs in the state, Goodwin prepares students with comprehensive training that can carry through a variety of career paths inside and outside of public health. Some of the graduates of the bachelor’s public health program go on to pursue careers as:

• Community Health Worker
• Disaster Preparedness Coordinator
• Environmental Health Specialist
• Health Educator
• Health Promotion Specialist
• Public Health Program Coordinator
• Research Assistant

Who should pursue a Bachelor’s in Public Health? If you are seeking to become a public health professional, but desire to get into the field relatively fast, you may choose to launch your career with a bachelor’s degree. Depending on your previous education and your career goals, you may decide to pursue a master’s degree in public health later on, which leads us to our next public health degree…

Master’s Degree in Public Health (MPH)

With a Master’s in Public Health (MPH), you will be well-equipped to take on an advanced career that focuses on big-picture projects, and make a lasting impact on your community – or the world!

Just like the bachelor’s degree at Goodwin College, our master’s degree program offers the kind of flexibility that few schools can offer. We understand that our students have work and personal obligations. The 45-credit MPH program is offered full-time and fully online, so you can complete your coursework on your schedule, in as little as 16 months.

Some of these courses – also taught by industry professionals – include:

• Foundations of Public Health
• Biostatistics
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Public Health Policy
• Occupational and Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Methods in Research and Practice

An MPH program is the right choice for students who have earned their bachelor’s degree, and who wish to advance their career and earning potential.

The benefit of pursuing your public health degree at the master’s level, is the expanded careers you can pursue in important fields like Epidemiology and Biostatistics. Graduates of Goodwin’s MPH program, for example, may go onto pursue careers such as:

• Biostatician
• Disaster and Emergency Specialist
• Epidemiologist
• Public Health Director
• Public Health Educator
• Sanitarian

The job outlook is bright for public health professionals. For example, Emergency Management Directors enjoy a rewarding career that fill a critical need, preparing plans and procedures for responding to natural disasters and emergencies. These professionals, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, earn a median salary of $74,420 per year.

Still wondering which type of public health degree is right for you? Visit our article, “Bachelor’s vs. Master’s Degree in Public Health: Which is Right for You?”

And if you are interested in learning more about the programs offered at Goodwin College, please call 1-800-889-3282 or visit us online today.