{"id":6377,"date":"2019-12-20T10:18:33","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T15:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/?p=6377"},"modified":"2024-12-17T17:15:15","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T22:15:15","slug":"masters-in-global-health-vs-public-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goodwin.edu\/enews\/masters-in-global-health-vs-public-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Master’s in Global Health vs. Master’s in Public Health: Is There a Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Do you remember, just a few years\nago in 2014, when the Ebola virus was on the front page of all the major\nnewspapers, and the top trending news channel story? Images of doctors, nurses,\nand aid workers in white hazmat suits, families separated by quarantine,\nheartbreak and tragedy as loved ones became infected. This terrible outbreak in\nWest Africa struck counties including Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, and by\nWinter 2016, it had claimed 11,325 lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>\n(CDC). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is just one instance in which\nlocal healthcare professionals, government officials, community organizations,\nand emergency health organizations needed to work together (and act fast) to\nhelp contain, treat, and prevent the spread of this virus. At the same time,\nthey worked to educate the public and conduct risk assessments to ensure\neveryone\u2019s safety. With a master\u2019s degree, this is the type of job you might be\nable to earn. This is the type of impact you could make on the world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fights like those against Ebola\nare far from over, and as the world grows smaller and more globalized, issues\nthat become, in part, the responsibility of a global health worker will\ncontinue to grow more numerous and dire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that by 2030, there\nwill be a demand for 80 million<\/strong> health workers worldwide? The\nexpectation, however, is that we will only have 65 million of those workers\navailable. That\u2019s an extreme shortage of 15 million qualified workers. The Human Resources for Health<\/a> journal\nurges for scalability of healthcare systems, specifically in low and middle\nincome countries, in order to deliver just the necessary services on a\nneed-based output, to combat the fact that demand will exceed supply.\nHealthcare professionals who can start building infrastructure now, before we\nreach this tipping point, are vital for such countries’ healthcare success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big problems like these can\nactually be very inspiring, for the right individual! Choosing a career path\nthat makes a true difference in others’ lives and well-being is one of the best\nthings you can do on this Earth. The question is, for jobs in global health,\ndoes it take a master\u2019s degree specifically in global health? Does a master\u2019s\ndegree in public health (MPH) cover the same bases, and allow you to be\neligible for the same roles? The answer is simple: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both a master\u2019s in global health\nand a master\u2019s in public health will help you develop the skills to improve the\nquality of life for communities worldwide. Both degrees will teach you about\ndisease prevention, management, and treatment. It all depends on the\nmethodology, setting, and scale on which you want to provide this type of\nadministration and care. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With either a degree in public\nhealth, or a master\u2019s in global health, you\u2019ll gain an education about\npertinent global health threats. Beyond Ebola, some other examples are measles,\npolio, Zika, HIV, Cholera, influenza, and malaria. Non-virus related threats to\npublic health include opioid addiction and overdose, the dangers of tobacco and\nvape product use, sanitation, and health issues for refugee populations, just\nto name a few. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a public health professional,\nyou might come at these issues from a federally funded agency like the CDC, or,\nfrom a global health agency like the World Health Organization <\/a>(WHO). You\nmight be interested in providing aide at the grassroots\u2019 level, through\neducation and local community organizing. Maybe front-line disaster specialist\nis where your heart is set. Or, you may want to be on the team of policy writers\n\u2013 the planners behind the curtain who map out a course of action. Regardless,\nthe flexible curriculum<\/a>, including no fewer than five\nelectives plus a personal capstone project, in a public health master\u2019s degree\nprogram like Goodwin\u2019s, allows you to figure out where your passions lie, and\nwhat you want to pursue professionally. Most importantly, upon completion of\nyour program, you\u2019ll be eligible for jobs like these.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The career options<\/a> that will be available to you,\nwith a master\u2019s in public health, include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n