Public Health Degrees

Overview

Public Health degrees address health issues that occur within a community. Students are introduced to subjects such as principles of epidemiology, public health and environment, and legal issues in health care. A Master of Science in public health is an academic degree and not a professional degree. Depending on the school, it may be offered with various subjects such as biostatistics or epidemiology. When you complete your public health master's degree program, you will have the skills needed to effectively communicate with others about important healthcare issues.

Benefits

Graduates from a public health school may become biostatisticians, go into consulting, research, or may work for the government, industry, or academia. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median yearly salary for medical and public health social workers is in the low-forties. The field challenges its professionals to deal with complex health issues such as improving access to health care, controlling infectious disease, reducing environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse, and injury. Public health professionals come from diverse educational backgrounds and can specialize in an array of fields. An area of study like public health offers great personal satisfaction. While there are dozens of specialties in public health, most career opportunities are found in the fields mentioned below. Persons who have completed public health care degrees can earn anything from $30,000 to $143,000.

Costs

The total cost incurred usually covers the course fee, text books, and living expenses. The costs vary, depending on where you choose to study and the program that you decide to opt for.

Schools

There are around 40 CEPH accredited public health schools. All accredited schools meet rigorous accreditation standards, and each of them boasts of their unique strength in the fields of research, service and education. Some of the schools that you can consider are: Boston University School of Public Health , Harvard School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

Testing & Preparation

Some schools require prospective applicants to submit Graduate Record Examination Scores. Work experience definitely gives you an edge over the others. A minimum bachelor's degree is required to get into graduate programs. Pre-requisite degree requirements vary with the program that you opt for.

Financial Aid

Merit-based and need-based financial aid is given by most schools of public health. You can get in touch with the student financial services department of public health schools like Harvard and George Washington University School of Public Health. They provide a number of scholarships, fellowships, and other forms of funding that help you supplement your personal resources. You can also consider applying to the Federal Student Aid for financial aid.