Available Opportunities in the Public Health Field

The Affordable Care Act (or Obamacare as it is popularly called) has put health on the front pages and the forefront of most American minds. The public health workforce is going to be kept busy making sense of the law and applying the regulations to their institutions, particularly for people with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH).

Whereas doctors and nurses are educated and trained to treat illness and disease, public health education centers on prevention. Public health professionals conduct research and develop programs to educate the populace on healthier choices. They also design policies and regulations for healthcare systems. Some also focus on bridging the gap between socio-economic groups, ethnic and other groups for equitable health care.

Type of Careers Available

mph programs prepare people to work in various divisions of the health industry depending on the concentration they choose to earn a degree. General Public Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Biostatistics and Public Health Policy and Management are a short list of the concentrations available for a Master's in Public Health.

People decide on a concentration depending on which direction they want their career to go. The bachelor degree one has will also determine which master program is appropriate. For instance, if a person wants to pursue a MPH with a concentration in Biostatistics, he or she should have bachelor's degree in statistics or mathematics; a person who wants a concentration in Environmental Health should have a bachelor's degree in environmental science.

Courses Included in a Program

Programs that accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) are endorsed as being designed to prepare students for the challenging health field. The University of Southern California (USC) is a featured and highly recommended school for MPH degrees by CEPH. Courses one can expect toward a MPH generally include health care laws and policies, human rights and ethical behaviors, environmental health, behavioral sciences and communications. Core discipline courses vary depending on the concentration chosen. Practical experience, such as an internship is expected to complete a program of study.