Master of Public Health

If you’re interested in advanced education in the healthcare field, you might be confused and overwhelmed by the options out there. While you might originally be looking at Masters in Public Health (MPH) options, you have probably also come across other master’s degree programs – MHA, MPA, and more! Is the MPH really your best option? Let’s take a look at how it compares to other healthcare master’s degree choice.

Master of Public Health

An MPH prepares you for, as the name implies, a career in public health. Public health is an interdisciplinary field that works to promote health, prevent disease and injury, and prolong the life of a population. As part of your MPH program, you’ll cover topics such as epidemiology, health services, behavior health, biostats, infectious disease, sociology, and more. Working in public health, you could do anything from teach teens about STD prevention to research the effects of obesity on the health of a country’s population to help create workplace policy to reduce injuries. It’s an extremely comprehensive field with tons of career options when you graduate.

Other Healthcare Masters Degrees

So what are your other degree options if you’re interested in working in the healthcare field? Here are some of the most popular:

• Master of Healthcare Administration (MHA): An MHA is perfect for students who want to learn about the business of healthcare. In this field, depending on your specialty, you could work in roles such as finance, human resources, informatics/IT, public relations and more. There’s some overlap with an MPH program here, but your education will have more a business spin.
• Master of Public Administration (MPA): MPA degrees aren’t specific to the healthcare world, but many offer a healthcare specialization to prepare you for working at non-profit healthcare facilities. This kind of degree prepares you for a job in personnel management, public policy creation and implementation, emergency management, and other related fields. MPA in healthcare degrees are like a cross between an MPH and an MPA.
• Master of Public Policy (MPP): MPP degree programs are extremely similar to MPA programs, but with an emphasis in policy analysis. Like MPA degree, the focus here isn’t specific to the healthcare field, but many programs offer a healthcare track.
• Master of Science in Nursing (MSN): MSN programs are specifically for students who are already nurses. If you earn an MSN as a nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist, you can specialize in public health, public policy or administration. The benefit to these programs is that you’ll graduate as an advanced practice nurse (APN), so you have tons of career opportunities, even outside of the public health field.

There are actually even more master’s degree programs you can consider. For example, in many fields you can earn a simple Master of Science, or MS, if you want to take more of an academic approach, getting into research or teaching eventually. You can also get an Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a specialization in healthcare administration or public health, which gives you an even stronger business education than an MHA.

Advantages to MPH programs

As you’re considering different master’s degree programs in the healthcare field, keep in mind that there are some clear advantages to choosing an MPH program rather than one of the other types of programs.

First, with an MPH program, you get to explore all the ares of public health, include some extremely specialized areas like environmental health. With other programs, where the focus is on other topics, you might touch on public health, but you won’t delve very deep into the sub-categories in this field. A good MPH program includes classes on the ten core areas of public health: biostatistics, epidemiology, health services administration, health education, behavioral science, environmental health, maternal and child health, public health nutrition, public health practice, and public health administration/policy. Other programs cover some, but not all of these topics.

A MPH program also solely focuses on public health, rather than other topics that might not interest you or be relevant to your job. For example, MHA programs often spend a lot of time on finance and accounting information – something that may not be super relevant to you with a career in public health. With the MPH degree, you can’t transition as easily to other fields within the healthcare industry, but if you have a passion for public health, that might not be a problem.

Lastly, with such a focused education, you’ll be a more attractive option to many employers. Someone who goes through an MSN or MPA program, for example, will probably not have as much focused public health education. Thus, you are the better candidate for the public health job.of course, it depends on your other attributes and the job itself, but again, if you have a passion for public health, it typically makes the most sense to earn an MPH rather than another type of degree.

Doctorate Degrees in Public Health

After you earn a MPH, you can also go on to get a doctorate degree in this field, which is not as easy of you attend school in one of the other public health-related programs. There are two main types of doctorate degrees in this field. The first, the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Health is for those interested in going on to do public health research or become a public health professor at a college or university. The second type, the Doctor of Public Health is more of a professional degree, which lends itself to practicing in this field. Both are great options if you already have a MPH and want even more education in this field.

Which Program to Choose

At the end of the day, there is a lot of overlap between MPH programs and other healthcare masters degree programs. It might seem confusing right now, but take time to examine lots of different programs to see what they have to offer and talk to college counselors about your career goals to find the best program for you.

Health administration, behavioral studies, biostats, environmental science, health education, epidemiology, and occupational health form the foundation of public health. Individuals interested in one or more of these areas would do well to advance their careers by earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree. The schools below are all accredited online universities that offer the MPH or a similar degree.

MPH MPH: Epidemiology MPH: Health Mgmt MPH: Intl Public Health	University of Liverpool – The University of Liverpool Master of Public Health degree provides a foundation in the science of promoting health and preventing disease. Areas of emphasis within the MPH program include epidemiology, healthcare management, and international public health. As an added convenience, the university offers a modular system that provides students the flexibility of obtaining credits at partner institutions.
MPH MPH: Health Education	Kaplan University – Graduates of the Kaplan University MPH program are ready to take their careers to the next stage at the government, nonprofit, or private level. The online program provides students with an education on how to analyze and apply scientific research, prepare public health policies, develop health education programs, and review the impact of occupational and environmental factors. Kaplan offers several specializations within their MPH program, including health education.
MPH MPH: Disaster Mgmt MPH: Health Education MPH: Health Policy MPH/MBA Dual Degree	Benedictine University – Benedictine University's Master's in Public Health program features a curriculum of public health core with a focus on the needs of today's healthcare industry. Courses feature a conceptual, factual, and skill base where students are given the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills in a professional setting. Benedictine offers areas of emphasis within their MPH program: disaster management, health education, and healthcare policy. They also offer an MPH/MBA dual degree.
MPH MPA: Health Policy	Walden University – The Walden University MPH degree teaches the development of healthy individuals, organizations, and communities. The program provides core study in the public health field, using real-world teaching methodology, industry leading professors, and a capstone fieldwork practicum. Those interested in policymaking may find Walden's MPA in health policy to be of interest.
MPH MPH: Behavioral Science MPH: Health Policy	Capella University – The MPH program at Capella University prepares students for careers in public health management, social welfare, or research. Key facets of the curriculum include the behavioral, psychological, and social factors that contribute to the health of populations. Specializations include behavioral science and healthcare policy. Courses include International Public Health, Environmental Health Concepts in Public Health, and Principles of Biostatistics.
MPH	Grand Canyon University – The Grand Canyon University Master of Public Health program is recognized as a leader in training the next generation of public health advocates. Featuring a curriculum that is developed around a multidisciplinary methodology, courses include Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Environmental Health, and Social, Behavioral, and Cultural Factors in Public Health.
MHA: Health Education MHA	University of Phoenix – The Master of Health Administration and MHA in Health Education programs at the University of Phoenix provide a foundation in sciences with a relevant working knowledge of the industry. Graduates of either online degree program will be empowered to both analyze current public health care environments and have the tools necessary to improve their management.
MS: Health Services MBA: Health Services	Strayer University – Strayer University offers two health services administration degrees through its accredited online program. The Master of Health Services Administration prepares students for high-level careers as healthcare managers, managed healthcare plan coordinators, hospital administrators, and much more. The MBA in health services administration gives students a well-rounded business education in addition to healthcare-specific knowledge.
MS: Health Communication	Boston University – At the Boston University online Master of Science in Health Communication program, students are taught cutting edge methods in hospital administration through a dynamic curriculum that examines current healthcare issues. The program gives students a world class education in the art of communicating health literacy.
MS: Disaster Mgmt	Philadelphia University – The Master of Science in Disaster Medicine and Management at Philadelphia University is focused on the study of terrorism, weapons of mass destruction, hazardous materials, natural disasters, psychological effects of disasters, stress intervention, and disaster research. In a post 9/11 world, this knowledge is in high demand.
MPH MPH: Dental Health MPA: Health Administration	A.T. Still University of Health Sciences – The A.T. Still Universty of Health Sciences Master in Public Health program is focused on graduating leaders in community health centers, institutes of higher education, non-profit organizations, and local, state, and federal government. They also offer an MPH in dental health and an MPA in health administration. The university is renowned for both its innovative research and creative faculty.
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