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Interested in a public health degree but not sure which one to pursue? There are many degrees available in public health, both academic and professional at master and doctoral levels. Below is a list of the various degrees one can obtain in public health.
Disclaimer: This information pertains to accredited US institutions. Non-accredited schools do not have to follow the CEPH certification guidelines for public health education, and thus the information below may not pertain to them.
Master Level Degrees
Master of Public Health (MPH): The MPH is a professional terminal degree designed to be a comprehensive public health graduate education. Graduates from these programs generally have a concentration in one of the areas of public health (eg. epidemiology, community health, health policy and administration, environmental/occupational health, etc.), which is the focus of the coursework. All MPH students complete at least one course in all "core" areas of public health. MPH students are also required to complete a practicum, internship, or field work of some sort, as well as a culminating project (eg. comprehensive exam, thesis, presentation, etc.).
The MPH is generally conferred directly by the School of Public Health at that university. The majority of schools will allow students from a variety of undergraduate disciplines and work backgrounds. Many students come directly from undergraduate studies. Some schools offer the MPH to doctoral-level professionals (MD, JD, DDS, etc.) only. Competitiveness of admission to MPH programs varies from institution to institution, but generally speaking, admit rates range from 35% - 80%. A competitive applicant should have at a minimum a demonstrated interest in public health, a 50th-percentile on all GRE sections, and a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. The degree typically takes two years of full-time coursework. Some schools offer an accelerated one year program for individuals already possessing a doctoral-level degree. As with most professional degree programs, students are generally not accommodated with significant scholarship or grant options to fund their studies.
Master of Science (MS, MSc, ScM, MSPH): The MS is an academic research degree designed for folks who wish to attain the quantitative and qualitative skills to become proficient researchers. Students apply to a particular discipline, and very little coursework is taken outside of that discipline (the MSPH is the exception to this rule as it is still an academic research degree but still incorporates some of the core PH coursework from the MPH). This trait makes the MS a less suitable degree for someone who wishes to be a public health professional that requires the interdisciplinary education that a MPH provides. MS students will generally complete an independent research project with a traditional thesis/dissertation and defense. Many students enrolling in a MS program are very suitable applicants to academic doctoral programs (eg. PhD, ScD) due to similarities in coursework and research requirements. Typical programs require two years for coursework and thesis/dissertation.
The MS is generally conferred by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (or applicable name at that particular institution) rather than the School of Public Health at that university, and thus admissions requirements will be different than a MPH applicant. In general, applications to MS programs are more competitive than MPH programs due to the smaller allowable class sizes and necessary individual attention of a MS student during the thesis and defense phase. Admit rates vary significantly. MS students will sometimes receive funding for their education under a faculty member's training grant or project grant, but is not common.
Doctoral Level Degrees
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH): The DrPH is the doctoral-level equivalent of the MPH. The DrPH is a professional terminal degree designed for public health professionals with several years of experience who wish to become leaders and decision makers in their fields. The DrPH is a degree conferred as a school-wide degree from SPHs, as such, students may concentrate in many areas of public health. Dissertation and defense work is necessary, but different than in traditional academic dissertations. The DrPH dissertation and defense tackles unique public health issues, and the research is solving and addressing systemic topics rather than the narrow focused research of an academic researcher (eg. association of 20 SNPs with esophageal cancer). Some DrPH recipients do become academic researchers, although the typical path is back into public health practice.
As with all doctoral-level degrees, admittance to a DrPH program is highly competitive. Competitive applicants will possess at the least, a MPH degree, several years of experience in public health, and a focused goal toward the DrPH. Some programs will allow students to be concurrently in the workforce while completing their degrees. Typical time to completion is three years for full-time study and up to seven years for part-time study. Options to fund a student's education varies significantly.
Doctor of Philosophy/Science (PhD, ScD, DSc): The PhD/ScD is an academic doctoral degree focused on research and is the doctoral equivalent of the MS degree. Students enrolled in a PhD/ScD program apply to a specific department and focus almost entirely on that single discipline. The goal is to train researchers in that particular field of study. In general, the PhD/ScD is a requirement for a career as an academic researcher in US universities and principal investigators. Students will work under a committee of faculty members, complete coursework, pass a qualifying examination, and complete a dissertation and defense to graduate from the program.
In general, PhDs are conferred by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (or applicable name at that particular institution), whereas the ScD is conferred by the SPH. The differences in PhD versus the ScD is mostly in name only, and the reasons why an institution may confer a PhD or ScD depends on who the school wishes to confer the degree. As with DrPH admission, admission to PhD/ScD programs is highly competitive. Competitive applicants will have a master-level degree in a related public health discipline; demonstrated research interest, skills and ideas; a stellar GPA; and outstanding GRE scores. Due to the heavy mentoring aspect of a PhD/ScD degree, spots are limited. Funding options for students typically comes in the form of a fellowship, training grant, or teaching/research assistant.
Disclaimer: This information pertains to accredited US institutions. Non-accredited schools do not have to follow the CEPH certification guidelines for public health education, and thus the information below may not pertain to them.
Master Level Degrees
Master of Public Health (MPH): The MPH is a professional terminal degree designed to be a comprehensive public health graduate education. Graduates from these programs generally have a concentration in one of the areas of public health (eg. epidemiology, community health, health policy and administration, environmental/occupational health, etc.), which is the focus of the coursework. All MPH students complete at least one course in all "core" areas of public health. MPH students are also required to complete a practicum, internship, or field work of some sort, as well as a culminating project (eg. comprehensive exam, thesis, presentation, etc.).
The MPH is generally conferred directly by the School of Public Health at that university. The majority of schools will allow students from a variety of undergraduate disciplines and work backgrounds. Many students come directly from undergraduate studies. Some schools offer the MPH to doctoral-level professionals (MD, JD, DDS, etc.) only. Competitiveness of admission to MPH programs varies from institution to institution, but generally speaking, admit rates range from 35% - 80%. A competitive applicant should have at a minimum a demonstrated interest in public health, a 50th-percentile on all GRE sections, and a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. The degree typically takes two years of full-time coursework. Some schools offer an accelerated one year program for individuals already possessing a doctoral-level degree. As with most professional degree programs, students are generally not accommodated with significant scholarship or grant options to fund their studies.
Master of Science (MS, MSc, ScM, MSPH): The MS is an academic research degree designed for folks who wish to attain the quantitative and qualitative skills to become proficient researchers. Students apply to a particular discipline, and very little coursework is taken outside of that discipline (the MSPH is the exception to this rule as it is still an academic research degree but still incorporates some of the core PH coursework from the MPH). This trait makes the MS a less suitable degree for someone who wishes to be a public health professional that requires the interdisciplinary education that a MPH provides. MS students will generally complete an independent research project with a traditional thesis/dissertation and defense. Many students enrolling in a MS program are very suitable applicants to academic doctoral programs (eg. PhD, ScD) due to similarities in coursework and research requirements. Typical programs require two years for coursework and thesis/dissertation.
The MS is generally conferred by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (or applicable name at that particular institution) rather than the School of Public Health at that university, and thus admissions requirements will be different than a MPH applicant. In general, applications to MS programs are more competitive than MPH programs due to the smaller allowable class sizes and necessary individual attention of a MS student during the thesis and defense phase. Admit rates vary significantly. MS students will sometimes receive funding for their education under a faculty member's training grant or project grant, but is not common.
Doctoral Level Degrees
Doctor of Public Health (DrPH): The DrPH is the doctoral-level equivalent of the MPH. The DrPH is a professional terminal degree designed for public health professionals with several years of experience who wish to become leaders and decision makers in their fields. The DrPH is a degree conferred as a school-wide degree from SPHs, as such, students may concentrate in many areas of public health. Dissertation and defense work is necessary, but different than in traditional academic dissertations. The DrPH dissertation and defense tackles unique public health issues, and the research is solving and addressing systemic topics rather than the narrow focused research of an academic researcher (eg. association of 20 SNPs with esophageal cancer). Some DrPH recipients do become academic researchers, although the typical path is back into public health practice.
As with all doctoral-level degrees, admittance to a DrPH program is highly competitive. Competitive applicants will possess at the least, a MPH degree, several years of experience in public health, and a focused goal toward the DrPH. Some programs will allow students to be concurrently in the workforce while completing their degrees. Typical time to completion is three years for full-time study and up to seven years for part-time study. Options to fund a student's education varies significantly.
Doctor of Philosophy/Science (PhD, ScD, DSc): The PhD/ScD is an academic doctoral degree focused on research and is the doctoral equivalent of the MS degree. Students enrolled in a PhD/ScD program apply to a specific department and focus almost entirely on that single discipline. The goal is to train researchers in that particular field of study. In general, the PhD/ScD is a requirement for a career as an academic researcher in US universities and principal investigators. Students will work under a committee of faculty members, complete coursework, pass a qualifying examination, and complete a dissertation and defense to graduate from the program.
In general, PhDs are conferred by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (or applicable name at that particular institution), whereas the ScD is conferred by the SPH. The differences in PhD versus the ScD is mostly in name only, and the reasons why an institution may confer a PhD or ScD depends on who the school wishes to confer the degree. As with DrPH admission, admission to PhD/ScD programs is highly competitive. Competitive applicants will have a master-level degree in a related public health discipline; demonstrated research interest, skills and ideas; a stellar GPA; and outstanding GRE scores. Due to the heavy mentoring aspect of a PhD/ScD degree, spots are limited. Funding options for students typically comes in the form of a fellowship, training grant, or teaching/research assistant.
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