Many of us know that we want to leave an impact on society. We know what we’re most passionate about, and therefore, we can start to understand where our paths will take us. We know in what arenas we want to work, or lead. We want to help define a generation of workers in our discipline. We want to impact populations, and improve the greater good. We want to be successful.

How can you shape your legacy, and also be remembered for doing something that actually matters for the world? For the types of people like us—who are strategic thinkers, who can rationally see problems in current systems, who can influence change, and who want to improve the lives of others—a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) degree could be part of our personal and professional road to the future.

Simply put, an MPH is a Master’s in Public Health degree. It is an advanced degree for those looking to make an impact in their communities. At a larger scale, an MPH degree is an investment in world health—from the super-local to the international scale. It’s you raising your hand to say, “Yes, I want to implement projects, research, education, or treatment that improves the health of those in a given community.” The impact might be broader than you think, which is inspiring at many levels!

Take for example, this initiative promoted by the Office of the Associate Director for Policy and Strategy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Hi-5, or Health Impact in 5 Years, is an initiative that takes a community-wide approach with education through a pyramid shaped teaching tool. The most impact can be felt at the bottom two tiers of the pyramid, and is therefore where the Hi-5 program focuses. Namely, it focuses on improving:

1. The Social Determinants of Health, including things like a public transportation system, early childhood education, and water fluoridation, and
2. Changing the Context, which puts healthier choices within reach, from including school-based violence prevention, to tobacco use intervention.

The benefits from seemingly small changes like these, actually have a lasting public health impact, and can help to alleviate all sorts of public health problems, from blood pressure and obesity, to cancer, STDs, anxiety and depression.

Understanding how to implement programs like these, is what a graduate Public Health student does! In a Public Health Master’s degree program, you’ll focus on a few core areas within the broader curriculum:

• Epidemiology – Learning how to investigate disease in populations, covering the fundamentals, and assessing risk factors.
• Biostatistics – Understanding techniques of hypothesis, including how to use statistical tools such as probability theory, bivariate analysis, and inference.
• Resource Management – It’s through a complex delivery system in the U.S. that healthcare reaches the individual and general community. In an MPH program, you’ll study the economics of public health financing, including cost analysis and cost effectiveness, as well as health promotion and resource distribution. Beginning to understand some of the thoroughfares and barriers between populations and access to healthcare resources will be one of the most valuable lessons, which in fact, will make up your lifetime as a public health worker.

So, what sort of career options are open to a public health professional, specifically those with an MPH? The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which is the government organization responsible for occupational oversight over public service roles, offers some helpful definitions that qualify these titles:

Sanitarian
Someone who has obtained specialized experience in developing, evaluating, and advising on programs designed to prevent and eliminate environmental health hazards, for instance: substance analysis in regards to contamination or disease presence.

Public Health Educator
Experienced in the field of public health education, social work, or community organization, for instance having worked with State of local health departments, or national agencies. A coordinator for health programs, their evaluation and improvement, who tackles health problems and methods of disease prevention.

Biostatistician
A person whose education will include occupational and/or environmental health studies, toxicology, biostatistics, and epidemiology, and whose field experience covers the acquisition of quantitative and qualitative data, hypothesis of effects of exposures on health, and recommendation of controls. This covers chemical, physical, and biological health stresses.

Besides roles like these, a Goodwin University MPH graduate is also eligible for a career as an Epidemiologist or as a Disaster and Emergency Specialist. Earning a valuable career is at your fingertips, with flexible, online coursework that can be completed in as few as 16 months, full-time.

The best part about earning an MPH degree at Goodwin? Career Services is there for you, for a lifetime of assistance to make sure that you get the jobs you want and deserve, throughout your career.

Thinking that earning a Master’s in Public Health could be your next bright move? Learn more about the MPH Program Online for more information, or give us a call at 800-889-3282, and get started on your application right away!