What Can You Do with a Public Health Degree?
The healthcare industry is currently the fastest growing industry on the market. The increasing awareness and demand for good healthcare means there is a spike in demand for healthcare professionals. What many people don’t realize is that the same changes are driving the field of public health as well; it is growing just as rapidly as the healthcare industry.
That level of growth means public health is now a very attractive field for students and professionals alike. There are more programs in public health and various degrees to pursue in this field. What can you do with a public health degree? That is what we are going to find out in this article.
Public Health Project Manager
Your career in public health can start with a role as public health project manager. As the name suggests, the main duty of a public health project manager is planning, organizing, and evaluating public health programs and projects. You will be working under a government institution, the CSR department of a private company, or the best non-profit organization in its field.
Public health project management is the kind of career that allows you to travel more, visit new places, connect with communities, and really make a difference. For example, you can get involved in HIV/AIDS programs for an NGO and organize projects in countries such as Indonesia or Thailand.
Naturally, you need good leadership and management skills to succeed in this field. In return, you get to change a lot of people’s lives and really make an impact in the society.
Public Health Administrator
While project managers focus more on individual projects, administrators get to manage an entire healthcare facility, a department, or even a public health NGO. It is one of the fastest-growing careers in the field of public health, with job growth currently at around 23% according to the latest research.
It is also considered a top-level management position in many hospitals and medical institutions, so you can expect the same high rewards as similar positions. Your role focuses around maintaining the smooth operations of a health institution and ensuring the delivery of service and care to patients.
A good way to enter this line of work is by earning a public health degree online from reputable universities such as the University of Arizona. During the master of public health program, you will learn the skills required to succeed as a public health administrator.
Epidemiologist
This last career option is another highly-respected job in the field of healthcare and public health. As an epidemiologist, your job is to monitor and analyze the spread of diseases, understand the causes of an outbreak, and find possible solutions to public health issues.
Similar to the previous two jobs, a career in epidemiology is one that allows you to make a big impact in society. You are not working to cure individual patients, but rather to save communities and even an entire nation.
Many parties, from private health institutes and public health departments in various countries, are looking for qualified epidemiologist, public health project managers, and administrators. There will be a lot of opportunities to grab by the time you complete your MPH degree. That level of growth is why pursuing a public health degree today is a great investment for your future.