Thinking about studying the Master of Public Health (MPH)?
Public health professionals help solve the world’s most pressing health problems
With so many ASPPH member MPH programs, it can be overwhelming for prospective graduate students to decide where to apply. The ASPPH Academic Program Finder helps students find the academic programs that are the best fit for them. Factors like academics, graduate support, research and practice opportunities, program delivery, and location can help you prioritize the best institutions for you. Whether a student is applying for a master’s degree, doctoral degree, or certificate program, the ASPPH Academic Program Finder provides program overviews, admissions requirements, and a direct link to the applications. Review the many academic program options in public health and visit the Academic Program Finder today.
Social Justice and Social Determinants of Health
Helping eliminate health disparities through systems and community-level changes
Public health practitioners and researchers aim to reduce – or eliminate – health disparities which, as the CDC describes, are the “preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.” One of the ways in which public health does this is by addressing the social determinants of health, which are grouped into five domains: economic stability, education access and quality, health care access and quality, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. These domains cover a wide range of factors affecting health outcomes and quality of life. By tackling these problems at a community or systems level, public health helps create healthier environments where everyone can thrive. This curated list shows you programs related to health disparities and minority health, but you can edit the search to expand or limit the results.
Environmental Health, Environmental Justice, Climate Change, and Disaster Preparedness
Protecting the environment and the people and animals who live here
Climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Through public health, students can work to mitigate the impact of climate on the health of people and animals around the world and prepare for and respond to natural disasters. Additionally, public health professionals help to reduce the health impacts of environmental factors outside of climate change, including access to safe drinking water, reduction in toxins in soil and products, reduction in pollution, safe working environments, food safety, and more. This list from the Academic Program Finder is a starting point for degrees that touch on a variety of topics in this area, but you can edit it or add keywords to expand or limit the search.
Preventative Health
Gun violence, unintended injuries, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and more
At its core, public health is about preventing disease and enabling healthy populations. Public health professionals often do this by focusing on a population (e.g., aging populations; migrants; rural communities; mothers and children) or on a topic (e.g., mental health; obesity; food and housing security; violence prevention; HIV/AIDS; cancer) or on an intervention or approach (e.g., behavior change; built environment). No matter what topic, population or approach you are intrigued by, if you are interested in helping others live long and healthy lives, you can find a place in public health. Using the Academic Program Finder, you can search through Areas of Study or Keywords to find the program that will prepare you for the career you want.
DrPH or PhD
Leading public health practice and research
When choosing a terminal degree, there are two primary degree types in public health to consider: the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The practice-focused DrPH degrees, broadly speaking, will help you achieve the highest levels of leadership in a variety of governmental and non-governmental organizations. The traditional PhD will generally prepare you to be a researcher in academia or other research organizations. This curated list in the Academic Program Finder can help you explore the opportunities in doctoral degrees.
Dual Degrees
The interdisciplinary nature of public health makes it a perfect complement to many other degrees
The MPH can be paired with a variety of degrees to provide a public health lens to many fields. For clinical professions, popular combinations include the MD/MPH and MSN/MPH to understand the contextual contributors to patients’ health. But you can also combine the MPH with DDS, DPT, PharmD, and DVM, among others. Those interested in health law or advocacy may choose a JD/MPH, while those interested in urban/regional planning or public administration can pursue a MPA/MPH or MURP/MPH. Explore all of the combinations through the Academic Program Finder.