Prevention is the best medicine, and no one knows this better than public health professionals.
The world witnessed their work when COVID-19 struck, such as when epidemiologists tracked the spread of the virus and public health advocates and specialists spearheaded campaigns to encourage the use of masks and vaccinations. Then, there were those behind the scenes – health policy and management experts leading the damage control and recovery of a pandemic.
The work of these public health professionals is vast and never-ending. It’s why the US Bureau of Labour Statistics projects there will be 1.9 million job openings annually from 2023 to 2033, alongside other healthcare careers. The number is proof that the world needs more people to step up, and it’s something many public health schools in the US are realising. Here are three universities that are actively helping add to the numbers.
The flexibility of the MPH programme allows students from different academic and professional backgrounds to pursue a career in public health with a focus on health policy and management. Source: Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University
The Texas A&M University School of Public Health is a school on the rise. It’s the largest school of public health in Texas and the fifth largest in the nation. Here, research funding amounts to more than US$146 million year to year. Here is where you engage in innovative research and develop solutions to optimise and keep a community healthy and strong. You do this by enrolling in its Master of Public Health (MPH), also one of the most affordable top programmes in the country.
Acting as a launchpad towards a fulfilling career in public health, this MPH programme trains you to take on the biggest challenges happening today in various concentrations. Of the six concentrations offered, Health Policy and Management is a standout. Here, you will learn to navigate health systems, influence policies, and manage healthcare delivery to ensure better outcomes for local, national and global communities and populations. You will work at state-of-the-art laboratories like the Southwest Rural Health Research Centre and the USA Centre for Rural Public Health Preparedness where you will collaborate and share ideas with other researchers and faculty.
What is great about this concentration — and the MPH as a whole — is that its flexibility suits students from various backgrounds and interests. Whether you are from social sciences, legal studies, economics, or even international relations, anyone can benefit from the programme’s comprehensive curriculum covering public health, healthcare systems, policy analysis, and healthcare management.
Other than the knowledge and skills you will gain from this programme, you will also receive opportunities to network with former students and industry leaders who can provide you with meaningful insights and support you in your journey towards a career in public health. Apply to the School of Public Health at Texas A&M University now.
The MPH blends social, behavioural, economic, and political science. Source: UMass Amherst School of Public Health and Health Sciences/Facebook
University of Massachusetts Amherst
No matter which school or department you enrol in, at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, you will learn to answer the burning questions, challenge old conventions, and build a better world. But at the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, specifically, you will learn to address complex health issues by integrating traditional core areas of public health with modern science. The school touches on subjects like chronic and infectious disease prediction and prevention, global health, health and wellness, health equity, and reproductive and women’s health, all with their own research to improve living conditions.
The interdisciplinary MPH in Health Policy and Management programme blends social, behavioural, economic, and political science for a broader perspective on health services and policy. With 42 credits to complete, this MPH is career-focused, as it prepares you for managerial and leadership positions, whether in academia, healthcare organisations, or health-related agencies.
Theoretical lessons will take place in class, while practical ones are done in research centres and institutes like the Centre for Community Health Equity Research, the Centre for Programme Evaluation, and the Institute for Global Health. Here, you will apply what you have learned in basic and applied sciences, public health, and clinical practice to your research with the goal of producing solutions to real-world problems.
The MPH offers concentrations in General Public Health and Epidemiology. Source: UC Davis School of Medicine/Facebook
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a top-tier public university with some of the best degrees in the country – one of it being the public health programme. Embedded within the Department of Public Health Sciences, the programme ranks at #29 nationally, training students to be highly qualified public health professionals and leaders in the field. Enrolling here means being with other students who have a strong passion for promoting health and a goal of making a global difference by solving problems in new ways.
The department offers a few graduate degrees, with the Master of Public Health being one of its most popular. The reason? The programme’s curriculum works in partnership with the public health community, on and off campus grounds. Not only will you work with other university departments, but you will also collaborate with local county health departments and non-profit agencies that comprise teaching, student mentorship, field placements, research, and support for you to achieve your goal of becoming a leader in public health.
It also helps that the programme is located near the California Department of Public Health, one of the most innovative public health agencies in the US. This opens doors for networking opportunities to build a professional relationship before you become part of the industry.
Offering two concentration areas, General Public Health and Epidemiology, the MPH is designed for those looking to get into the field of public health quick because this programme can be completed in 10 to 12 months.
*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International
