An online master’s degree in public health (MPH) prepares you to work in both the private and public sector and become a part of the solution to the continuous healthcare issues that society is faced with.
An online course is most likely to be developed around the needs of the working individual that wishes to further his career through academic qualification. There are many reputed universities offering an online program for a master’s degree in public health.
Basic admission requirements include a Bachelor’s degree, GRE scores, recommendation letters, and your CV. You may also have to show some work experience in the public health sector.
Research sites and compare them for aspects such as average time taken for students to complete the online program, type of specializations offered, percentage of students that get picked up via online campus placement, average salary from placements, and such factors. You should also check the core discipline in this multi-disciplinary course that the online college of your choice offers. Subjects that you can choose from include biostatistics, environmental health practices, epidemiology, ethics, law, principles of management, public health information systems, and behavioral sciences.
Another factor that professionals should consider is whether the school of their choice is accredited or not. Accredited institutions increase your chances of landing that all important financial aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for U.S. citizens is a powerful source of monetary aid; do check it out and remember to get your documents ready in advance; well before it is time to apply. You may have to fulfill certain criteria including being enrolled in a minimum number of credits each semester.
Each institute has its patrons that support deserving students; do check out these options for MPH scholarships.
Choose an MPH course that not only offers good scope professionally without you having to relocate but also complements any further qualification such as an MBA that you may have in mind.
One of the best things about an MPH degree is that it really opens up employment opportunities across varied employers such as universities, hospitals, law firms, consultants, research centers, government healthcare departments, etc.
Your salary too will vary with the employer, in a consultant or law firm you can expect to earn more than what you would as an epidemiologist in a hospital. With work experience of 5 years and more you can hope to earn upwards of $60,000 per annum.