Achievements in the public health field during the 20th century have radically improved the quality of life around the world. As a result, many diseases, such as smallpox and polio, have been eradicated or reduced; the rate of infant and child mortality has been decreased; and people are, on average, living longer. However, there are plenty of challenges left to conquer in this field.
If you’d like to have a career in improving public health in the 21st century – whether in your local community hospital or government or through a nonprofit organization that addresses issues on a global scale – earning an online degree in public health can be a good place to get started.
Students looking to have careers in public health will likely need a degree in that field, and may want to consider earning one online. If you're overwhelmed by the number of online programs available to you, this list might be able to help! We have ranked the top 10 schools for earning an online public health degree by looking at a variety of factors, including admissions rate, graduation rate and tuition costs. You can read more about the methodology used to create the list below, but first: meet our top 10 online colleges for degrees in public health.
The University of Illinois at Springfield was founded in 1969 as Sangamon State University and changed names in 1995, after being absorbed into the University of Illinois system. Among the university's plethora of online degree programs is an online Master of Public Health degree program, which also includes the option for a concentration in environmental health. The program requires 48 credits to satisfy degree requirements, as well as a four-credit internship. Students enrolled in the environmental health concentration also have the option of applying for certificates in risk assessment, or emergency preparedness and homeland security.
Accreditation:
The University of Minnesota has five campus locations throughout Minnesota, including its flagship Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. UMN-Twin Cities offers several different online options for public health, including an Executive Master of Public Health in public health administration and policy as well as a Master of Public Health in maternal and child health. Both programs require 42 credits to complete. The MPH in maternal and child health is delivered fully online, while the MPH in health administration and policy requires 17 days of on-campus attendance. The university also offers a post-bachelor's certificate program in public health core concepts (14 credits).
Accreditation:
Originally founded in 1801, the University of South Carolina at Columbia is one of eight colleges in the University of South Carolina system. USC's Arnold School of Public Health offers a fully online Master of Public Health degree program in health promotion, education and behavior, and another in health services policy and management. Both programs require 45 credits to complete. The health promotion, education and behavior pathway emphasizes education and leadership training for employees of community, school and workplace health departments. Meanwhile, the health services policy and management concentration focuses on public health law, program planning and program evaluation.
Accreditation:
The University of Florida's flagship campus at Gainesville encompasses more than 2,000 acres and 16 separate colleges, including the College of Public Health and Health Professions. Through this college, UF offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degrees in public health and health sciences, including:
There are six potential specializations for the MPH degree program, but only two can be taken online: public health practice, or social and behavioral sciences. Either specialization can also be taken in an accelerated, 42-credit format if desired.
Accreditation:
Students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in public health degree program at Kent State University should expect their curriculum to cover five distinct areas:
There also are several areas of concentration that students can choose to focus on during this program, including community-based public health, global health and health promotion and education, to name a few.
Accreditation:
New York University is a private nonprofit research university located in (where else) New York City. This member of the prestigious Association of American Universities offers a fully online multidisciplinary Master of Public Health program that focuses on the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals, and also three different online certificate programs:
Most uniquely, however, NYU offers a cross-continental Master of Public Health degree program in a hybrid format, with the choice to take online electives. This program splits its studies between Washington, D.C., Accra Ghana and Florence for the 2018-2019 academic year and Washington, D.C, Buenos Aires and Madrid for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Accreditation:
Oklahoma State University was established in 1890 and has five campus locations across the state, including its flagship campus at Stillwater. The school's mascot, Pistol Pete, is one of the most widely recognized mascots in all of collegiate athletics.
OSU's online college offers a graduate certificate in public health program that requires 15 credit hours to complete. Program coursework is designed to cover the five core competencies of public health: epidemiology, environmental health, biostatistics, healthcare administration and social and behavioral sciences. Students must earn a B grade or higher in each class to remain in good academic standing.
Accreditation:
Purdue Global University's Davenport campus is a former location of Kaplan University (Purdue acquired the Kaplan portfolio of campuses in 2017). Its online Master of Public Health degree program requires 56 quarter-credit hours to complete, including 40 core public health credits and 16 electives. The program takes 66 weeks to complete for fulltime students, with the option of completing fieldwork opportunities and/or onsite training. Students who hold graduate degrees from a medical, naturopathic, chiropractic or osteopathic program may transfer up to 28 quarter-credits into the MPH program at Purdue Global University.
Accreditation:
Located in Johnson City, East Tennessee State University was established in 1911 and is made up of 11 colleges. Among them is the ETSU College of Public Health, which offers online degree programs in public health with four concentrations: community health; biostatistics; health services administration; and epidemiology. Each program requires 43 credits to complete. There's also a dual-degree pathway where students can earn a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Medicine simultaneously. ETSU students can also pursue one of five different public health certificate programs to further accent and specialize their public health education.
Accreditation:
The University of Arizona has its flagship campus at Tucson and is one of the largest postsecondary institutions in the state. It is also one of the few institutions on our list that offers an online bachelor's degree program in public health. This program is designed to cover the basic principles of public health and disease prevention.
UA's Zuckerman College of Public Health also offers an online interdisciplinary Master of Public Health degree program with concentrations in applied epidemiology, health and behavioral health promotion, and health services administration. There is also a graduate certificate program in public health, consisting of the five core courses of the MPH program; this program is stackable with the MPH program, in case students complete the certificate and later decide to earn the master's as well.
Accreditation:
Online programs for public health are meant to educate those who are interested in how diseases affect a community, using their curriculum to impart valuable skills to their students. Here, we will explore the coursework found in these programs and the skills they hope to cultivate.
Public health is a complex field that requires rather specialized knowledge. The following are examples of courses focused on this knowledge that are commonly found in public health degree programs.
Online education for public health emphasizes many different skills during its courses. The following are some of the skills students may want to pay particular attention to refining as they complete the coursework in their program.
Public health professionals have a demanding job that requires specialized abilities and knowledge. In order to display this expertise, people in the field can earn certifications. The following are examples of some of the credentials public health workers can obtain.
Community health workers serve an important role in modern society. As educators, they are charged with discussing an array of health concerns with members of a community — people who live in the same area or those who share a similar characteristic. By sharing information on important health-related topics, community health workers can guide people toward valuable resources such as cancer screenings and community health fairs.
As the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, some community health worker careers begin with a high school diploma and some experience. However, other community health workers get started with on-the-job training, an associate degree, or state-based certifications. Regardless of the length of the program, most educational programs aimed at community health workers focus on wellness, ethics and cultural awareness.
The environment we live in plays a critical role in public health. As a result, many public health careers fall into the field of environmental health and safety. Environmental health specialists study how various environmental factors impact human health. Job duties can include investigating potential risks to public health such as chemical spills or dumping, as well as checking out reports of soil and water contamination. As educators, environmental health and safety specialists also help community members understand how to properly care for our planet.
As the Bureau of Labor Statistics notes, most environmental health and safety specialist careers begin with a bachelor's degree in natural science or a related field. Typically, these programs require students to study topics such as physics, biology, chemistry and geology.
While job duties can vary based on the position, occupational health and safety specialists focus most of their efforts on identifying occupational hazards in the workplace. They collect samples of material to check for toxicity, inspect and evaluate workplace environments, investigate workplace accidents and help create procedures that prevent unsafe working conditions. While many of these workers are employed by the government, occupational health and safety specialists may also work in manufacturing, construction, professional and scientific industries.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that most occupational health and safety specialist careers begin with a bachelor's degree in occupational health and safety or a related field.
Health educators play a vital role in public health, mostly because they're the driving force behind the programs implemented in their communities. These workers survey their communities to find out which public health issues need addressing. They also gather and hand out important information to community residents, advocate for improved health resources and educate community members on the best ways to care for their bodies and specific health conditions.
Most health educator careers begin with a bachelor's degree in health education or health promotion. Some employers may also require the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) credential. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half of those employed in this field work either for hospitals or for the local, state or federal government.