Online Public Health Schools & Colleges

Public Health Online Colleges

Public health degrees are available at a variety of levels including undergraduate and graduate. Many online public health programs can be helpful in obtaining the needed knowledge to enter or advance in the field. However, many of these are available at the master's degree or advanced level because they build on existing knowledge, possibily obtained through a bachelor's degree in health administration or the like. Some of the online public health programs include the Master's of Public Health and the Doctoral degree in Human Services with an emphasis on Public Health Policy. The latter program, currently available online, is offered through a course-based or self-directed option. Classes offered in the course-based component include "Health Economics," "Health Law and Ethics," and "Health Policy." You can also find any number of online graduate programs available in related fields, such as health care management, health education, public administration, and more. These types of online public health programs can be beneficial to you in obtaining the exact kinds of skills that you need.

Public health administrators typically need a master's degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, a bachelor's degree could suffice for some positions, the BLS indicates. The field is one with higher-than-average predicted growth and also with high wages. According to 2010 BLS data, the medical and health services management field is projected to grow by 16 percent, 2008-2018. This could result in the creation of more than 45,000 new openings during this time. Hospitals are expected to continue to employ the most, according to the BLS. The mean annual wages earned for medical and health services managers in the U.S. were $93,670, according to 2010 BLS data. However, this could be just compensation for the ability to adjust to the ever-changing structure of health care and having the responsibility for the streamlined delivery of health care services. Other occupations that could be of interest to those who want to focus on public health include careers in advanced practice nursing, insurance underwriting, or social and community service management.

Click to collapse