Public Health is the science of protecting and improving the health of communities through education, promotion of healthy lifestyles, and research for disease and injury prevention. Public health professionals analyze the effect on health of genetics, personal choice and the environment in order to develop programs that protect the health of your family and community.

Overall, public health is concerned with protecting the health of entire populations. These populations can be as small as a local neighborhood, or as big as an entire country.

Public health professionals try to prevent problems from happening or re-occurring through implementing educational programs, developing policies, administering services, and conducting research, in contrast to clinical professionals, such as doctors and nurses, who focus primarily on treating individuals after they become sick or injured. It is also a field that is concerned with limiting health disparities and a large part of public health is the fight for health care equity, quality, and accessibility.

Perhaps never has there been a more exciting time to pursue a career in public health. Why? Because....

- Public health is an exciting and growing field of study. The field challenges its professionals to confront complex health issues such as improving access to health care, controlling infectious disease, and reducing environmental hazards, violence, substance abuse and injury.
- Public health is a diverse and dynamic field. Public Health professionals come from varying educational backgrounds and can specialize in an array of fields. A host of specialists, including teachers, journalists, researchers, administrators, environmentalists, demographers, social workers, laboratory scientists, and attorneys, work to protect the health of the public.
- Public health is a field geared toward serving others. Public health professionals serve local, national, and international communities. They are leaders who meet the many exciting challenges in protecting the public's health today and in the future.
- Public health is a rewarding field. The field of public health offers great personal fulfillment - working towards improving people's health and well being is a rewarding day's work.

Some job titles held by receipients of the MPH:

Biostatistics
Data Management Director, State Health Dept.
Director of Clinical Trials, Industry/Corporate
Program Evaluation Analyst, Federal Government

Epidemiology
Director of Infectious/Chronic Diseases, Local/State Health Dept.
Outcomes Researcher, Industry/Corporate
CDC Investigator, Federal Government

Health Systems and Services
Hospital/Managed Care Administrator, Health Facilities
Program Evaluation & Planning, State Health Department
Information Systems Manager, Industry/Corporate
Health Services Research Analyst, University
Policy Analyst, Federal Government

Health Education/Behavioral Science
Consumer Information Director, Voluntary Health Agencies
Program Planning & Evaluation, Local Health Dept.
Health Promotion Specialist, Industry/Corporate

Environmental Health
Waste Management Specialist, Local Health Department/Environmental Agency
Pollution Control Program Director, State Health Department/Environmental Agency
Industrial Hygenist, Industry/Corporate
EPA Researcher/Administrator, Federal Government


© 2001 - 2009  Association of Schools of Public Health. All rights reserved.