masters in public health essay

masters in public health essay

The Importance of a Master’s Degree in Public Health

1. Introduction

Several factors contribute to the credibility and sophistication of a public health professional. While a bachelor’s degree may provide the fundamental knowledge for a career in public health, the majority of public health jobs require a professional degree. Employment options with a master’s degree are more plentiful and the job offers are more competitive. A master’s degree in public health has become standard, and many employers are requiring that their current employees return to school to obtain a master’s degree in public health. With globalization and the complexities of international health issues, the need for well-trained public health professionals with a solid understanding of public health sciences has never been greater. A master’s degree will help to prepare you for these growing challenges and provide you with a firm and steady career. This report outlines key issues concerning the value of a master’s degree in public health.

2. The Role of Public Health Professionals

Nurses often have a role in policy development because they are at the frontline of implementing public health programs. This frequently involves research and advocacy on behalf of underserved populations.

Public Health Nursing – widely defined, nurses who are involved in anything from direct patient care to case management. Public health nurses integrate community involvement and knowledge about the entire population with personal, clinical understandings of the health and illness experiences of individuals and families within the community. The ultimate goal is to improve the health of the community through health promotion, disease prevention, and protection of the health of the public. Public/community health mission is characterized by a three-fold emphasis on: – Increasing the health and safety of the entire population – Increasing the quality of life – Preventing the spread of communicable diseases.

Public health professionals of all disciplines are playing a critical role in assuring the health of the public. Although roles and functions vary among the professions, the following list summarizes the unique focus of public health and the services provided by public health professionals:

3. Benefits of Pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Health

Public health is a diverse field. It is not uncommon for public health professionals to jump from one field to another or from one part of the nation to another. A master’s degree is the standard for many health professions and it will open the door to management and leadership positions in the field. “A public health career ladder provides future professionals with flexible employment options to work in a variety of public health jobs at the local, state, and federal levels” (Pittman). Public health professionals have a constant opportunity to evolve as they can change positions within the field without changing employers. This is especially important during hardships in the job market of a specific public health discipline. For example, a health educator who has difficulty finding employment could obtain employment in another public health job such as a social marketing campaign coordinator. At their worst, they can start fresh in a different public health discipline with the possibility of transferring in some credits towards a different degree. Public health professionals with a master’s degree will experience exceptional mobility and job security in a time of potential future hardships in the job market due to changes in the economy.

2. Flexibility in Career Choices

“Generally, the more education the better when it comes to salary and income” (Struminger). For students considering a master’s degree in Public Health, graduate school will bring them a step closer to their financial and personal objectives. The U.S. Department of Labor has projected that within the next decade more than 50% of the people employed in public health will be eligible for retirement. The field of public health is no exception. There is an active demand for highly trained individuals to help improve the health of communities and to find new solutions to complex health problems. The government, the largest employer of public health workers, has never had so much funding as it does currently. With the addition of several new health initiatives, this is an excellent time to be entering the field of public health. “Upon graduation, students can expect to see favorable job prospects. New graduates with a master’s degree in epidemiology will find good job prospects in federal research and scientific organizations. About half of epidemiologists work in state and local public health departments. Graduates with a master’s degree in public health will have many new job opportunities. Most new funding is being earmarked for specific health conditions and populations. This change will provide many new jobs and will open up positions that have only been filled in the past by trained personnel from other disciplines such as sociologists, educators, and economists.” (Bracken). In short, the field of public health has a high earning potential and job availability has never been better.

1. Earning Potential

4. Specializations in Public Health

These other public health degrees are often categorized by the field of study. For example, an MSW is a Master of Social Work degree, and an MSPH is a Master of Science in Public Health degree. In this case, the MSW and MSPH are oriented to a more in-depth study of a specific field within public health. There are also dual programs where a student can obtain the MPH degree concurrently or sequentially with another related degree. These dual degree programs are highly tailored to a student’s specific interests and can be found in schools in the US and around the world. Finally, the DrPH is the Doctor of Public Health degree, which is something like a PhD in public health. This degree is designed for public health professionals seeking higher-level leadership and teaching positions. There are DrPH programs and schools in several countries throughout the world.

Generally, once an undergraduate degree has been completed, the next step is to find a job or to further education by taking specialized training. For many public health professionals, the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is the go-to credential, but others may still find it worthwhile to earn a more focused public health degree. Today, the general public health MPH degree is the most common public health degree, and there are close to 100 accredited schools in the US that offer the MPH program. However, many of these schools also offer a variety of other degrees beyond the MPH.

5. Conclusion

An individual with a Master’s degree in Public Health could design and implement policies and interventions to improve the health of the population and to bring about social change. This type of work takes critical thinking and the ability to analyze data in order to compare different programs and policies. It also takes the ability to foresee how an action will affect a community in the long term. All of the abilities above are essential to the practice of public health and having a MPH will enable an individual to perfect these skills. Whether someone is working in their own community or on the other side of the world, a public health worker can affect social change by knowing that the work they are doing is beneficial. This is directly related to the mission of public health which is improving the health of the population. Having a graduate degree will further enhance the ability to accomplish this mission.