A Master of Public Health, or MPH, is a professional graduate degree focused on improving population health through science, policy, management, and community practice. It trains practitioners to prevent disease, promote health equity, design and evaluate interventions, and influence policy.
This degree can prepare you to address complex public health challenges and improve population health through both research and practice, working in government, NGOs, healthcare systems, academia, and the pharma-tech industry.
What an MPH Prepares You To Do
Unlike a medical degree, which prepares you to work one-on-one with patients in a healthcare setting, an MPH prepares you to work with communities and populations. That includes educating people, promoting better health practices, identifying health risks, and building programs that improve health outcomes.
Core Components of an MPH
The degree usually includes several foundational disciplines:
- Epidemiology: disease patterns and causal inference
- Biostatistics: data analysis and interpretation
- Environmental health: exposures, risk, and prevention
- Health policy and management: systems, financing, and leadership
- Social and behavioral sciences: health behavior and community engagement
- Community health
- Disaster management and emergency preparedness
- Health services and administration
- Global health
- Maternal and child health
- Nutrition
Methods and Practical Training
MPH students also build methodological skills in study design, statistical analysis, program evaluation, surveillance, qualitative methods, and evidence synthesis.
Most MPH programs include real-world application through a field practicum, often around 200 to 400 hours, along with a capstone project or thesis.
Dual Degrees and Alternatives
Some schools also offer combined degrees such as:
- MPH/JD
- MPH/MBA
- MPH/MSN
- MPH/MSW
- MPH/PharmD
Another alternative is the MSPH, or Master of Science in Public Health. While an MPH is usually more practice-oriented, an MSPH is often more research-focused and places stronger emphasis on collecting and analyzing data for academic or research careers.
MPH jobs, salaries, and outlook
You can consider many careers with a Master of Public Health, though some (like public health nurse) will require other degrees. With your MPH, you can explore careers such as:
- Public health educator
- Epidemiologist
- Clinical research coordinator
- Biostatistician
- Health care specialist
- Public health nurse
- Health care administrator
- Environmental health officer
- Occupational health and safety manager
What is an MPH salary? + job outlook
The job outlook for public health careers varies by job, but many roles are positioned to experience high growth in the coming decade. Review three of them.
| Job title | Median salary | Job growth rate |
|---|---|---|
| Health education specialist | $63,000 | 4% |
| Epidemiologist | $83,980 | 16% |
| Health services manager | $117,960 | 23% |
Is an MPH right for you?
If you're curious about whether an MPH is right for you, ask yourself the following questions:
- Do you like to help others? No matter your concentration, public health is about improving the lives of others.
- Do you like to solve big problems? Studying public health often means facing big challenges, like pandemics, widespread violence, teen pregnancy, clean water, and food availability.
If a career in a traditional public health field doesn't interest you, you may find that you can use your MPH to find a career in "non-health" fields where you can apply your knowledge to other aspects of health and safety. For example, you could take on jobs that involve regulating consumer goods and enforcing local building codes.