Getting to Know A Master of Public Health

Do you not know what programs are available for those who want to earn a public health graduate degree? There are many public health masters programs available, both professional and academic, at master and doctoral levels. There is such a thing as a master of public health and an MS in the same field but both programs differ.

An all-encompassing knowledge on public health is what people can expect to develop if they consider taking a Master of Public Health. Public health is an industry that can be delved into by people who are able to graduate from MPH programs as these focus mainly on this industry. These areas include community health, health policy and administration, epidemiology, environmental/occupational health among others.

All MPH students should complete at least one core course in all major areas of public health degree. When it comes to this, all MPH students have to engage in either an internship program, a thesis, or a comprehensive test. When it comes to a Master of Public Health, this is something bestowed upon a student by the Graduate School of Public Health.

Students can have varying undergraduate disciplines and still be able to participate in such programs. Many students directly come from undergraduate studies. There are schools that offer an MPH degree to doctorate degree holders only.

The stringency of admission to MPH programs may vary from institution to institution. In general, admission rates range from 35% to 80%. An aspiring student should obtain at least a 50th-percentile on every GRE section and an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.

A Master of Public Health degree usually takes two years for full-time study. When it comes to this, having a doctorate degree can make you eligible for accelerated programs which only take a year to complete. Grants and other methods of funding might not be applicable when it comes to professional degree courses.

As a professional, if you are considering research efforts, you should think about an MS, MSc, ScM, or MSPH which are all master's of science degrees. Even if you choose to participate in a certain specialization, your coursework will not be limited to that area of expertise. Although the Master of Science in Public Health degree involves PH courses, it is still first and foremost a research endeavor.

When it comes to public health, if you want to pursue a career path in this field, do not pursue the Master of Science. It is because this profession requires the interdisciplinary education that only MPH can provide. Students will normally complete a research project with a dissertation/thesis and defense.

Options like academic doctoral programs such as PhD or ScD can be valuable to someone with an MS program in mind as the focus will be somewhat similar. Here, you will study for 24 months and then the program will be completed after you present your thesis. For a masters of science degree, it is the School of Art and Sciences that grants the credentials to graduates.

Since the course is really tougher not to mention more competitive, MS programs are harder to get into compared to Master of Public Health programs with the rates of admission being lower than 35%. Slight variations exist when it comes to acceptance rates. Financial aid is rarely provided when it comes to post grad programs but in the case of MS students, the necessary funding may be provided by their companies.