Online Public Health Degrees

Public health is a diverse and growing field, and students wanting to find an online degree program in public health will be happy to learn that there are a range of options available to them. Online public health education and training is one option, and can afford students many benefits that traditional learning cannot. An online public health degree allows students more freedom when choosing schools, as geographic location is irrelevant. Other students like online learning because they are able to manage their home, work and school schedules more independently and effectively than if they were required to attend class at specified times. An accredited online public health degree will still give students the opportunity to collaborate with other students and professors and prepare them for entry-level work in the industry, in whatever field they decide to specialize in. Externships will also be a part of the program, offering students the opportunity to experience hands-on training from a public health professional in their area.

One of the main subjects within public health is education. Public health educators and administrators work to create campaigns, literature, and other promotional programs to educate the public about important health and medical topics like access to health care, sexually transmitted diseases, vaccines, childhood diseases, personal hygiene and the flu. Students who want to become public health educators typically must earn a bachelor’s degree, which usually takes four years to complete. Another public health avenue involves social work, and public health social work programs prepare students to work in schools, hospitals, home health care situations, nursing homes, and for the government. Students enrolled in either of these two online public health degree programs (or another public health program) will take courses in human development, psychology, public health communication, current topics in public health, and classes in their chosen concentration, like biostatistics, environmental health, gerontology, epidemiology, health policy and management, health promotion and behavior, and other fields.

The job outlook for public health educators is very good, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which projects that job openings will increase by 26 percent through the year 2016. Due to increased health care costs, public health educators are needed to instruct people on ways to adopt healthier lifestyles and reduce their dependency on expensive health care treatment. Health care educators will earn the highest salaries working at hospitals, followed by positions held with state and local government. They can also find work at outpatient care centers and with home health care systems. Public health social workers will principally find work at hospitals but can also earn reasonable wages working with family services programs, home health care services and nursing homes. Jobs with the local government are also available. Higher degrees will open up more job opportunities and increase starting salary levels.