Are you passionate about advancing equality by making healthcare more accessible to underserved communities? Do you love collaborating with others and working on teams? Is it important to you to be a part of an exciting, dynamic industry with strong employment prospects and a bright economic outlook? Can you envision yourself directing a medical organization, helping to carry out clinical trials, or advising policymakers on disease prevention strategy? If you answered yes to those questions, you may be interested in exploring a career in public health.
Public health professionals play an incredibly important role in our healthcare infrastructure, conducting cutting-edge research while working with business leaders and legislators to help shape public policy. As the CDC Foundation explains, “This work is achieved by promoting healthy lifestyles, researching disease and injury prevention, and detecting, preventing and responding to infectious diseases” in communities around the globe. From ensuing water supplies are clean for drinking, to investigating causes of health issues in residential communities, public health workers dedicate their careers to building a healthier world.
With such a complex and critically important range of responsibilities, public health workers need certain abilities and qualifications in order to be successful. So, what types of skills and experience are needed for a career in the public health field? What about educational and degree requirements? Which types of jobs could a public health degree lead to? This guide will help you answer these questions.
Is a Public Health Career Right for Me?
Instead of asking whether public health is a good career, you should ask whether it’s a good career for you. The field is expanding rapidly, with 4 percent projected job growth for community health workers from 2023 to 2033. Based on recent data, the healthcare sector looks poised for a strong recovery and a bright future.
However, before you decide to enter this field, you should consider the types of skills and educational requirements you will need to meet, which will help you to determine whether you might make a good fit for a public health program. Let’s review some examples to help you get started.
Essential Skills for Public Health Careers
Public health programs, such as the Master of Public Health (MPH) at National University, tend to attract students from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds. It offers three specializations: A career in public health may provide a natural transition for students who are experienced with or interested in disciplines like nursing, civic service, policymaking, or other areas of healthcare, such as mental health services or healthcare promotion and marketing. It’s important to note that public health officials work with groups and communities, such as cities or counties, making public health roles distinct from those of a physician, who focuses on providing individual care.
Since public health officials deal with large, diverse groups and organizations, sometimes during periods of crisis, it’s important to possess both empathy and leadership skills, understanding the unique or unmet needs of the population you are serving while providing efficient, research-driven guidance. You will also need exceptional communication and organizational skills as you will be collaborating with vast networks of people, potentially from cultures around the globe. A strong sense of integrity and adherence to ethics is equally vital, as with any medical profession.
Degree and Education Requirements
If you want to get hired by a public health employer, you’ll need more than just the ability to solve complex problems, coordinate teams, empathize with diverse populations, think critically, or remain calm under pressure. You’ll also need to meet certain educational requirements, which vary depending on the type of job or position you wish to pursue.
For example, an entry-level position may require you have a bachelor’s degree, while a more specialized or senior role may require (or strongly recommend) a master’s degree, depending on the employer. You may be required to hold a degree specifically in public health, or, depending on the job description, in another relevant field.
For instance, if you wish to pursue a public health career as a health services administrator, you will likely need both a bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration and a master’s degree in public health. Even for positions where a master’s degree is not required, the extra education and training will help you to stand out from other perspective hires, making your resume more appealing to employers.
Examples of Public Health Jobs and Careers
Public health is a broad, multidisciplinary field that spans a wide and diverse range of career types, allowing you to explore a variety of specialties, niches, and concentrations depending on your goals and interests. Whether you’re chiefly interested in mathematics, politics, marketing, education, or other areas, there’s likely a career path for you in public health.
What Health Profession is Right for Me?
The answer to this question depends on your interests and passions, along with pragmatic considerations like location, demand, flexibility, and earning potential. For example, the national average salary for a public health nurse is approximately $67,500 per year, and S111,189 in California. Here are more examples of public health careers and professions, keeping in mind that a master’s degree may be required or preferred for job applicants:
- Biostatistician
- Director of programs and services
- Environmental health officer
- Healthcare specialist
- Medical director
- Medical writer
- Nutritionist
- Occupational health and safety manager
- Public health management analyst
- Public health nurse (four-year RN program required)
- Radiation safety officer
- Regulatory specialist
Starting Jobs in Public Health
It is difficult to qualify for public health jobs without a degree. A family nurse practitioner certificate or a professional certificate in medical coding may help you qualify for some starting positions, but most require you to hold a bachelor’s degree at minimum, either in public health or another relevant field. For instance, a bachelor’s degree in areas like healthcare administration or biology may help you qualify for a starting job as a clinical research coordinator. Here are a few more examples of starting jobs that are ideal for someone who is at the beginning of their career journey in public health:
- Clinical trial administrator
- Community health worker
- Disease prevention specialist
- Emergency response planner
- Health promotion specialist
- Healthcare administrator (health services manager)
- Public health educator
- Public health planner
- Research assistant
How to Get Experience in Public Health
The best way to gain experience in public health is to immerse yourself in the center of the action via an internship, entry-level job, or volunteer position. You can help your application stand out by showing that you either hold or are working toward a relevant degree, such as an MPH.
At National University, not only is our MPH program fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health on 35 out of 35 criteria, it’s also designed to help position you for professional success. In addition to your academic studies and research, you’ll also build opportunities for professional growth and job placement through carefully planned internships, along with a comprehensive capstone experience.
Explore Careers in Public Health by Earning Your Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree at National University
Learn more about becoming a public health worker and developing your healthcare career. Contact the admissions office at National University to request information about our MPH and related programs or begin your application today.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with a degree in public health?
A public health degree opens diverse career paths in population health, research, and policy. As explained in the blog “What can you do with a public health degree?”, from biostatistics and epidemiology to health policy and environmental health, you’ll be equipped to help shape and protect the wellbeing of entire communities. For example, you could work as a health data analyst, environmental health specialist, or public health program manager. The key is that a public health degree gives you versatile skills to address health challenges across sectors.
What will I learn in a BS in Public Health degree program?
In the blog “What will you learn with a Public Health BS?“, Dr. Alba Diaz of National University outlines that students explore core public health topics such as epidemiology, chronic disease prevention, and health behavior, then progress into specialized courses like environmental health, disaster preparedness, add advocacy. These students develop strong analytical, communication, and problem-solving skills – all grounded in science and community health practice.
Can I switch careers and go back to school for a public health degree?
Absolutely. Public health can be an excellent choice for professionals looking to switch careers or return to school. The field attracts people from diverse backgrounds such as nursing, policymaking, civic service. For many jobs, a bachelor’s degree is enough to get started. If you’re returning to college, you’ll likely benefit from your previous experience and can apply it to roles such as community health coordination, health outreach, or administrative support. Then students can build toward more advanced careers if desired.
Is a public health major the right fit for me?
Choosing a major involves personal interest, practical considerations, and long-term goals. According to the “Is Public Health a Good Career?”, you might be a great fit for a public health degree if you enjoy teamwork, community collaboration, and problem-solving. Ask yourself: Am I interested in data and informatics, policy, or program implementation rather than individual patient care? If you want to help prevent diseases and improve population-level health outcomes, public health offers a meaningful and rewarding path.
