The concentrations in an online master’s in public health degree program are academic specializations that allow students to pursue an area of study in-depth. Some concentrations in an online Master of Public Health degree program are core public health disciplines, while others are interdisciplinary specializations, the Council on Education for Public Health reported. The following tracks are five of the top concentrations public health graduate students can pursue.
1. Health Policy and Management
Health Policy and Management is among the top concentrations in an online master’s in public health degree program. Health policy encompasses everything from access to medical treatment to evaluations of the cost and quality of care provided. These and similar graduate-level concentrations often involve a focus on problem-solving within the current United States healthcare system. Students pursuing this concentration learn about health economics, legal issues in public health, public health finance and research methods in health policy.
2. Public Administration
There’s some overlap between the fields of public administration and public health. If you’re interested in both fields, a public administration concentration in an online master’s in public health degree program will help you learn the administrative skills you need to manage and implement public health policies.
3. Nonprofit Management and Leadership
Another concentration that combines public policy and administration with public health studies is nonprofit management and leadership. Coursework often includes resource development and strategic nonprofit management and planning with a focus on the field of public health.
4. Public Policy and Management
There are two kinds of leaders who play key roles in the field of public health: the ones who develop public health policies and the ones who manage public health organizations. If you aspire to either of these roles, a concentration in public policy and management or a similar specialization will help you get there.
A concentration in public policy and management will focus more on how politics affect public health policies than other concentrations in an online master’s in public health degree program would. However, this concentration is another multidisciplinary subject, so students still take coursework in subjects like ethics in public health and the United States health insurance system.
5. Global Health
Some global health programs are concerned with environmental sustainability and how changes in the natural world affect public health. Others are more concerned with the global health issues that national and international government entities and charitable organizations are facing and the leadership and management skills needed to confront these challenges. In either case, a concentration in global health will take students beyond the public health systems, policies and politics at play in the United States.
There are no wrong choices when it comes to picking a specialization. Ultimately, which concentration in an online master’s in public health degree program is right for you depends on what you want to do with your career.
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