Public Health Online Program

The online public health degree program provides students with the knowledge required to enter the exciting field of public health. The discipline of public health is a relatively recent area of education within healthcare. One of the founders of the field, C.E.A. Winslow, defined public health as "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals."

Public Health Online Curriculum and Course Load

An online public health degree is offered at the Associate’s, Bachelor's, and Master's degree levels. Due to the prior knowledge required to pursue a career in public health, many students study the discipline as a Master's degree. The graduate degree requires about fifty credits to complete and takes close to two years to finish as a full-time student. The Bachelor's degree usually requires approximately four years of study.

Since public health encompasses many different methods for maintaining health at the individual, community, and national levels, there are a variety of topics covered in an online public health program such as:

Nutrition
Sanitation systems
Anatomy and physiology
Biology
First aid methods
Health policy and analysis
Quantitative methods
Life wellness

Prerequisites for a Public Health Online Program

The Bachelor's and Associate's degree program requires a high school diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma (GED), while the Master's degree requires the student to possess a Bachelor's degree.

Skills You Will Gain in a Public Health Online Program

An online public health degree program provides students with many different skills that can be helpful both in and out of the workplace. The program prepares students to:

Analyze government policy and the changes it causes as well as the feasibility of the action
Think creatively about real problems and craft solutions to them
Conduct disciplined and thorough research
Teach others proper health techniques to ensure cleanliness and limit the spread of disease
Understand the interplay of government, private corporations, and individuals in the healthcare arena
Describe their thoughts and communicate well with others

Future Employment Outlook for Public Health Online Program

Students pursuing an online program in public health will find many opportunities available to them depending on their level of study and the direction in which they take their degree. The most typical path of employment from an online public health program is to becoming a public health educator. Health educators teach individuals and organizations behaviors that can prevent disease, injuries, and other health issues. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 51 percent of health educators work in healthcare and social work while 23 percent work in government. Almost all positions require a Bachelor's degree, but some may require a Master's degree especially those attained through career advancement. Health educators should enjoy an 18 percent growth in demand for their services, which is considerably faster than the average. Median annual wages for health educators were $44,000 in 2008, but this varied based on the industry employing the educators.