Online Master's in Public Health Program (MPH)

Global Health Concentration

Learn to fight for health as a human right – locally and globally – with Drexel Dornsife’s online Master’s in Public Health (MPH). Taught by Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, which was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as #1 in the Philadelphia region and in the top 15% nationwide for Best Graduate Schools.

Drexel’s online MPH is designed for experienced professionals and recent graduates alike. The program focuses on health and human rights, urban health, and translating policy into practice. You will learn to confront urgent public health and global health challenges with innovative solutions grounded in the latest evidence and community-based partnerships. Boasting a cutting-edge curriculum, expert Drexel faculty, and a global health focus, Drexel’s online MPH provides both classroom instruction and field-based practice to give you the skills to excel in whatever aspect of public health interests you.

As a graduate of Drexel’s online MPH, you will be able to think locally and globally about current and emerging public health issues and recognize that diseases know no borders and that public health requires an understanding of social, political, environmental, and biological determinants of health. With classes in health policy, epidemiology, biostatistics, ethics, human rights, monitoring and evaluation, and health behavior, you will have the unique opportunity to focus on your area of interest. The Drexel online MPH is a flexible and individualized program that prepares you for your future career in a dynamic and growing field. In fact, the American Schools of Public Health (ASPH) estimates that 250,000 more public health workers will be needed by 2020.

Drexel University has always been a place for industry innovators. With the online MPH’s global health focus, you’ll learn about evidence-based approaches to public health, health systems, planning, and management to promote global health, policy in public health, leadership, communication, interprofessional practice, and systems thinking. In addition, you’ll study local, national, and global implications of these practices that you can apply right away in your career.

Master’s in Public Health Online Program Features

• 56 quarter credits
• Average completion time is 2-3 years
• Flexible plan of study that allows you to customize your education to your career goals
• Taught by highly respected and global health-focused faculty from Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health, which is ranked in he top 15% in the U.S. News & World Report 2020 rankings of the nation’s Best Graduate Schools and #1 in Philadelphia and the surrounding region
• Fully online program features a global health concentration as well as opportunities to add secondary focus areas such as Maternal and Child Health and LGBT Health
• The first institution in Philadelphia to be accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH)
• Required capstone and practicum field experience
• Ability to transfer in credits from Drexel’s online public health certificates

What is a Master’s in Public Health Program?

A Master’s in Public Health is a graduate degree for students interested in tackling pressing public health issues, including analyzing the distribution of diseases, their causes, and how to design and evaluate interventions to improve population health. MPH programs typically incorporate learning outcomes that lead to in-depth knowledge and practical skills in areas such as epidemiology, community and global health, health education, and data analysis. Drexel Dornsife’s MPH program is a perfect fit for working professionals with experience in public health, recent graduates, and ambitious career-changers seeking new challenges and career advancement.

What Will I Learn in the Drexel Online MPH?

Advancing in public health requires a global mindset. That’s where Drexel Dornsife’s online Master’s in Public Health with a global health concentration comes in. You’ll learn how to become a leader, a scholar, and a researcher with the ability to address current and emerging local, national, and global public health issues facing the world today. In addition to a customizable plan-of-study, you can expect to be prepared to do the following:

• Think critically and creatively to address current and future global health challenges, including those related to infectious diseases, chronic illness, and environmental toxins
• Design, evaluate, and implement effective, evidence-based health programs and initiatives using quantitative and qualitative methods, while involving communities and key stakeholders
• Analyze global and national health systems, examining and assessing the equitable distribution of resources and the prioritization of healthcare across populations
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of diverse professionals working in global health and the challenges of partnership and importance of country ownership
• Act ethically, promoting the right to health and integrating scientific knowledge and global evidence to advance health policies and interventions that address social determinants of health, with an emphasis on underserved and marginalized populations

MPH Experiential Learning Opportunities

Practice, practice, practice. It’s what makes a good public health professional great. A requirement of Drexel’s online MPH is the practical experience, which offers applied, field-based knowledge in a placement or internship setting.

Practical Experience
Drexel Dornsife believes in providing real-world practical knowledge and skills as a part of your education. This requires creating opportunities to build in-depth understanding and a diverse breadth of knowledge that you can immediately apply in your career. In the online MPH, “depth” refers to the 120-240 hours of field placement you receive from either your current employer or an outside location. These hours can be completed near your home, which means you never have to come to campus. Drexel Dornsife will even assist you in finding these opportunities in public health organizations and beyond.

Likewise, "breadth" offers you monthly virtual workshops, short-term volunteer opportunities, and on- or off-campus learning opportunities.

Integrative Learning Experience
As an MPH student nearing program completion, you’ll be required to participate in the integrative learning experience (ILE). With a goal of illustrating mastery of core public health and focus-area-specific competencies, the ILE includes taking three credits in the final two quarters and writing a high-quality research paper.

Through the program, you can pursue depth and breadth as well as integrative learning experiences in global settings, working with Drexel’s partners around the globe or seeking out opportunities in the U.S. with diverse communities in urban or rural settings.

How Long Does it Take to Earn a Master's in Public Health?

Structured on a quarter-term basis, Drexel Dornsife’s online MPH requires 56 total credit hours for completion. In practical terms, that means a full-time, online student can expect to complete the program in two years. Part-time, online students can expect to complete the program in three years.

As opposed to a typical 15-to-18-week semester, a quarter is comprised of 10-week courses that allow for greater flexibility and variety. This means you can take more classes, meet and network with more professors, and expose yourself to a greater variety of subjects. With less downtime than a semester-based system, students in a quarter system remain stimulated and focused on their program and coursework. Upon graduating, you will be better prepared for the next step in your career.

Completion time can be significantly shorter if you have already completed Drexel Dornsife’s online Public Health Certificate, as you may transfer those credits into the online MPH program.

Is a Career in Public Health Right for Me?

Whether you’re looking to advance within your current role in the public health sector or aspire to change careers to a field with exciting demand and a tangible feeling of making an impact in your community, both near and far, public health might be right for you.

What Can You Do with a Master’s in Public Health?

Motivated public health professionals will always be in-demand. The American Schools of Public Health (ASPH) estimates that 250,000 more public health workers will be needed by 2020, and in recent years, there has been a shortage of public health professionals.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, between 2016 and 2026, increases are expected in jobs related to public health professionals in the following positions (the average growth rate for all occupations is 7%):

• Health Educators and Community Health Workers
  16% increase in jobs (19,200 new jobs)
• Medical and Health Services Managers
  20% increase in jobs (72,100 new jobs)
• Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary
  26% increase in jobs*
  
  *New jobs data not available

What Types of Jobs Can You Get with a Public Health Degree?

MPH graduates are desirable to employers in a wide range of fields, including local, national, and global public health organizations, government agencies, colleges and universities, clinical practices, and research organizations.

Of course, these are just a few of the many employers that attract graduates of Drexel’s online MPH program. Whether you’re a recent graduate, a physician, nurse, nutritionist, social worker, or healthcare professional seeking to develop expertise in public health and add a global perspective, Drexel's MPH program will prepare you to apply public health principles to real-world challenges. Some additional job titles that would be ideal for someone fresh out of the MPH program include:

• Clinical Research Professional
• Community Planner
• Epidemiologist
• Environmental Scientist/Specialist
• Government Employee
• Health Educator/Community Health Worker
• Health Specialist
• International Recruiter
• Medical and Health Services Manager
• Medical Officer
• Monitoring and Evaluation Consultant
• Occupational Health and Safety Professional
• Policy Analyst
• Program Manager/Advisor
• Public Health Advisor
• Public Health Social Worker
• Research Associate
• Scientist/Researcher
• Senior Urban Health Specialist
• Social Worker
• Urban Planner
• Water and Sanitation Program Planner

Not sure where to start your job search? Don’t worry—online students have the same opportunities to access Drexel’s comprehensive career services as students who study on campus. In addition to the Steinbright Career Development Center, online MPH students have the support of Symplicity, a portal managed by Dornsife’s Office of Practice that posts jobs, internships, fellowships, and other global opportunities.

How Much Salary Can You Make with a Master’s in Public Health Degree?

While salary estimates vary for Master’s-educated professionals in the public health industry, the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most updated figures range from $34,000 to $90,900.

Sample career median salaries include:

*Data from Payscale.com and BLS.gov

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Related Programs

• Certificate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• Certificate in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Health
• Certificate in Maternal and Child Health
• Certificate in Public Health

Drexel University offers a variety of Graduate Minors that can be added to any master's degree program.
State restrictions may apply to some programs.