Online Public Health Degree Programs
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Among all professions, those in health and medicine may be among the most scrutinized, and certainly among the most vital. Keeping individuals and society healthy, treating ailments and diseases, and preventing the spread of infectious diseases count among our society’s most lauded, and most important occupational fields. While many diseases and illnesses were subject to conspiratorial thinking or even attributed to supernatural factors not long ago, science and evidence-based medicine is now generally accepted as the most important tool in combating societal adverse health conditions.
While doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other healthcare professionals make up a larger number of the individuals responsible for keeping us healthy, there is another large and active field within the world of health with a major role to play: public health. But what is public health, and how is it different from healthcare?
According to the American Public Health Association, the major differentiating factor between these related but different fields is that while healthcare focuses on the care of individuals, public health aims to keep entire groups and society as a whole healthy. Additionally, while a major component of modern healthcare aims to alleviate and treat already existing diagnoses, the mission of public health is considerably focused on preventing those conditions from arising in the first place. Monitoring a safe and clean water supply, creating nutritional programs for school children, or establishing exercise programs for senior citizens can all be part of the mission of public health professionals.
Because of the breadth of the field, and its importance to society as a whole, public health professionals can be found in various settings. Towns, cities, and counties across the United States can all be expected to employ a public health officer at some level, who is tasked with monitoring the health of a population, reacting to outbreaks of communicable diseases, and putting in place programs or initiatives that seek to improve the day to day lives of people living within a particular jurisdiction.
Additionally, many large organizations that work with the public can be expected to employ individuals with qualifications in the public health field. School districts, social service providers, and many nongovernmental organizations focusing on serving people may all employ one or multiple public health professionals tasked with a bevy of health-related tasks and access to healthcare options.
But how does a person who is in public health enter this interesting and dynamic field? As a science and evidence-based profession, a proper education in the field is the vital first step to gaining employment as a public health professional. While some organizations or providers may, in rare cases, loosen their employment qualifications, a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year institution is usually the minimum requirement for any profession in public health.
This guide is intended to help orient individuals interested in public health seeking to complete their education through distance learning. While by no means exhaustive, the following list of accredited institutions should serve as a guideline for anyone hoping to gain the needed qualifications to begin their career in the field, all while taking advantage of the flexibility offered by online learning.
Additionally, interested persons will find some information about the admission requirements and curricula of public health programs offered through distance learning.
Admissions Requirements for Online Public Health Degree Programs
Hard and fast rules about admissions requirements that apply to all programs are impossible to find, as every institution and university will have its own particularities regarding admission. However, a few requirements should be expected across the board, which also line up with those for other majors. While some institutions may have a required minimum GPA to be considered for admission, others will simply demand a completed high school degree or its equivalence. The following should be considered when readying an application for an online public health degree program:
- High school transcripts
- Letters of recommendation
- Letter of intent
- Application fee
Featured Online Bachelor’s in Public Health Degree Programs
While certainly not exhaustive, the following online degree programs are administered by accredited institutions across the country and can provide the qualifying credentials that an individual with an interest in the field can consider to enter the field.
Walden University is a private and fully online university headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. With a current undergraduate enrollment just north of 7,000 students, it serves a diverse student population nationwide. Walden offers a bachelor of science in public health and gives enrolling students the option of choosing between a self-paced plan that can be completed as quickly as 25 months and a traditional curriculum that is paced for the classic 48 months of enrollment.
In addition to the general public health program, students in this program will have the opportunity to choose from three concentration options to focus on the future and career they want. These include health promotion and wellness (prepares students to sit for the national Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam); health psychology and behavior; and healthcare management.
Made up of 181 credits, the program includes courses such as living and learning in the technological world; foundations of public health; context of healthcare delivery; behavioral and cultural issues in healthcare; ethical and legal issues in healthcare; public health education and communication; introduction to healthcare management; principles of epidemiology; healthcare economics from a population health perspective; introduction to research methods and analysis; and public and global health.
Notably, Walden University also offers an online CEPH-accredited master of public health program comprising 64 credits that can be completed in just 24 months.
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: BS (course-based: 48 months; tempo learning: 25 months); MS (24 months)
- Estimated Tuition: BS (course-based: $333 per credit; tempo learning: $23,000); MS ($510 per credit)
The University of Cincinnati is based in the Ohio city of the same name and offers interested students a fully online bachelor of science degree in public health. UC’s degree program requires no campus visits for students enrolled in its online program and may be attractive both to residents and non-resident students, as its fees are quite similar for both student groups.
This 120-credit program includes courses such as introduction to public/community health; introduction to epidemiology; communicating about health, environment, and science; program planning, implementation, and evaluation; health issues of vulnerable and marginalized populations; global health; research methods in health sciences; evidence-based public health; and social and behavioral foundations of public health. The program also offers real-world experience through a senior-year internship.
Graduates of this program are eligible to sit for the national certification exam to become a certified health education specialist (CHES). Upon completion, graduates will be able to take up positions such as disaster preparedness coordinators, data analysts, infectious disease specialists, environmental health specialists, health communication specialists, and health educators.
- Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
- Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 48 months
- Estimated Tuition: Part-time (resident: $566 per credit; non-resident: $581 per credit); full-time (resident: $6,785 per semester; non-resident: $6,965 per semester)
As its name suggests, South University is located in the southern United States – Savannah, Georgia to be exact. This online university offers a bachelor of science degree in public health, with a broad curriculum that can provide a solid footing in the field of health policy. Students in this program will learn to evaluate and plan programs, advocate health promotion, and assess the health needs of diverse populations at the national, international, and local levels.
Beyond the core curriculum requirements that are part of nearly every bachelor’s degree across the United States, South University requires students to complete classes in human anatomy, physiology, and genetics. The advanced portion of the required courses includes introductions to subjects that are particular to the field, such as epidemiology and microbiology.
Comprising 182 credits, the program includes courses such as principles of genetics; medical sociology; environmental health; epidemiology and disease control; health promotion and wellness; legal and ethical issues in public health; public health policy; medical and public health informatics; public health planning and evaluation; management and administration of public health systems; and health disparities and minority health.
- Location: Savannah, Georgia
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 48 months
- Estimated Tuition: $437 per credit
The University of North Dakota offers both fully online bachelor’s and master’s programs in public health.
While the instructional component of the program is online, students enrolling in UND’s bachelor’s degree in public health will also be required to complete an internship in the field as part of their education. This 120-credit bachelor’s degree includes courses such as introduction to public health; epidemiology in public health; introduction to global health; health program planning, implementation, and evaluation; research methods in kinesiology public health education; and epidemiology and biostatistics.
The 42-credit master’s degree offers three specialization options in indigenous health; population health research & analytics; and health management & policy. The curriculum includes courses such as public health healthcare systems; planning management to promote health; environmental health; healthcare budgeting finance; biostatistics; epidemiology; and health policy.
Particularly interesting to individuals who are seeking to complete a master’s degree is the five-year, 150-credit program on offer that allows students to complete both degrees on a fast track.
- Location: Grand Forks, North Dakota
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: MS (24 months); BS (48 months); accelerated degree (60 months)
- Estimated Tuition: BS ($384.88 per credit); MS ($877.40 per credit)
San Diego State University is based in the California city of the same name and offers a bachelor of science degree in public health. As part of a so-called “degree completion program,” San Diego State University allows students to transfer in from other institutions after having completed their core curriculum at another institution, completing the public health components of their degree at SDSU.
This two-year program prepares students for careers that bridge the gap between social and biological sciences. They’ll learn to communicate health strategies to diverse populations, develop programs that will promote health equity and community wellness, and solve healthcare-related problems. Courses include professionalism and public health; communicable and chronic disease; environment and public health; medical care organization and delivery; public health research; applied biostatistics in public health; and biological basis of disease.
San Diego State University also offers an online five-course advanced certificate in public health, an online 51-credit master of public health (MPH) in epidemiology program, and an online 51-credit master of public health program.
- Location: San Diego, California
- Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: Undergraduate ($532 per credit); graduate ($604 per credit)
Simmons University is a women’s institution based in Boston and emphasizes public health as a vital component in surmounting inequities due to race, gender, and income. Simmon’s online program covers a broad range of subjects related to public health, such as epidemiology, microbiology, and global health. While only available to prospective students who identify as female, Simmons may be a great choice for individuals who are interested in the social implications and effects of public health and health policy.
This 128-credit program includes courses such as introduction to public health; health, illness, and society; introduction to environmental science; microbiology; global health; introductory statistics; health communications; introduction to epidemiology; health systems & policy; and foundations of exercise and health.
Simmons University also offers a 42-credit online CEPH-accredited master of public health program. This master’s degree has two program options: accelerated (15 months) and traditional (24 months).
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); MPH (Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH))
- Expected Time to Completion: BS (48 months); MPH (accelerated: 15 months; traditional: 24 months)
- Estimated Tuition: $500 per credit
Grand Canyon University offers both an online bachelor of science program in public health as well as an online master of public health program. The bachelor’s degree prepares graduates to work as public health practitioners in several health-related settings such as government agencies, community-based organizations, primary care centers, global or domestic nonprofit organizations, and behavioral health agencies. The master’s degree provides students with a comprehensive framework for understanding public health challenges on a regional, local, global, and national scale.
The bachelor’s degree is made up of 120 credits and includes courses such as small group communication; introduction to life sciences; health promotion and disease prevention; introduction to probability and statistics; environmental and occupational health and safety; health psychology; epidemiological research design and methods; and public health data systems and informatics.
The master’s degree requires completion of 48 credits and includes courses such as principles of epidemiology; leadership and management in public health; international perspectives in community health; public health advocacy and policy; planning and evaluation in public health; environmental impacts on health; and application and interpretation of public health data.
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: BS (24 months); MPH (48 months)
- Estimated Tuition: BS ($485 per credit); MPH ($575 per credit)
Capella University also offers both an online bachelor of science program in public health and an online master of public health.
The bachelor’s degree includes courses such as introduction to biostatistics; introduction to epidemiology; introduction to public health policy and management; introduction to environmental health; and introduction to theories of social and behavioral change.
The master’s degree includes coursework in environmental health concepts in public health; principles of epidemiology; public health program planning and evaluation; social determinants of health equity; and learning to lead in public health settings: personal and team development. Students in this program will be required to complete two 40-hour practicums where they will work with faculty members and other professionals to develop skills in public health.
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
Featured Online Master of Public Health Programs (MPH)
Aspen University offers an online master of public health (MPH) program educating graduates in areas that are vital to national, international, and local public health concerns. Comprising specialized courses, core competencies, electives, and a practicum experience, this program’s curriculum helps students enhance their skills, capacities, and knowledge as public health leaders.
Offering start dates every two weeks, this 12-course program includes classes such as public health in America; health policy & ethical issues in public health; public health education & program oversight; epidemiology in public health; disaster management & emergency preparedness; environmental issues in public health; public health administration; health behavior and health education; and applied biostatistics for public health.
Upon completion, graduates will be able to address health-related challenges such as enhancing access to healthcare, managing infectious illnesses, and lowering environmental risks through journal entries, class discussions, assignments, research papers, and one-on-one contact with instructors.
- Location: Phoenix, Arizona
- Accreditation: Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 to 42 months
- Estimated Tuition: $13,455 total tuition
University of Tennessee, Knoxville
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s online master of public health program. Students in this program gain insight into the impact of health policy, systems, and the environment as well as the ability to assess programs and data. Coursework is fully online and students will be able to apply what they learn in real-world settings through the Applied Practice Experience (APEx). This hands-on opportunity (240-hour work experience) allows students to gain professional experience by actively integrating concepts and theory in a real-world setting.
The program allows students to focus on the scope of their degree by choosing from one of four concentration options. These include epidemiology, community health education, veterinary public health, or health policy and management.
This 42-credit program includes courses such as environmental health; health systems, policy and leadership; biostatistics; fundamentals of program evaluation; epidemiology; and assessment and planning.
- Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 to 36 months
- Estimated Tuition: In-state ($700 per credit); out-of-state ($775 per credit)
The Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill offers an online CEPH-accredited master of public health (MPH) program preparing students to combat the most urgent public health challenges in society.
The curriculum for this program begins with core courses, in which students will establish an integrated foundation in public health. They will then delve into concentration courses and electives. Depending on the concentration, students will then complete either the MPH practicum or 1,000 hours of supervised practice experiences. Concentration options include MPH leadership; applied epidemiology; and MPH nutrition.
The curriculum of this 42-credit program includes courses such as systems approach to understanding public health issues; methods and measures for public health practice; data analysis for public health; systems and design thinking for public health leaders; nutritional epidemiology; fundamentals of epidemiology; methods in field epidemiology; and core principles in public health leadership, among others.
- Location: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: 20 to 36 months
- Estimated Tuition: $1,735 per credit
Imperial College London offers a fully online master of public health program providing students with the cutting-edge skills and knowledge required to pursue careers in public health practice, research, or management at several levels. Helping students develop quantitative analytical skills for epidemiology, health services research, and public health, this program offers courses in foundations of public health practice; epidemiology in public health; statistics for public health; health protection; health systems development; and population health improvement, among others.
Additionally, Imperial College London also offers an online global postgraduate certificate in public health as well as an online global postgraduate diploma in public health.
- Location: London, England
- Accreditation: Contact the college for details
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 to 36 months
- Estimated Tuition: MPH two years, part-time (£7,025 per year); MPH three years, part-time (£14,050 per year)
The University of Michigan offers an online master of public health in population and health sciences program that provides students with a cutting-edge multidisciplinary education. Graduates are prepared to become leaders in this field and are equipped to tackle complex health challenges such as food insecurity and obesity, infectious and chronic diseases, environmental health determinants and climate change, healthcare costs and quality, and the health impact of socioeconomic inequalities.
Building expertise in the core concepts of public health, students in this program can customize their learning experience by developing skills in health communications, precision nutrition, environmental epidemiology, data analysis, and more.
Made up of 42 credits, the program’s curriculum includes courses such as principles of epidemiology for public health; social determinants of health; nutrition and public health; introduction to biostatistics; public health systems, policy, and management; public health sciences and the environment; and population health.
- Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 Months
- Estimated Tuition: Michigan residents ($1,037 per credit); non-Michigan residents ($1,144 per credit)
Baylor University’s service-oriented online MPH program with a specialization in community health science offers the same high level of peer engagement and collaboration, community service opportunities, and curriculum as its on-campus program. An on-campus immersion experience in Waco, Texas is required for all students.
This 42-credit program includes courses such as theoretical foundations of health behavior and public health; foundations of public health; public health concepts in epidemiology; assessment and planning in public and community health; evaluation in public and community health; administration and leadership in public health; fundamentals of environmental health science; statistical methodology; current topics in public health; global public health; and determinants of health and health equity.
- Location: Waco, Texas
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Accelerated (12 months); full-time (18 months); part-time (24 months)
- Estimated Tuition: $1,785 per credit
Sacred Heart University’s CEPH-accredited master of public health (MPH) program is offered in a hybrid format offering hands-on opportunities and an impressive student-to-faculty ratio. Graduates receive close guidance and mentorship along with the required knowledge and skills needed for changing lives and impacting health on a broad scale.
Preparing students to improve and protect the health of individuals and entire communities, this hybrid program qualifies students for a wide variety of careers in epidemiology, biostatistics, and public health.
This 42-credit program includes courses such as profession and science of public health; biostatistics; social determinants of health; issues of diversity & equity; health policy and healthcare systems; epidemiology; public health nutrition; and community health development.
Graduates will be able to take up roles such as public health educators, public health administrators, community health workers, epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and public health researchers.
- Location: Fairfield, Connecticut
- Accreditation: New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Accelerated (12 months); full-time (15 to 18 months); part-time (21 to 33 months)
- Estimated Tuition: $750 per credit
Ohio University offers an online CEPH-accredited master of public health program equipping students with the practical skills and conceptual knowledge required for addressing public health challenges of all varieties. Students in this part-time program will be required to complete 200 hours of applied practical experience in an approved organization (this can be their current workplace) focused on health outcomes in the community.
Comprising 42 credits, the program includes courses such as public health concepts; social and behavioral sciences in public health; program planning and implementation in rural public health; program evaluation in rural public health; health policy; rural health disparities; epidemiology in public health; biostatistics in public health; and environmental health sciences in public health.
- Location: Athens, Ohio
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council of Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: Two years
- Estimated Tuition: Ohio residents ($658 per credit); non-residents ($677 per credit)
Purdue University offers an online CEPH-accredited master of public health (MPH) program that is designed for those who are interested in identifying and enacting public health solutions nationally, globally, and locally. Students will learn from accomplished practitioners who provide science-based knowledge and training and empower students to develop evidence-based programs. The program’s curriculum includes a family and community health concentration focusing on family unit issues. All courses in this program can be completed online except for a required practicum (a 200-hour work experience in a real-world location).
This 42-credit program includes core courses such as theoretical foundations of health behavior; fundamentals of epidemiology; introduction to quantitative methods of public health; introduction to environmental health; and public health administration.
Courses in the concentration include healthcare communication; international health systems: a comparative approach; public health program and policy evaluation; families and health; and public health nutrition.
- Location: West Lafayette, Indiana
- Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: 24 months
- Estimated Tuition: in-state ($555 per credit); out-of-state ($750 per credit)
George Mason University offers an online CEPH-accredited master of public health (MPH) program providing students with valuable public health expertise and knowledge through an experiential curriculum and in-person fieldwork preparing them to create positive change both globally and locally. Notably, the program features a partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).
This 42-credit program includes courses such as foundations of public health; fundamentals of epidemiology and biostatistics; community assessment and partnerships; health program planning and evaluations; role of government in healthcare and public health; and applied public health leadership and management. Building on the core coursework, students will also be required to complete a 15-credit public health practice concentration.
- Location: Fairfax, Virginia
- Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC); Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Expected Time to Completion: 30 to 36 months
- Estimated Tuition: $725 per credit
Careers in Public Health
As a large and diverse professional field with many specializations, listing all careers that are attainable with a completed degree in public health will be difficult. However, listed below are a few of the major career paths that are available to graduates of a public health degree program.
Epidemiologist
Epidemiologists study communicable diseases and their spread and effect across a population. In recent years, these professionals have played a vital role in studying the Covid-19 epidemic and its harrowing effects across the globe. Epidemiologists may work for government institutions, foundations, or institutions of higher learning, where they not only study the consequences of spreadable diseases but are often deeply involved in designing strategies to prevent their spread or mitigate their effects.
Health Policy and Administration
This career path may hold particular interest for individuals interested in public policy and politics. Health policy professionals are responsible for studying the effects of diseases, environmental hazards, and other factors that may affect a given population. This can mean working for a nongovernmental organization in the healthcare space, or for a local government that wants to improve the health of its population.
Health policy professionals can be found at nearly every level of government, from local or county administrations all the way up to federal institutions or those that aim to serve the entire planet, such as the World Health Organization.
Environmental Health
As the climate crisis affects more and more individuals across the country and the world, and there is an increasing awareness of the health risks posed by certain industries, this field of public health is seeing a surge of interest. Environmental health professionals may study the effects of environmental factors such as drought, floods, and hurricanes, or they may be involved in research and policy related to toxins and other hazards resulting from certain industries or other human activity.
