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Home/ Careers/ Public Health/ Public Health Practice & Program Management

Public Health Practice & Program Management

Overview

In the wake of recent man-made and natural disasters, the US is placing a high priority on building up the nation's public health workforce.  Since 2002, Federal funding has increased for public health preparedness, including scholarship and loan repayment programs, workforce development grants, and funding for bioterrorism preparedness.  What does this mean for you?  It means that with a degree in public health, you’ll be in high demand – and on a career path filled with advancement opportunities.

This particular public health field is designed to prepare experienced clinicians (i.e., in medicine, dentistry, nursing, social work, etc.) to assume leadership roles as members of multidisciplinary health care teams. 

A degree in public health practice & program management incorporates features of a number of other public health disciplines, including maternal and child health, aging, mental health, and environmental health, among others.   

With a degree in this area, you will be prepared to develop, implement, and evaluate effective public health initiatives.  You also will be able to create and analyze programs in the context of the communities they serve, taking into account cultural, social, economic, ethical, and legal factors.

You can download, save and print a PDF of this career profile:

Public Health Practice and Program Management 14 May 2008 [pdf, 179 KB]

Working Conditions

Academic Requirements

Programs in public health practice and program management are highly interdisciplinary.  Since they cater to established professionals, part-time and/or distance learning programs in this field are not uncommon.  The curriculum covers a wide range of areas, including public health practice; epidemiology; program analysis; and data-based inference.  Search for schools that provide training for this career.

To find schools in this field, see the Association of Schools of Public Health website. 

NOTE: The Schools of Public Health Application Service (SOPHAS) is the centralized, online application service for all applicants applying to an accredited school of public health.

A complete list of accredited programs can be found on the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) website.