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Public Health Degrees

If you have a desire to improve people's health on a large scale, public health might be the field you are looking for. Public health professionals examine the health of entire communities and work to stop the spread of disease and illness. They examine physical and environmental vectors for illness and propose ways of improving the health of a neighborhood or larger community. They play a role in public policy and the environment as well as in the traditional medical approaches to wellness. Public health bridges the gap between medicine and government in people's lives.

Public health degrees are available at many universities and medical schools. It is possible to get a two-year or four-year degree in public health to begin you career as a public health officer. Courses in preventative medicine, health care administration, and health policy will give you the background you need to start working in communities. Higher degrees are often expected in this industry, however. A masters or doctoral program will include more hard science courses like epidemiology and behavioral science.

Public health workers should find a favorable job market with the demand for workers equaling the number of workers looking for jobs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many public health workers find themselves working with individual clients as a social worker. Others work on public policy or for a government entity like the Center for Disease Control. Epidemiologists can work for public or private institutions to fight the spread of disease or illness.

Online Schools Offering Public Health Degrees


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