The purpose of this article is to tell you about the advantages of earning a master’s degree in global health, which is a subspecialty of the Master of Public Health, and in public health generally. We will provide you with information about how this career field is growing, and also about the different online degree options that are available in global health.
A global health specialist is dedicated to improving public health for people around the world. They normally focus on health conditions and disorders that affect people globally. Some of the diseases and conditions they seek to reduce or eliminate are:
- HIV/AIDS
- Infectious diseases
- Age related issues
- Prenatal health
- Sexually transmitted diseases
Many global health specialists spend much of their career addressing child and mother health problems because so many global health problems involve poor care for pregnant and young mothers. Many of the problems you will deal with are related to poor sanitation and water quality.
You also will need to know more than just the scientific aspects of global health. Global health specialists also have to be very good with managing organizations, organizing budgeting and finance, and health care systems. Many global health workers also work heavily on improving public health and medical infrastructure and delivery systems in the developing world.
If you are the type who wants to help to create healthy international communities by offering public health information and promoting healthy global lifestyles, you should consider a master’s degree in global health, which is a speciality field of a Master in Public Health or MPH. The field of public health differs from medicine in that public health strives to prevent injuries and diseases from happening at all. The traditional medical field is mostly concerned with treating and diagnosing illnesses after they occur.
Generally, the job demand for public health workers overall will increase by 13% by 2024, which is faster than average. Many of these public health workers are usually focused upon improving communities around the globe, and not just the US.
Also, it is anticipated that the demand for all health care workers will increase by 19% by 2024, and many of those will include public health workers who focus on international work.
If you think that earning a master’s degree in global health is something you want, you should review the online master’s programs below that we have researched:
Master of Public Health – Global Health
If you want to focus your public health career specifically on global health, you should consider the Master In Public Health – Global Health from Liberty University. This is an applied science degree that has a strong focus on epidemiology and biostatistics. It will provide you with the experience and knowledge for people who want a career focused on international public health.
The curriculum takes 2.5 years to complete and is focused on developing leadership skills and communication skills in public health on the global level. The areas of study in this accredited MPH program are:
- Biostatistics
- Epidemiology
- Environmental health
- Social and behavioral theory
- Public health administration
- Public health research
You also will take classes in the cultural aspects of health behavior, prevention and control of infectious diseases, primary healthcare in developing countries and public health administration.
All students who are in this master’s program must complete a practicum field experience that can be done on campus or in your area. The goal of this program is to provide you with the skills that you need to develop out in the field. You will be able to develop certain competencies better in the field than in the classroom. There is NO GRE required for this Masters in Public Health program.
For instance, you will be able to better develop your leadership skills in a public health setting, and also have a better grasp of public and private health financing.
Graduates of this program often take roles as:
- In country field consultant
- Disaster relief worker
- Medical researcher
- Government specialist of medicine
Global Master of Public Health
This highly regarded 100% online program in global public health is offered by the University of North Carolina. This two year degree program is designed to provide you the working professional with the skills that you need to address global public health problems. Some of the skills you will walk away with after you graduate are:
- Leadership: You will learn and apply the latest public health leadership models in individual, organizational and community environments. You also will be able to use these newly developed skills to boost the health of people in the communities you serve.
- Public health: You will discover how to develop and implement effective public health solutions to very complex public health matters.
- Practice: Discover how to apply the best public health practices to implement knowledge and experiences in ways that improve and promote public health.
You are required to take two classes per semester that include the following:
- Global Public Health Introduction
- Applying Quality Improvement Methods for Healthcare and Public Health
- Monitoring and Evaluation of Global Health Programs
- Global Public Health Leadership
- Epidemiology
- Biostatistics
- Issues in Global Nutrition
Master’s in Global Health
Another excellent MPH degree with a focus on global health is offered online by Northwestern University. This program is designed to prepare you for emerging global health issues that will occur in the coming decades.
The global health program uses resources from Northwestern’s top quality medical specialists and researchers to deal with global health issues. This is done through innovative public health teaching, cutting edge research and the best, most advanced clinical care.
You will benefit by having access to a highly ranked medical center and a dedicated center of expertise.
While this program can be attended by a person without a background in public health, it is especially well suited for current clinicians, epidemiologists, researchers and policy analysts who want the skills to make a big difference in global healthcare access.
Goals of the program are:
- Teach you to work effectively in a public health setting with very limited resources
- Learn how to navigate the legal, business and regulatory aspects of health related programs around the world
- Contribute to improving health outcomes for people in lower income nations
- Learn how to evaluate and measure health outcomes
- Discover how to get grants to fund global health programs
- Learn how to deal with ethical and cultural issues that are part of global health initiatives
Your core courses are:
- Foundations of Global Health
- Research Methods
- Global Health Systems
- Global Bioethics
- Globalization and Public Policy
- Grant Writing and Fundraising
- Global Nutrition
- Access to Health and Medicines
- Global Health and Technology
- Biostatistics and Epidemiology
The field of global health is one of the most in demand and growing in the entire public health and health area. It is very important to work on preventing serious health problems from occurring in the first place; this saves lives and changes lives. With a master’s in global health degree, you can be on the forefront of this exciting global field.
