PUBLIC HEALTH at Pennsylvania State University Park Campus

The Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) in Public Health program is a professional degree program that builds knowledge and skills in the areas of systems thinking, evidence-based public health, leadership, program planning and management, public health and health systems, communication, and interprofessional practice. In addition, the M.P.H. in Public Health program advances expertise in community and behavioral health, epidemiology and biostatistics, global health, and health systems organization and policy. The M.P.H. degree leads to careers in a wide variety of fields and settings, including local, state, and federal government agencies; health care settings; health insurance industry; health services networks; nonprofits; and the pharmaceutical industry.

The Doctor of Public Health (Dr.P.H.) in Public Health program is a professional degree program that provides advanced public health education and training to prepare its graduates for evidence-based practice and leadership in the application of translational science and implementation research findings. It allows graduates to pursue career opportunities in the federal, state, and local government, as well as in the non-profit, academic, and private sectors. Educationally it places an emphasis on discovery, teaching, integration, and application with a primary purpose of bridging research and practice to protect and improve the public’s health. The Dr.P.H. builds on Master of Public Health (M.P.H.) competency domains and, as a professional degree, integrates public health practice and project-based learning with local, state, and federal networks to enrich learning in health policy and program development and implementation. The Dr.P.H. program of study includes course work, an advanced field experience, and integrative doctoral research and provides an opportunity for further specialization within a specified cognate.