Doctoral in Public Health
Overview of the field
The program gives an opportunity to health professionals to further enhance their skills through research and on-job experience.
Structure and duration of the degree program
The initial years include coursework which is followed by a comprehensive examination. The examination is followed by a dissertation. The institution usually takes the responsibility of placing the individuals for their relative externships, depending on their areas of expertise.
Highlights of the coursework
The coursework in doctoral programs in public health aims at familiarizing the students with public health issues and related topics. The coursework includes international health, health risk, social gerontology, environmental health, health services research, rehabilitation and disability, health economics, health psychology, health service promotion, medical anthropology, tropical health, maternal and child health, among others.
Admission criteria and graduation requirements
To get admission into Doctoral of Public Health you should preferably have a Masters in a related field, though a number of universities accommodate students with a bachelor’s degree as well but that may require some amount of work experience.
Career prospects and average salary
A Doctoral of Public Health is a research-oriented program and those who aim for academic positions usually apply. Many students opt for electives which leads to better job prospects. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, related professionals such as health educators earned a median annual salary of $50,430 in May 2014, with those in the top ten percent earning over $90,260.