A doctorate of public health degree can help any person to continue and advance in their public health career in a more thorough and efficient way, and this type of graduate degree can also open many doors in terms of working in many different fields. Potential employees that hold a doctorate in public health are held in high regard by employers, and these professionals will be able to help the public in maintaining good health through education, research, and many other aspects of the field on either a local or global scale.
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If you are looking to further your public health degree to a doctorate level, some programs to strongly consider are:
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Doctor of Public Health
Summary
One of the best doctor of public health programs in the United States comes from Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. This program combines analytical skills, leadership, communication, program management, and many other facets of public health to prepare students to be innovators in their chosen public health field.
Various departments throughout the school offer this doctorate program, from the environmental health department to the department of international health, and it is best for students to contact the department which most closely relates to their field of interest. The school also offers full-time and part-time program selections allowing working professionals to advance their career at a pace that works best for their schedule.
Tuition
Full-time doctor of public health program students can expect to pay around $45,792 for the full 4 term program, and part time students will pay per credit at a rate of around $954.
Berkeley School of Public Health
Doctor of Public Health
Summary
This professional degree program offered by Berkeley School of Public Health allows students to prepare themselves to be true leaders in their chosen public health field. Study is done on an interdisciplinary and school-wide level that encompasses all facets of public health in a way that allows graduates to pursue and succeed in their professional goals no matter their chosen public health field. Students who complete the program will be prepared to take on leadership positions while working in their public health career on either a local or international level in the public, private, or academic sector.
Tuition
The school charges tuition and fees of around $11,516 for in-state resident students or $17,639 for out of state students per semester for the doctor of public health program.
Harvard School of Public Health
Doctor of Public Health
Summary
Harvard School of Public health offers a doctor of public health degree program for students and professionals who show potential as leaders in their field. This exceptional school provides graduates with all they will need to continue with a successful career in public health no matter which facet they may choose to work in. Students obtaining a doctor of public health degree through Harvard School of Public Health will gain an innovative knowledge of how to best improve the health and lives of people around the globe, and this is done through a combination of simulations, hands on study, discussions, interactive learning practices, and field experience.
Graduate students with no prior public health degree may be able to obtain a doctor of public health through this program and its groundbreaking techniques.
Tuition
Full-time students pursuing a doctor of public health degree at Harvard School of Public Health can expect to pay around $38,800 per year in tuition.
Boston University School of Public Health
Doctor of Public Health
Summary
The School of Public Health at Boston University prepares students to be leaders in the public health field with their doctor of public health program, as this program is built to be interdisciplinary and hands on practice oriented. The school offers both full-time and part-time study options perfect for already working public health professionals looking to advance their education and career.
Tuition
For part-time students, the 48 credit course will cost around $1,374 per credit in tuition, while the full-time program will cost around $21,985 per semester.
University of Texas School of Public Health
Doctor of Public Health
Summary
The doctor of public health program offered by University of Texas School of Public health is geared towards preparing professionals who wish to practice, teach, or research public health issues plaguing the nation and the world today. In order to obtain a doctor of public health degree from the school, students are required to complete 48 credit hours of required public health study as well as a minor in 1 of the 5 specific public health disciplines.
Tuition
In-state resident students can expect to pay around $5,500 per year for tuition during the course of this program, while out of state students will pay around $17,600.
Selection Criteria for Doctorate Of Public Health (DrPH) Programs & Epidemiology
Accreditation
The quality of any public health program rests on the academic standards of the department that offers it. The qualifications of the faculty, the research and reference resources available, the subjects covered in the curriculum, the standards for administrative support and evaluation… these are all aspects of your degree program that you really want to know are nailed down.
That’s why accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is a crucial criteria behind the schools on this list. As the speciality accreditation agency for public health programs recognized by the U.S. Department of Educationsince 1974, CEPH evaluates #MPH programs according to the unique demands and core competencies required for public health service. Accreditation is so important that it is a requirement in order to sit for the major professional certification exam, the CPH (Certified in Public Health) from NBPHE (National Board of Public Health Examiners).
Research
Public health is a field that is constantly evolving, and it’s evolving because of the hard work that instructors and doctoral students put into both statistical and on-the-ground research efforts. Getting a solid education in epidemiology means getting directly involved in the front-line investigations of emerging threats and tracking old foes. Whether it’s continuing work on the eradication of malaria or controlling dengue, or breaking ground on Ebola or other hemorrhagic viruses, your expertise in the field will be honed only at schools that offer deep and meaningful research options.
Faculty
Although the CEPH accreditation process covers the basic skills and qualifications that a public health program must require of faculty, there’s plenty of room above that baseline for schools to distinguish themselves. There’s no question that it’s a field that has rock stars… professors like Minnesota’s Ancel Keys, who launched the revolutionary Seven Countries Study, or James Harlan Steele of UT, widely considered to be the father of veterinary public health.
And while not every school has a faculty that reaches those heights, there are many that have instructors who are highly respected in the field. We sought out programs who have faculty with genuine on-the-ground experience and expertise in the field who are active in making important contributions in both research and practice.
Cost
Although cost was not our primary consideration in developing this top picks list, it’s always something to look at when considering what school to pick for a doctoral degree. So while we chose only schools that are the very best in the field, we let you know what the costs will look like so you can choose something that is not only excellent, but affordable.
Reputation
The top schools in public health don’t hide their light under a bushel; usually we’re not the only ones who have figured out they belong on lists like this. We consider the opinions of other popular third-party rankings, such as those from The Princeton Review, U.S. News & World Report, or the Economist. Chances are good that a school we’ve found at the top of the spectrum has also been well-reviewed by one or more of them.
Hands-on Practice
Public health is a hands-on business, and any CEPH-accredited program will include practical experience that puts you out in the real world for a face-to-face exposure to the conditions that you will face in practicing after graduation. This kind of experience is critical for the kind of practical, well-rounded graduates that the field demands, and some schools do a better job of planning, supporting, and placing students in experiential positions than others.
All schools shown here have been contacted and informed of their inclusion on this list. Schools that do not wish to be featured are immediately removed. School names are the registered trademarks of their original owners. The use of any trade name or trademark does not imply any association with the school.
