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Minimum degree requirements:
60 quarter credits
- Core courses (50 cr.)
- Capstone (10 cr.)
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What Is a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Degree?
If you are passionate about being an effective change agent in any of the public health fields, this doctoral degree can position you for success in your profession.
The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree is a top credential for practitioners and administrators within the public health arena. Specifically, it’s a degree for professionals interested in advancing their careers and positively influencing public health issues within a community, regardless of its size. Candidates for this online public health degree typically have a few years of professional experience in addition to having already earned their master’s degree.
The DrPH degree is often confused with a PhD in Public Health, but there are distinct differences between the two degrees. While a PhD in Public Health prepares students for careers in teaching and research, a DrPH focuses on practical executive-level skills, innovative approaches, and emerging issues, trends, and technologies. DrPH students gain applied research skills that connect research to real-world implementation, enabling them to create effective programs and policies with a positive, measurable impact on entire populations. By combining updated knowledge about current public health issues with practical skills, DrPH graduates are equipped to drive meaningful change in their communities.
Walden University’s Doctor of Public Health program offers two doctoral tracks: A shorter program for students who have a master’s in public health, and a longer program for students who have a master’s degree in an academic discipline other than public health and need to have a grounding in the fundamentals of public health.
As a healthcare executive or administrator with a DrPH, you’ll have the opportunity to plan, direct, and coordinate medical and health services that create healthier communities at the local, state, or national level. In this role, you might manage a health facility, a specific clinical area or department, or a medical practice for a group of physicians. Your responsibilities could include implementing and directing changes that conform to new healthcare laws, regulations, and technology. If you enjoy the challenges and satisfaction of being an influential decision-maker in public health issues, a DrPH will help prepare you with the executive-level skill set and confidence to guide positive changes in public health.
Public Health Job Opportunities
A DrPH degree can lead to a wide range of rewarding career opportunities in leadership, policy, and education. Graduates can pursue roles such as health department director, public health information officer, health policy advisor, and public health consultant, where they can apply their expertise to drive meaningful change. Other potential career paths include health officer, public health program director, community health manager or director, and even public health professor. These positions enable DrPH holders to leverage their knowledge and skills to develop and implement effective public health programs, shape health policy, and educate future generations of public health professionals.
Salaries and Job Outlook
The job market for healthcare executives and administrators (also known as medical and health services managers) is projected to grow at a much-faster-than-average rate of 23% between 2024 and 2034. In that time frame, close to 143,000 jobs are expected to be added to the field.1
With an online DrPH program, you can gain the doctoral training and credentials necessary to improve the health of others in the public, private, or academic sector. Even if your professional background is in science or business instead of health services, a doctorate in public health can help prepare you to work as a leader or administrator in challenging practice-based settings across the public, private, and academic spectrum.
Walden’s Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). CEPH accreditation is important to DrPH programs because it ensures that they meet specified criteria and standards for quality. CEPH accreditation is considered the benchmark of quality in the evaluation of public health programs, as accreditation ensures the degrees offered provide the highest caliber of education possible, preparing competent public health professionals for the field.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering a suite of public health degree programs online, including a CEPH-accredited Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) program. Expand your career options and earn your degree using a convenient, flexible learning platform that fits your busy life.
1Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm
Career options may require additional experience, training, or other factors beyond the successful completion of this degree program.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.
Walden University’s Doctor of Public Health program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. For a copy of the final self-study document and/or final accreditation report, please contact the dean of the College of Health Sciences and Public Policy ([email protected]). For any questions about Walden’s accreditation, please visit our accreditation page.