Choosing the PhD in Public Health Specialization That's Right for You

Public health degree programs are a great career choice for those who wish to make significant contributions in advancing wellness both globally and locally. Like many doctoral degree programs, a PhD in Public Health will give you the opportunity to conduct research, implement much-needed programs, and develop policies to improve the health of our communities.

Walden University offers online graduate degree programs for working professionals, and among their most popular online PhD programs is the PhD in Public Health. Students enrolled in this doctoral degree program choose from three specializations—Community Health Education, Environmental and Occupational Health, and Epidemiology.

Community Health Education: This specialization addresses how to assess and improve the well-being of communities and public health systems. Students learn how to analyze a community’s overall health by examining the quality of living conditions and available health resources. The goal is to develop programs that can help communities and individuals become healthier.

A few of the online learning courses you will take when you choose the Community Health Education specialization as part of this PhD degree program include:

• Community Health Assessment
• Applied Leadership and Multicultural Perspectives in Public Health
• Research and Application of Public Health and Behavior Change Theories

Those choosing to specialize in Community Health Education will conduct a community health assessment and develop a public health program designed to contribute new knowledge to the field of public health to address that community’s needs.

Environmental and Occupational Health: If your goal is to impact the field through public health policy creations and research, this specialization could be for you. Students learn about the effects of environmental health issues have on populations and the factors that affect our health on a local, global, and national scale. Some of the courses you can expect to take with a specialization in Environmental and Occupational Health include:

• Environmental and Occupational Exposure Measurement and Assessment
• Environmental and Occupational Toxicology
• Advanced Biostatistics
• Grant Writing and Review for Public Health Research

Epidemiology: Students choosing this specialization will focus on infectious and chronic diseases that can devastate entire communities. Students in the Epidemiology specialization explore how diseases affect populations and develop strategies for maintaining community health. A few of the online learning courses you will take with a specialization in Epidemiology include:

• Advanced Biostatistics
• Advanced Epidemiology Methods
• Epidemiology Investigations
• Health Informatics and Surveillance

Those choosing this specialization will conduct their own original research by selecting a topic of their choice that contributes new knowledge to the field of epidemiology.

If you’re interested in earning your PhD in Public Health from Walden University, be sure to choose the specialization that best suits your personal and career goals. Doing so will help give you the knowledge and skills necessary to better promote positive social change in communities around the world.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering a PhD in Public Health degree program online . Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.