Public health is an excellent career choice for working professionals eager to build healthy communities and promote positive social change. And with signs of a favorable job outlook in many public health career fields through at least 2029,1 the time may be right for you to consider a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) or Master of Public Health (MPH) degree.
When reviewing online public health degree programs to find the best fit for your life and lifestyle, you’ll want to verify that the programs you’re considering are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH). Walden University, a leader in online education, received CEPH accreditation for its MPH program in September 2019 and its DrPH program in June 2020.
What Is the Council on Education for Public Health?
The Council on Education for Public Health is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit public health programs, ensuring that they provide rigorous preparation to meet the needs of the profession and the health and safety of society.
Why Is Accreditation Important?
CEPH accreditation is important to public health 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 DrPH and MPH degrees offered provide the highest caliber of education possible, preparing competent public health professionals to enter the field.
A degree from a CEPH-accredited DrPH or MPH program like Walden’s may improve your eligibility for jobs. For example, some employers, like the U.S. Public Health Service, require that MPH-level jobs be filled by graduates of CEPH-accredited schools or programs.2 Other employers may express a preference for graduates of CEPH-accredited programs.
Graduates of CEPH-accredited MPH programs are eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health exam administered by the National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) without needing five years of public health work experience after earning their bachelor’s degree. Walden is also now one of the CEPH-accredited members of the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), which makes students eligible to apply for ASPPH fellowships.
What Are Other Benefits of CEPH Accreditation?
The benefits of CEPH-accredited public health programs extend far and wide:3
- For the public, CEPH accreditation promotes the health, safety, and welfare of society by assuring that schools graduate competent public health professionals.
- For prospective students, accreditation serves a consumer protection purpose. It provides assurance that the school or public health program has been evaluated and has met accepted standards established by and with the profession.
- For prospective employers, it provides assurance that the public health degree curriculum covers essential skills and knowledge needed for today’s jobs.
- For graduates, it promotes professional mobility and enhances employment opportunities in positions that base eligibility on graduation from an accredited school or MPH program.
- For public health professionals, it involves practitioners in the establishment of standards and assures that educational requirements reflect the current training needs of the profession.
- For the public health profession, it advances the field by promoting standards of practice and advocating rigorous preparation.
- For the federal government and other public funding agencies, it serves as a basis for determining eligibility for federally funded programs and student financial aid.
- For the school or public health program, accreditation enhances its national reputation and represents peer recognition.
What Can I Do With a Public Health Degree?
Public health is a rewarding field with career opportunities to match most interests. Whether you want to design and implement public health programs, develop policy, administer public health services, or conduct research, Walden’s public health programs provide the expertise you need to advance your career and move into roles such as:
Master of Public Health
- Health officer
- Occupational health and safety specialist
- Environmental health specialist
- Disease investigator
- Public health educator
- Public health information officer
- Public health analyst
- Public health policy coordinator
- Public health emergency preparedness and response coordinator
- Global health professional
- Research analyst
- Health policy advisor
- Epidemiologist
- Community health worker
Doctor of Public Health
- Health department director
- Public health information officer
- Health policy advisor
- Public health consultant
- Health officer
- Public health program director
- Community health manager/director
- Faculty member or lecturer
For DrPH and MPH degree graduates interested in working as medical and health services managers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts job opportunities to grow by 32% through 2029, a pace it ranks as much faster than average.1 Health educator and community health worker jobs are projected to grow by 13%, also much faster than average.4
Earn a Doctor of Public Health or Master of Public Health Online
Walden’s online MPH degree program can give you a solid grounding in foundational public health knowledge to help you take your career to the next level.
In Walden’s CEPH-accredited programs, you’ll take part in interactive and enhanced media simulations of real-world public health issues and solutions. You’ll receive the latest in curriculum, featuring case studies on the latest public health issues. And you’ll learn in Walden’s innovative online environment, applying what you learn in your current job as you earn a degree online.
Walden is diverse and inclusive, and as the choice of over 52,000 students5 from across the United States and 120 countries, it offers a unique global perspective on public health. The experiences of this broad range of students enrich Walden’s MPH degree program.
Bring your passion for social change and healthy communities to Walden’s CEPH-accredited Doctor of Public Health and Master of Public Health degree programs, and start building a rewarding future.
Walden University is an accredited institution offering public health graduate programs online, including the Doctor of Public Health and Master of Public Health (MPH) programs. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.
1Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm
2Source: www.usphs.gov/professions/public-health-professional
3Source: https://ceph.org/constituents/students/benefits-of-accreditation
4Source: www.bls.gov/ooh/community-and-social-service/health-educators.htm
5Source: Total enrollment as of December 31, 2019.
Note on Program Accreditation
The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) Board of Councilors acted at its September 6, 2019, meeting to accredit the Master of Public Health (MPH) Program at Walden University for a five-year term, based on an application for accreditation submitted on February 3, 2018. On June 5, 2020, the CEPH Board of Councilors accredited the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) at Walden University, after reviewing an accreditation application submitted on April 21, 2020. CEPH is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools of public health and programs of public health. CEPH accreditation provides assurance that the program has been evaluated and met accepted public health profession standards in practice, research, and service. 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]).
Note on Certification:
The National Board of Public Health Examiners (NBPHE) offers the Certified in Public Health (CPH) credential as a voluntary core credential for public health professionals. As the eligibility criteria may change periodically, students should visit https://www.nbphe.org/eligibility for more information about certification in public health. It is the individual’s responsibility to understand, evaluate, and comply with all requirements relating to national certification. Walden makes no representations or guarantees that completion of Walden coursework or programs will permit an individual to obtain national certification or practice as a public health professional in the state where they intend to practice.
Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.