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Obtaining an online PhD in Public Health will enable health care professionals to grow their career beyond traditional healthcare fields, and their current careers. Graduates of online PhD programs in Public Health move on to become leaders in the industry by conducting research and developing new research areas; also, they become teachers who shape the minds of future healthcare providers and administrators. Work for graduate students in Public Health is expected to grow at a rate of 18 to 26% moving forward, making this a sound career choice.

Online PhD in Public Health Requirements

Many health care professionals, who choose to upgrade their skills through an online PhD program, do so while working. Taking Online PhD programs in Public Health requires a steady commitment of both time and energy, so be prepared to commit at least sixteen hours per week.

There are several masters degree programs that are accepted precursors to a PhD in Public Health. These degrees include:

• Master of Public Health
• Master of Health Administration
• Master of Health Services Administration
• Master of Science in Public Health

To be accepted into an accredited Online PhD Degrees in Public Health it is not absolutely necessary to have a Masters degree. Often a solid amount of fieldwork will garner you acceptance to an online Doctorate programs in Public Health. Many people in the following careers go on to complete Public Health PhD Online programs: statistician, clinical trials analyst, director of healthcare operations (or some sort of leadership role), public health officer, survey statistician, and more.

Online PhD in Public Health Education

This best online PhD courses require between two-three years for completion, depending on the specific program and your time commitment. You will be required to complete a specific number of credits. Once the course credits are complete you will be required to write a dissertation to complete your Online Doctorate Degrees in Public Health.

Information on Public Health Courses

Top Online PhD courses in Public Health focus on five core disciplines, according to the Association of Schools of Public Health. Of these five you will be required to takes multiple courses in each discipline (although you may choose to become a specialist in just one discipline). Your Online Doctoral programs in Public Health will have courses resembling the following:

• Biostatistics
  This course will teach you how to create and incorporate statistical methodology into your research and teaching.
• Epidemiology
  You will learn specifically about the spread, containment, and distribution patterns of diseases within communities, as it pertains to your Online Public Health Doctorate education.
• Health Services Administration
  These courses will study multi-faceted aspects of health care including reform, systems, law, financial management, clinic management and policy analysis.
• Health Education/Behavioral Science
  This Online Doctoral programs in Public Heath subject will teach you to properly select, apply and monitor strategies of behavioral, social and political that enhance overall population health.
• Environmental Health
  This teaches you the effects of different physical and biologic environmental agents on human populations.

Specializations and Concentrations

An online Public Health PhD based career is broad and many students will take a specification within the degree in order to better qualify for certain jobs. While every specifications will cover the five core basics discussed above, each student in an Online Doctorate program in Public Health will also discover one of the below concentrations in greater depth than the others:

• Epidemiology
• Health Behavior
• Global Health
• Biostatistics
• Environmental Health
• Health Services Administration
• Laboratory Practice
• Maternal and Child Health
• Nutrition and Dietics
• Occupational Health and Safety
• Tropical Medicine

Careers in Public Health

Graduates of an online Public Health PhD program can choose from a wide variety of career paths. The most common career paths and salary expectations (as per the Bureau of Labor Statistics) are:

• Education
  Many online Doctorate in Public Health graduates become educators in order to mold the coming generations by teaching them the current issues and challenges in the field. Typically those in education make between $33,000 – $86,625 annually, and the field grows roughly twenty-six percent per year.
• Administration and Management
  Health systems are incredibly complex and require highly trained individuals to deal with the constantly changing matrix of needs. Those entering administration and management careers can expect to make between $37,050 – $161,400 per year.
• Policy
  Many graduates enter careers policy making in order to have the largest effect on the population through the shaping of laws and policies, which will determine the future of public health. The average salaries range from $41,175 to $102,000.
• Community Practice
  Those who wish to help shape public health conditions from the ground up will enter community practices. Through direct contact and community leadership you will help launch and monitor community-based programs. Expect to earn between $37,050 and $161,400 per year.
• Research
  One of the fastest growing fields is medical research. These careers do the necessary research to feed to policy makers, educators, administrators and other public health management types. Salaries range from $31,500 to $78,750 annually.