By earning your masters in public health online, you can maintain your job while developing skills to support your community and serve at a higher level. Public health professionals promote programs and policies that create better health outcomes and more equitable access to health care. What if your existing expertise could be expanded to make a bigger impact as a leader?
The University of Washington’s unique Online MPH program lets you tap into an extensive network of diverse and successful public health professionals. This fosters a strong community for sharing and learning from each other. From established instructors to an acclaimed network of over 1,000 alumni, both mentorship and networking are opportunities for growth in the program. The curriculum includes a broad foundation, and emphasizes leadership and applied practice.
5 Reasons to get your Masters of Public Health Online
1. Flexibility
One of the BIGGEST perks of an masters in public health online is flexibility. Most of the courses can be completed asynchronously (at no specific time). This means students can tailor their schedule to meet their needs, completing schoolwork at a time convenient for them. While some programs may ask students to attend occasional in-person sessions, “live attendance” classes can be joined from anywhere.
The majority of the coursework in the UW Online MPH program (prerecorded lectures, learning modules, readings, discussions) can be completed asynchronously. Students can complete the program on a full-time or part-time basis to fit into their existing schedule. The program’s experience balances the convenience of independent learning with weekly live synchronous sessions held on Zoom in the evenings, plus a few in-person opportunities, to facilitate cohort engagement.
2. Career Advancement
The health field overall is a massive, diverse, and growing job market. As a credential, the MPH is quickly becoming a standard qualification for careers in public health. An MPH will give you a leg up on the competition, making your job applications stand out and putting you on the fast track for promotion.
With its focus on leadership, the UW Online MPH program promotes graduates to positions managing or directing programs and teams. UW Online MPH alumni are leading the change for health equity and healthier communities. They work across health care institutions, government agencies, research firms, and community organizations.
Teah Hoopes, alumna of the UW Online MPH program, pivoted to a new career as a program manager after completing earning her master’s degree following a decade of experience a clinical researcher.
3. Job Security
Choosing to pursue a career in public health can be rewarding beyond just serving your community. Employment opportunities are growing substantially; according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), roughly “1.8 million openings are projected each year” from 2022 to 2032. That’s a growth of roughly 16% — giving MPH graduates even more job opportunities.
The interdisciplinary skills gained in the UW Online MPH program can also be applied to careers outside of the health sector. These skills, including statistics and data analysis, applied research methods, project management, financial and organizational management, critical thinking and professional writing for communications, are transferrable to several different roles and industries.
4. Pursue Your Interests
An MPH allows you to pursue your passions, both professionally and personally. Do you have a passion for a particular sector of public health? In some programs, like the UW Online MPH program, students choose their own focus areas for certain assignments and for their practicum and capstone project. The program’s cohort is very diverse, and students have unique interests across different fields. Everything from health care, mental health, policy, social work, and advocacy, to clinical research, epidemiology, global health, environmental health, and other distinct issues and disparities that affect underserved communities.
For her practicum, UW Online MPH student Mayra Muratalla Muñoz chose to evaluate the forensic exam of disabled survivors. In line with her volunteer advocacy work, she aims to create more equitable health care for sexual assault survivors.
UW Online MPH alumnus Robert Byron has worked for years raising awareness about the impact of climate change on human health in Montana. In January 2021, he co-authored a report on the subject, “Climate Change and Human Health in Montana: A Special Report of the Montana Climate Assessment”.
5. Better Pay
Individuals with an MPH degree typically earn 50 to 75 percent more than their counterparts with just a bachelor’s degree. According to ZipRecruiter.com, the average starting salary for those with a bachelors is $44,512 a year. Comparatively, the average salary of those with an MPH is $120,688. With rising costs of living, investing in an MPH will allow for higher earnings and a stronger financial future.
How does a master’s in public health online compare to in-person learning?
The effectiveness of in-person versus online learning depends on several factors and varies from student to student. Your personal learning style (how you learn best) should ultimately shape your decision in choosing a program. In-person learning may promote more natural discussion than an online forum and offer more hands-on support.
Some students might prefer to approach coursework more independently, and online learning can allow them to absorb and retain content better. Most notably, the ability to learn and immediately apply those lessons to real-world scenarios within your professional role can greatly outweigh the advantages of in-person learning. Additionally, some students find that they have even more access to instructions through the online platform, as they are not bound to limited on-campus office hours.
What about the quality of an online master’s degree program?
It’s common to think choosing an online program means sacrificing quality, but this is far from the truth for the UW Online MPH program. This program pulls resources and faculty from the top-ranked University of Washington School of Public Health, as well as the UW School of Medicine and Foster School of Business. It is worth noting that the UW Online MPH program is run entirely in-house by a dedicated team within the Department of Health Systems and Population Health, as opposed to being managed by an outside third-party online program management (OPM) provider.
The UW Online MPH program has a unique amount of engagement for an online graduate program. Rather than being completely independent or isolated, the program utilizes a team-based learning approach. Ongoing online discussions, weekly live meetings, and group projects allow students to learn and collaborate with their cohort. Teamwork is a critical part of public health, and Online MPH program’s in-person orientation helps to build a supportive community. After all, your classmates will be your support system throughout the program and your colleagues after graduation.
What are the challenges of a masters in public health online?
Earning your MPH online isn’t for the faint of heart. While it does afford flexibility, it’s still an intensive and demanding graduate degree program. There is the expectation for thoughtful, high-quality work across rigorous tasks. Some of the common challenges students face include:
- Self-Motivation. It takes a lot of self-direction to complete tasks and meet deadlines when you’re doing so independently and virtually. Students in online programs must develop discipline and time management to balance their schoolwork with their jobs and other commitments.
- Isolation. Because online programs happen largely digitally, the experience can feel isolating to some students. Online discussion forums and live sessions can help to fill this void. The UW Online MPH program emphasizes interaction and collaboration within the cohort so that students do not feel disengaged. The staff and instructors make sure students feel supported through advising and office hours, while tutoring is also available.
- Technology. The nature of online classes means you need regular access to a reliable computer and internet. Depending on your program, you have access to the university’s tech support and resources. The last thing you want is a struggle to connect interrupting your ability to study or participate. The UW Online MPH program employs a user-friendly platform called Canvas to host everything you need for your classes in one convenient place. The program includes trainings on the online learning platform and statistics computing program (The R Project) during the in-person orientation to make sure students are up-to-speed on the tools they will be using.
Earn your MPH online and improve your communities
Take your public health career to the next level and make an even bigger difference in your community. Earn your Masters in Public Health online with the UW Online MPH program and lead the way to better health.
Attend a free online information session or sign up for the program’s email newsletter to learn more. Contact the advisor with any questions.