Public Health--Graduate Degree

Public Health Careers--Social and Behavioral Sciences

What are my job options in Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health with a Psychology degree?

Consider using your Psychology degree to begin a career in the Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health. Your career will involve investigating social and behavioral determinants of public health problems (e.g., alcohol and drug abuse, tobacco control, mental health, domestic violence, and prevention of STDs--including HIV), and you will work to encourage people to make healthy choices.

Graduate degrees in public health are offered at both the Master's level (Master of Public Health-MPH, Master of Science in Public Health-MSPH) and Doctoral level (Doctor of Public Health-DrPH, Doctor of Science in Public Health-ScD). 

Master's programs in public health usually require 2 years of graduate school to complete your thesis research project. Typically you must pay tuition. A graduate degree such as an MPH or MSPH offers greater job opportunities and greater salary than a Bachelor’s degree--the same is true for a Doctoral degree. If you decide to pursue a Doctoral degree you should be aware that your training will emphasize creating new knowledge, and you will likely be aiming for a job at a college or university their career goal. It usually takes 4-6 years to earn a Docoral degree, and you must first earn a Master's degree at the same or a different university. Again it is typically the case that you must pay tuition in this type of Doctoral program. 

Here is a site for specific job opportunities with a Masters in Public Health. Salary Information

mediansalary.com lists the average yearly income for a Behavioral Science/Health Education worker at $59,000.

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Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree:

Public Health Careers--Nutritionist/Dietician

Public Health Careers--Health Educator/Worker

Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that require a graduate degree:

Public Health Careers--Biostatistics

Public Health Careers--Environmental Health

Public Health Careers--Epidemiology

Public Health Careers--Health Services Administration

Public Health Careers--Epidemiology

Using your Psychology degree to pursue being an Epidemiologist

An interesting path you can take with your Psychology degree is that of an Epidemiologist. This career involves the study of the factors that determine the distribution of health and disease in human populations. In addition, Epidemiologists deal with the possible control of diseases. Their research tools include designing studies, collecting and analyzing various types of data (e.g., blood and tissue samples), interviews, and surveys. They may work for a government agency (e.g., health department), in hospitals, and in higher education.

Graduate degrees in public health are offered at both the Master's (Master of Public Health-MPH), Master of Science in Public Health-MSPH) and Doctoral level (Doctor of Public Health--DrPH, Doctor of Science in Public Health-ScD, or Doctor of Philosophy-PhD). Master's programs in public health usually require 2 years of graduate school to complete your thesis research project. With regard to a Doctoral degree, it takes around 4-6 years, and you have first completed your Master's degree at the same or different school. Graduate school can be expensive, so make sure you check if a school you plan to apply to offers any financial assistance.

Here is a site for specific job opportunities with a masters in public health. Salary Information

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median (middle) yearly income for an Epidemiologist at $70,000.

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Click here to read important steps to Public Health Careers with a Graduate Degree. Other links on explorecareersinpsychology.org

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Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree:

Public Health Careers--Nutritionist/Dietician

Public Health Careers--Health Educator/Worker

Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that require a graduate degree:

Public Health Careers--Biostatistics

Public Health Careers--Environmental Health

Public Health Careers--Health Services Administration

Public Health Careers--Social and Behavioral Sciences

Public Health Careers--Biostatistics

Can a Pychology degree lead to a career as a Biostatitician?

You can be a Psychology major, and then pursue a career as a Biostatitician. This career will involve applying state-of-the-art statistical methods to the solution of significant public health problems. Another way to put it is that they deal with data related to living organisms and make making sense of that data. This data could involve whether a new drug is effective, what causes certain diseases, and the likelihood a person will survive a ceratain disease.

To become a Biostatitician you will need a graduate degree. Typically, you can earn a degree in Biostatistics in a College of Public Health either the Master's degree (Master of Public Health (MPH)/Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) or the Doctoral degree level (Doctor of Public Health-DrPH, Doctor of Science in Public Health-ScD, or Doctor of Philosophy-PhD). 

Master's programs in Public Health usually require 2 years of graduate school to complete your thesis research project. Doctoral training places greater emphasis on creating new knowledge through research, with Doctoral degree recipients pursuing research and/or teaching as their career goal. DrPH training places greater emphasis on the application of science to public health leadership, practice, and program development. In Biostatistics graduate programs t is likely you will pay tuition, but you need to check programs you are interested in attending to check out financial support possibilities.Both Master's and Doctoral degrees offer greater job opportunities and greater salary than a Bachelor’s degree. 

Here is a site for specific job opportunities with a Master's Degree in Public Health. Salary Information

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists the median (middle) yearly income for a Biostatistician at $84,000.

Click here to see career salary information for ALL careers listed in explorecareersinpsychology.org.

Click here to read important steps to Public Health Careers with a Graduate Degree. Other links on explorecareersinpsychology.org

Click here to return to homepage of explorecareersinpsychology.org

Click here to return to the Careers by Category page.

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Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree:

Public Health Careers--Nutritionist/Dietician

Public Health Careers--Health Educator/Worker

Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that require a graduate degree:

Public Health Careers--Environmental Health

Public Health Careers--Epidemiology

Public Health Careers--Health Services Administration

Public Health Careers--Social and Behavioral Sciences

Public Health Careers--Environmental Health

What are my career options in Environmental Health with a Psychology degree?

You can use your Psychology degree to pursue a career in Environmental Health. This career will allow you to study the human health impacts of physical, biological, and chemical agents in the community and workplace; environmental risks and the means of their control. Specific areas of interest include disease prevention, occupational hazards, and air quality.

Graduate degrees in Envioronmental Health include a Master's of Public Health (MPH) and a PhD (Doctor of Philosophy). Master's programs in  usually require 2 years of graduate school to complete your thesis (research project). Typically you must pay tuition. PhD training places greater emphasis on creating new knowledge, with PhD recipients pursuing research and/or teaching as their career goal. PhD training places greater emphasis on the application of science to public health leadership, practice, and program development. Such programs usually require 4-6 total years to complete your dissertation, keeping in mind hat you are required to complete a Master's degree at the same school or a different school pror to acceptance in a PhD program. Whether you will receive any financial support will depend on the school you hope to attend--check with them before applying.

Here is a site for specific job opportunities with a Master's Degree in Public Health. Salary Information

glassdoor.com lists the average yearly income for an Environmental Health worker at $66,000.

Click here to see career salary information for ALL careers listed in explorecareersinpsychology.org.

Click here to read important steps to Public Health Careers with a Graduate Degree. Other links on explorecareersinpsychology.org

Click here to return to homepage of explorecareersinpsychology.org

Click here to return to the Careers by Category page.

Click here to return to the Public Health Careers page.

Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that only require a Bachelor's Degree:

Public Health Careers--Nutritionist/Dietician

Public Health Careers--Health Educator/Worker

Click on the links below to read about other Public Health careers that require a graduate degree:

Public Health Careers--Biostatistics

Public Health Careers--Epidemiology

Public Health Careers--Health Services Administration

Public Health Careers--Social and Behavioral Sciences

More in this category: Public Health--Bachelor's Degree »