A master’s degree in public health management prepares you for management and administration positions in nonprofit organizations and government health agencies. The degree program covers a wide range of topics in healthcare policy, ethics, strategic management, public health law, statistics, and social sciences. To get a master’s in public health management, you’ll need a bachelor’s degree, to adhere to the school’s application requirements, to pass all required courses, and to complete an internship and a public health final project.
Students seeking a master’s in public health management can usually have a bachelor’s degree in any field and don’t need to take any specific courses in preparation. Some schools, on the other hand, will require you to submit a resume detailing your health-care experience, as well as letters from professional references in the field. International students may be required to send language proficiency exam results, descriptions of previous courses, and a translation of their college transcripts, in addition to a statement of purpose essay, undergraduate transcripts, and previous graduate test scores.
The coursework for a master’s in public health management is divided into two sections: a set of core public health courses and a set of management specialization courses. An introductory class in public health, environmental health, biological statistics, disease control, health information systems, economics, and the social sciences are among the required courses. Some schools may require you to finish all of the core courses before moving on to management classes. Strategic leadership, global health issues, disaster management, healthcare finance, and business communication are among the topics covered in the concentration courses, which combine managerial concepts with health care. You might be able to add a second concentration in environmental health, biological statistics, or behavioral sciences if your college allows it.
A field experience and capstone course are required for most master’s in public health management programs. The field experience is an internship in a public health organization that cannot be completed until all core and concentration courses have been completed. Your internship will focus on the health-care management concentration and any secondary concentrations you pursued, and you will apply what you learn to the capstone project. A large project on public health management and a presentation to faculty members are usually part of the capstone course. During the internship, many students begin planning for the project.