Pursue a Career in Public Health

Many opportunities in the field of public health can be found at publichealthjobs.net. Fellowships and internships can also be found here.

The following jobs, available to graduates from the nation's accredited schools of public health, represent a wide range of career possiblities with multiple specializations:

Education

Public health problems involve complex and interrelated social, behavioral, legal, medical, and economic issues. If you are interested in health education, virtually every specialization within public health offers career opportunities that will make an impact on people’s lives. As an educator with a graduate degree in public health, your primary challenge will be to develop and implement interventions designed to improve overall health.

Examples of job settings:

• Colleges and universities
• Public and private secondary schools
• Consumer advocacy organizations
• International organizations
• Consulting firms
• State legislative committees
• Health service delivery organizations
• Community organizations
• Federal and state health agencies
• Voluntary health agencies

Examples of job titles:

• Outreach Specialist
• California Pan-Ethnic Health Network Oakland, CA
• Dean School of Public Health San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Health Educator Lupus Foundation of America, Inc. Long Beach, CA
• Virology Trainer NYC Department of Health New York, NY
• Assistant Professor of International Health Economics Harvard School of Public Health Cambridge, MA
• HIV/AIDS Behavior Change Technical Advisor Academy For Educational Development Maputo, Mozambique
• Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston, TX
• Director of Cancer Information American Cancer Society, New England Division Framingham, MA
• Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control Program Outreach Educator NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene New York, NY

Job Trends:

• The AIDS epidemic with its related complex medical, legal, economic, and social issues is expected to substantially increase the need for qualified health educators throughout the world.
• The rising cost of health insurance is causing corporations to increasingly sponsor healthier lifestyle programs for employees. Consequently, the demand for health educators in this sector is expected to grow rapidly in the next decade.
• The need for interdisciplinary faculty in secondary and higher education is expanding rapidly to keep pace with ever changing public health technologies.
• Educators trained in maternal and child health, nutrition, sanitation, industrial hygiene, population dynamics, and prevention of disease will increasingly find career opportunities in developing countries.

Administration/Management

Rapid changes in both the private and public sectors of health care and related industries mean more opportunities for qualified professionals to manage complex institutions, organizations, and health services delivery programs. Whether your background is in science or business, there are dynamic career opportunities for public health graduates in all sectors of the health care industry.

Examples of job settings:

• Hospitals and clinics
• Managed care organizations
• Insurance companies
• International agencies
• Pharmaceutical and hospital supply firms
• Professional organizations
• Federal, state, and local government agencies
• Industry and business
• Colleges and universities
• Consulting firms

Examples of job titles:

• Hospital/Managed Care Administrator, Health Facilities
• Program Evaluation & Planning, State Health Dept.
• Information Systems Manager, Industry/Corporate
• Health Services Research Analyst, University
• Policy Analyst, Federal Government

Job Trends:

• Health care is the largest industry in the U.S. and will continue to grow.
• Employment opportunities in nontraditional settings such as ambulatory care and out-patient surgery clinics, home health, and other alternative delivery systems will outpace demand in traditional settings.
• Greater emphasis will be placed on cost-containment, requiring innovative leaders in finance and economics.
• The demand for marketing expertise will increase with competition.
• Exportation of public health technologies to developing nations will expand well into the future.
• The demand for qualified managers and administrators will grow as the industry expands.

Policy

Health policy examines the complexity and dynamics of our public health system and its impact on the health of individuals and communities. Whether you’re looking for a career in health policy in the private or public sector, a graduate degree in public health will multiply your career opportunities regardless of your academic background. With an advanced degree, you'll be in a position to make vital health policy decisions that affect countless lives.

Examples of job settings:

• Regulatory agencies
• Advocacy groups
• Government agencies
• Public and private foundations
• Professional associations
• Industry
• Corporations
• Think tanks
• Consulting firms

Examples of job titles:

• Healthcare Analyst Connecticut Hospital Association Wallingford, CT
• Project Specialist Tomas Rivera Policy Institute Los Angeles, CA
• Health Economist Congressional Budget Office Washington, DC
• Secretary of Health Government of Kiribati Tarawa, Kiribati
• Executive Director and General Counsel Legal Environmental Assistance Foundation Tallahassee, FL
• Administrative Assistant to U.S. Senator U.S. Senate Washington, DC
• Director of Public Health Studies Wood-Snodgrass, Inc. Topeka, KS
• Principle Policy Analyst Health Research Inc. New York, NY
• Activity Manager/Family Compliance Management Systems International Washington, DC

Job Trends:

• Emerging scientific technology and associated medical, legal, economic, and social issues will continue to create demand for well-educated policymakers.
• As corporations face rising health costs, the need for decision makers with analytical and problem-solving skills will grow in the private sector.
• Exportation of scientific technology to developing countries will increase and expand the need for health planners and policymakers worldwide.
• Policy planners in the public sector will be in demand to protect the health rights of the homeless, under-insured, elderly, or disabled.
• Health policy experts will be in increasing demand to determine and control toxic waste disposal.

Community Practice

Community practice offers career opportunities to those striving for mobility or a leadership position in health care programs. A graduate degree in public health will equip you with the knowledge and leadership experiences needed to launch a successful career in community practice.

Examples of job settings:

• Federal, state, and local health agencies
• Voluntary agencies
• Relief agencies
• Consulting firms
• Crisis centers
• International organizations
• Rehabilitation centers
• Health services delivery organizations
• Substance abuse centers and agencies
• Centers for the aging

Examples of job titles:

• Health Scientist Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of STD Prevention Atlanta, GA
• Executive Director Boulder County AIDS Project Boulder, CO
• Registered Nurse for Home Visitation Services Northern NJ Maternal/Child Health Consortium Paterson, NJ
• Chief, Center for Clinical Epidemiology Community Health Administration Baltimore, MD
• Community Assessment Health Educator Washington State Department of Health Tumwater, WA
• Associate Professor Department of Community Health, UCLA School of Public Health Los Angeles, CA
• Maternal and Child Health Specialist Food for the Hungry Washington, DC
• Community Health Educator American Refugee Committee International Thailand
• Emergency Watch Commander Medical and Health Services Research Association New York, NY
• Chief Operating Officer Neighborhood Health Plan Boston, MA
• Tuberculosis Controller/Assistant Health Officer Santa Clara County Public Health Department San Jose, CA

Job Trends:

• Demand is increasing for epidemiologists in public health agencies, industry, public and private health services delivery organizations, and international agencies.
• Demand for nutritionists remains strong due to health, nutrition, and food assistance programs sponsored by both public and private agencies. Demand is also increasing in settings such as physician offices, wellness centers, media, and private industry.
• There are national and international shortages for nurses, physicians, veterinarians, environmentalists, social workers, and engineers trained in public health technologies.

Research

A career in basic and applied research demands interdisciplinary skills to meet the challenges of a rapidly-changing field. A background in science – biological, natural, social, or behavioral – opens the door to many career opportunities, and an advanced degree in public health will help you realize your full potential.

Examples of job settings:

• Research agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration
• Private research firms
• Public and private foundations
• Industry
• Ministries of health
• State and local governments
• Academic institutions
• International health agencies
• Labor and consumer organizations
• Health services delivery organizations

Examples of job titles:

• HIV/AIDS Vaccine Researcher La Pierre Angulaire Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire
• Research Associate
• American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Washington, DC
• Director, Clinical Research Children’s Hospital of Boston Boston, MA
• Data Analyst/Biostatistician Department of Nutrition Harvard School of Public Health Cambridge, MA
• Injury Epidemiologist Safe Kids Worldwide Washington, DC
• Genetic Engineer Stratagene San Diego, CA
• Postdoctoral Fellow in Maternal and Child Health Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine New Orleans, LA
• Director World Trade Center Health Registry New York City Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene New York, NY
• Environmental Research Associate WESTAT Rockville, MD
• CDC Resident Advisor President’s Malaria Initiative, Malaria Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Nairobi, Kenya

Job Trends:

• The second Task Force for Research Planning in Environmental Health Science reported a critical shortage in public health of qualified researchers in chemistry, toxicology, occupational health, environmental epidemiology, and environmental engineering.
• As a result of the complex changes taking place in our health care systems, the demand for health services researchers in health economics, finance, and operations research is growing significantly.
• The emergence of diseases such as AIDS and multi-drug resistant strains of TB, as well as continued increases in sexually transmitted and other acute and chronic diseases, has created a shortfall of research epidemiologists. This shortage is expected to continue for decades to come.
• Demand for biostatisticians remains high with many positions available in both corporate and academic settings.

Featured Career: Policy Analyst Field: Non Profit National Asian American and Pacific Islander policy and advocacy organization Specialty: International health, health policy, minority health MHS 1999, MS Biology "I analyze state and federal policies, monitor legislation, and coordinate advocacy efforts on behalf of Asian American and Pacific Islander American communities. I have been able to combine my interest in health and science with my passion for social activitism. To me, public health is part of the broad struggle for social justice, equality, and human rights for all." Jan T. Lui, MHS

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