If you want to work in the management of infectious diseases, it is possible to specialize a Master of Public Health Degree in Infectious Disease. A Master of Public Health is a professional graduate degree that helps give students the knowledge and specialized skills that they need to forge a career in public health. The overall objective of a general MPH degree program is to prepare public health professionals to prevent disease, assess populations and analyze data for the betterment of communities or for the betterment of the population across the globe.
While general degrees are great, taking a more focused curriculum in the specialty area of Infectious Disease can help prepare you for disease management and prevention. Read on, and find out the steps that you must take to pursue this specialization at a graduate level.
Find Out the Admissions Requirements to Enter Into an MPH Program
Before you enter into any type of Master of Public Health program you will have to meet the admissions requirements. The requirements may vary from school to school, but generally the undergraduate degree requirement is the same across the board. All prospective applicants must possess a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. You will need to also show a transcript showing an acceptable cumulative GPA.
The criteria also includes a course requirement. In general, you must have completed algebra, statistics, human biology and general biology coursework to meet the requirements. This shows that you have completed introductory courses to cover theories that will be applied in the advanced courses. Depending on the school, you may have to take either the MCAT or GRE admissions test to see if you are at a level where you can comprehend the curriculum, according to Petersons.
Choosing the Right MPH Program
If you already possess a bachelor’s and you have completed the biology and math coursework you need to so that you can enroll in a program, it is time to start your search for a specialized program. Not all colleges offer specializations, but the respected colleges do. Be sure to look up colleges of public health and their master’s degree offerings. The name of the program may vary from facility to facility and some of the most common may include: management of infectious disease, infectious disease intervention and community practice.
What Does the Specialized Program Prepare You For?
You know what an Master of Public Health prepares you for, but what does the specialized degree do? When you study for a degree with a specialization in infectious disease, you will be able to demonstrate your knowledge of infectious diseases common in local, regional and global settings. You will also be able to identify prevention strategies and ways to control spread of the diseases and different communities. This is extremely important to keep communities safe.
Related Resource: Master of Health Administration
Once you take the specialized coursework and you earn your Master of Public Health degree, you will be ready to forge a new career where you can make a difference. While there are a long list of pathways you can go down in public health, some popular choice for majors in this specialty area include: Emergency Preparedness Educator, Director, Health Management Specialist and Research Analyst, according to the Council on Education for Public Health. Be sure that you only focus on accredited programs as you are shopping around and then choose the best one to specialize a Master of Public Health degree in infectious disease.