Studying public health abroad: MPH programmes and careers
Public health and MPH programmes: what is taught, who they are for, which countries are strong, admission requirements and career options.
Public health deals with the health of whole communities rather than individual patients: disease prevention, health policy, epidemiology and managing health programmes. Interest in the field has grown considerably since the pandemic.
What do programmes teach?
- Epidemiology and biostatistics
- Health policy and management
- Environmental health
- Global health
- Health promotion and behavioural sciences
- Health economics
Who is it for?
Master's (MPH or MSc Public Health) programmes are not only for doctors. Graduates in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biology, sociology, psychology, economics and statistics can also apply. Some programmes value work experience in health. Public health programmes also exist at bachelor's level.
Which countries are strong?
- USA — the widest choice of MPH programmes; CEPH accreditation is a key quality indicator.
- United Kingdom — one-year MSc/MPH programmes, well-known schools of public health.
- Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark — strong research and English-taught programmes.
- Germany — English-taught master's programmes at affordable costs.
Admission requirements
- Degree and transcript
- IELTS/TOEFL
- Motivation letter, CV and recommendation letters
- Basic statistics knowledge for some programmes
Career options
International organisations (e.g. WHO and UN agencies), health ministries and government bodies, NGOs, hospital management, pharmaceutical companies, research institutes; roles such as epidemiologist, health programme manager and health policy analyst.
Useful articles
- The most in-demand medical fields
- Studying nursing abroad
- Studying pharmacy abroad
- Studying ecology and sustainable development abroad
Since 2018, EDDE Global has helped students choose a university and prepare documents and visa applications. Book a free consultation or take the major selection test.
More articles
When your parents' wishes and yours differ: what to do when choosing a major
When your parents' wishes and your own differ: preparing for the conversation, explaining interests with facts, compromise options and practical advi…
My test suggested a major: what to do next? A 6-step plan
You have your major test result, what next? A 6-step plan to verify the result, research the major, learn admission requirements and decide.
How to read your Holland code: what IAS, ECS or SAE mean
What does the three-letter Holland code (for example IAS, ECS, SAE) mean? Letter order, close and distant types, conflicting codes and how to use it …
Contact
Have questions?
Enter your details — our advisor will contact you and answer all your questions.