Increase Your Career Impact With an Online Master of Public Health

Become a more effective and influential advocate for public health with an online Master of Public Health from the Kent State University College of Public Health. Public health careers offer the satisfaction of making lasting contributions to the well-being of individuals and communities, and ultimately, contributing to a healthier and more equitable world.

The Kent State online Master of Public Health (MPH) can support you in doing more good for the communities you serve by developing the skills and confidence to succeed in your chosen area of public health. Tailor your degree to advance your career goals, whether you want to move from clinical practice into management, or want to work on research or health policy initiatives outside of clinical medicine.

Not only can your increased career impact give you more professional satisfaction, but your advanced degree will position you for leadership in a field that's expected to see unprecedented growth in the next several years.1

A Master of Public Health Is an Investment in Your Career

The U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences has found that people with a master’s degree or above earn higher median salaries on average than those with a bachelor’s degree.

Advanced degree holders average 21% higher earnings.2

For example, the 2021 median earnings for those who had completed a master’s degree or above was $74,600, compared to $61,600 for those who had completed their bachelor’s.2

MPH Career Outcomes

A Master of Public Health degree prepares you for leadership roles in several health services and public health careers, where you can earn salaries like these:

$104,830
National average post-graduation salary for Medical and Health Services Managers3
$84,259
National average post-graduation salary for Epidemiologists4
$80,653
National average post-graduation salary
for Medical Writers5
$91,483
National average post-graduation salary for Hospital Administrators6
$92,793
National average post-graduation salary for Management Policy Advisors7
$265,162
National average post-graduation salary for Chief Medical Officers8

Kent State Outcomes by the Numbers

Recently surveyed KSU MPH alumni almost unanimously reported being able to apply their coursework to their careers. Most of them reported a salary increase and many saw a pay raise of more than 25%.9

76%
Got a Raise9
34%
Earn Over 25% More9
91%
Use What They Learned9

Top Employers for MPH Graduates10-13

MPH graduates can be found in many employment sectors, with different industries and career roles based on their degree concentration. In general, the top employers for MPH graduates are:

  • Federal, state and local government
  • Life sciences research and development organizations
  • Hospitals: state, local and private
  • Healthcare organizations
    • Individual and family services
    • Nursing and residential care facilities

Customize Your Career Path with a Specialization

You have the choice of three specialization areas with your online MPH from the Kent State College of Public Health, so you can focus on what's important to you. This flexibility helps you create a rewarding career and make your best contributions to public health.

Follow these links to learn more about the skills and knowledge you’ll gain in each of the specializations. Stay on this page to explore career paths you can follow.

Hear From a Kent State Graduate

“My KSU CPH education really helped me begin to see and apply public health principles to my roles to discover new and innovative ways to grow them.”
Whitney R., MPH ’21

Bright Career Outlook for Master of Public Health Graduates

Master of public health careers are rewarding and MPH graduates will have many opportunities through 2032. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the health care and social assistance sector to account for about 45% of all new jobs in this timeframe.14

Group of hands stacked in the middle of circle of people
2.1 Million
New Healthcare and Social
Assistance Jobs Through 203214



Public Health Career Growth Rates

While the overall job growth rate is expected to be 0.3% per year through 2032, the healthcare and social assistance sector will grow significantly faster.

Health Care Support

15.4%14

Computer and Mathematical

15.2%14

Healthcare Practitioners and Technical

8%14

Community and Social Service

7.8%14

Life, Physical and Social Sciences

6.1%14

Three Routes to a High-Impact Public Health Career

Browse the sections below to review the rewarding career paths that Kent State’s three MPH specializations can equip you for.

HPM Career Paths

Online MPH graduates who have specialized in Health Policy and Management (HPM) have supported public health and health equity in roles that include:

  • Healthcare administrator
  • Social services director
  • Systems analyst
  • Development officer
  • Financial analyst

HPM Program Overview

Healthcare professional taking notes in a binder while speaking to doctor

Public Health Career Resources

As an MPH student, you have access to a variety of career development resources, including drop-in advising sessions that are right-sized for help with quick questions about career development topics including:

  • Resume and CV support
  • Accessing and navigating the online career community, Handshake
  • Improving networking skills
  • Interview tips

Talk with an admissions outreach advisor to find out more about the drop-in sessions and other ways that Kent State and the College of Public Health support you on your career journey.

Schedule a Call

MPH Careers Infographic

More MPH Career Options to Consider

Check out this infographic for a closer look at six roles an MPH can prepare you for.

View the Infographic

Kent MPH Alumni Snapshots

Haris Ahmad

Haris Ahmad, MPH ’22
Epidemiology Specialization

Recently accepted into the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) fellowship program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Haris Ahmad will be researching vaccine effectiveness to inform vaccine policy at the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and the Food and Drug Administration's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee.

Shanice Cheatham

Shanice Cheatham, MPH ’21
Health Policy and Management Specialization

A Presidential Fellow at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, Shanice Cheatham is also an entrepreneur who founded a healthcare products company. Cheatham has an undergraduate degree in cellular and molecular biology and aspires to become a trauma surgeon. As a Presidential Fellow, Cheatham works on major projects for the Meharry Medical College.

Rebecca Jindra

Rebecca Jindra, MPH ’21
Epidemiology Specialization

Accepted into the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists Applied Epidemiology Fellowship program after earning her MPH, Rebecca Jindra is on the epidemiology team at the Santa Barbara County (California) Public Health Department, where she's working to understand the health of residents living in Santa Barbara County and implementing evidence-based strategies to help address community needs.

Start Making an Impact in Public Health

To submit a successful application, follow the steps in our application checklist.

Gain Career Traction

Make your success your top priority. Apply to Kent State today.

An Immersive Curriculum

Designed for busy working professionals and students seeking to expand their career options.

Featured Articles

September 20, 2024
Explore the importance of promoting health equity across borders through global health initiatives, international programs, disease prevention, and health policies.
September 20, 2024
Explore comprehensive public health strategies, including community health improvement, disease prevention, and effective public health programs for community wellness.
June 26, 2024
Ethical decision-making in public health promotes policies that are just, fair and respectful of individual rights, while aiming for the greatest good for the most people. This article explores the role of community engagement in ethical public health decisions.
June 10, 2024
Learn how employer tuition reimbursement can help fund your graduate education and get the guide to securing your company's support for expenses.
May 31, 2024
Explore the career benefits of healthcare compliance certification, why Kent State's healthcare compliance program stands out and how to start your journey to professional success in this rapidly growing field.
May 30, 2024
This blog post focuses on the role of ethics in public health, compares the frameworks for public health and medical ethics and highlights some ethical challenges faced by many practitioners in public health and healthcare management.
May 29, 2024
This post identifies key traits for success in clinical research, discusses how Kent State’s online Graduate Certificate in Clinical Research equips you for career growth and addresses common career change concerns.
May 01, 2024
This post will explore the time-honored practice of using data in support of public health, how health data is collected and analyzed today, and examine current challenges in data collection and how they are being addressed.
April 29, 2024
This blog post explores the drivers of healthcare policy in the U.S., the interconnected nature of healthcare and public health policy, their impact on population health and health equity, and the role of data and research in shaping health policy.
April 11, 2024
Kent State graduate student credits Regional Campus start for putting him on the path to a master’s degree
March 18, 2024
Learn how the online Master of Public Health in Social and Behavioral Sciences uniquely positions graduates to lead satisfying careers addressing evolving public health challenges.
March 05, 2024
Learn more in this introduction to ethics in public health practice, including the essential ethical concerns, elements of an ethical framework and the relationship between public health ethics and medical ethics.
Admissions and Application Deadlines
Nov
18
Priority Application Deadline
Spring 2025 Term
Dec
30
Final Application Deadline
Spring 2025 Term
Jan
13
First Day of Class
Spring 2025 Term
Sources
  1. Retrieved on November 7, 2018, from bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf
  2. Retrieved on October 12, 2023 from nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cba/annual-earnings
  3. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm
  4. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Epidemiologist-Salary
  5. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from payscale.com/research/US/Job=Medical_Writer/Salary
  6. Retrieved on October 12, 2020, from payscale.com/research/US/Job=Hospital_Administrator/Salary
  7. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Health-Policy-Advisor-Salary
  8. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Chief-Medical-Officer-Salary
  9. Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from Kent State alumni, 2019-2023.
  10. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from bls.gov/ooh/management/medical-and-health-services-managers.htm#tab-3
  11. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from bls.gov/ooh/management/natural-sciences-managers.htm#tab-3
  12. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from bls.gov/ooh/management/social-and-community-service-managers.htm#tab-3
  13. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/computer-systems-analysts.htm#tab-3
  14. Retrieved on October 12, 2023, from bls.gov/news.release/pdf/ecopro.pdf