Transitioning to a Public Health Career
Students at the Dornsife School of Public Health develop the skills and experience needed to start a successful career or pivot to a new career in public health.
Public health professionals work to keep communities healthy. They work on issues such as disease prevention, substance use, maternal and child health, social justice, health policy, and occupational safety. Public health addresses the conditions that lead to poor health and strives to improve those conditions for the whole population.
"It’s not only the pandemic that has [inspired] people to come into public health. I had a student who had been involved in the Flint water crisis. We have students who have come from clinical practice, who have come from social work. Coming in and wanting to address inequities is a theme that I hear really strongly from our students, " Interim Dean Gina Lovasi told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
"Dornsife was the right place for me because it offered experiences while you’re in school...I worked for a large nonprofit in Philadelphia in a program that helped people sign up for health insurance. Once I finished [my APE] it turned into a [job] offer." - Darlice Rocha, MPH ’18
The skills that public health practitioners are using today in real-time are the same skills that you will learn at Dornsife, including training in how to:
- Gather and analyze the data and evidence needed to inform and advocate for public health programs and policy
- Develop coordinated strategies for public health issues
- Study adverse impacts on disadvantaged populations
- Systematically evaluate what works and what doesn’t
Do you have experience managing projects or programs, serving your community, analyzing data, evaluating client needs as a social worker, or working in the health care field as a nurse or nursing assistant? You can build on those skills and talents to launch a successful public health career.
Public Health Master’s Degrees
The Drexel Dornsife master’s curriculum allows students to design highly personalized academic programs across a variety of disciplines.
- Earn a master’s degree in as little as 12 months
- Choose from on campus and online options
- No GRE required to apply
- Award-winning faculty focused on research and practice in urban, community, and global public health
- Real-world immersion and hands-on practice experiences are key program components
- Options for working professionals include online public health degrees like the Executive MPH
Currently more than 92% of full-time on campus master’s students receive some type of scholarship funding.
Learn more about our master’s degrees
Public Health Certificates
"Studying and working here at Drexel has broadened my possibilities of my future – of what I can actually do, where I can work, what communities I can help." - Claudia Zumaeta Castillo, MPH ’20
Current public health practitioners can broaden their skill set with Graduate Certificates in up-to-the-minute topics such as:
Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Disability and Health Equity Policy
Infectious Disease Control and Prevention
LGBT Health and Urban Health
Maternal and Child Health
Learn more about our online graduate certificates
Job-Searching Support
Dornsife’s Office of Student Affairs and Center for Public Health Practice provide career services and resources to support students and alumni during the job search process, including career counseling, professional development workshops, guest lectures, and mentoring.
You also have the resources of Drexel University's Steinbright Career Development Center, which manages Handshake, a job board of internships and full-time positions for current students, graduating students and recent alums.
You will be well-positioned to launch your public health career after Drexel Dornsife.
Free Introduction to Public Health Course
Are you interested in studying public health but want to know more before you make an investment?
Try one of these free classes:
1) The Dornsife School of Public Health’s non-credit test module is a self-paced class taught by Dornsife faculty. The class covers essential public health topics. Learn more about our free online Foundations of Public Health module.
2) Dornsife's Office of Global Health developed this Online Course on Health and Human Rights Advocacy.
Are you ready to work towards a better, safer, and healthier world with a career in public health? Enhance your career and open yourself to opportunity with Drexel Dornsife.
Request more information
Apply today