DPH
Doctor of Public Health

DrPH

Career exploration guide

This guide provides tools to help you explore careers related to this specialization. Use this information to start researching this field and the opportunities in it. This research can help you make a transition into positions related to this field. Start by gaining an overview of this program and learning about the field, jobs, and employment settings that are related.

About this Program

The Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degree program is designed to prepare public health professionals to positively impact health across diverse communities through leadership, service, research, and practice. Learners evaluate theories, research, and ethical parameters guiding public health practice; analyze various factors that impact population-based health disparities; and assess the efficacy of national and global public health programs and practices. Building on this knowledge, learners apply scholarly research within a particular professional context to advance their knowledge as public health practitioners; developing and leading collaborative, evidence-based public health solutions that mitigate health disparities and meet the needs of diverse populations; and implementing sustainable public health policies and programs that promote individual and population health and quality health care access. Upon successful completion of this degree program, graduates are prepared to lead culturally competent, evidence-based professional practices to improve the outcomes of both diverse populations and public health organizations.

Skills gained through this program:

This program was designed to help you gain the following skills related to this field:

  • Integrate social and behavioral theories and concepts into research and practice in public health and health services to promote and sustain healthy environment and lives for individuals and populations
  • Communicate and interact with people across life spans diverse groups and cultures to empower communities and enhance public health
  • Ensure the foundations of public health are applied in the delivery of services and activities
  • Strategize methods to impact the social, behavioral, governmental, and environmental determinants of global health
  • Analyze and interpret scientific and research concepts, methods, and tools of data collection, to develop evidence-and practice-based strategies in public health
  • Solve public health problems using biostatistical methods and concepts
  • Solve public health problems using epidemiological approaches
  • Inform, influence, and organize stakeholders using communication strategies
  • Positively impact the determinants of community health by critically analyzing evidence and theory from a broad range of disciplines and sources
  • Assess and analyze environmental agents that impact population health in order to protect the health of communities
  • Influence and implement the ethical concepts of social justice and human rights in public health
  • Use science and scientific concepts to influence public health
  • Apply management concepts to resolve operational, fiscal, and human resource dilemmas within public and private health organizations
  • Evaluate program plans and apply team building, negotiation, and conflict management to influence and motivate others to solve public health problems
  • Advocate for policies and practices that advance public health at the local, regional, national, and international levels
  • Utilize systems thinking concepts to achieve public health goals at the local, regional, national, and international levels
  • Collaborate across the health professions to optimize health outcomes, including emergency preparedness

Explore this Field

Professional associations, social networks, and other industry-specific resources can provide a wealth of information about a specific field or industry, including best practices, career overviews, trends, and access to industry professionals. By reviewing website information, attending events, and connecting with people in the field, you can deepen your knowledge about the field. 

Professional Associations

Industry Information

Explore Jobs and Employers

In addition to exploring the field, take some time to research specific jobs and employment settings related to this program. Consider how these jobs and settings fit with your experience, skills, interests, and values. This is a sample list of job titles and employment settings related to this field. To learn more, review job postings and talk with people who have these roles or work in these settings. You can find these professionals through LinkedIn, family, friends, schools, employers, and community groups. Spend time researching your industry and prospective employers to decide whether this type of degree will help advance your career.

Related job titles to explore*

  • Data analyst
  • Health director
  • Epidemiologist (non-clinical)
  • Health policy analyst
  • Research analyst
  • Adjunct or part-time public health faculty
  • Full-time public health faculty
  • Health manager

Employment settings to explore

  • Government—local, state, federal
  • Department of health (local or state)
  • Nonprofit organization
  • Land-based or online college or university
  • Health care organization (e.g. hospital or clinic)
  • Public health agency
  • National health advocacy institute
  • Community health agency
  • Social welfare organization
  • Research organization
  • National institutes of health
  • Health insurance company

*These are examples intended to serve as a general guide. Some positions may prefer or even require previous experience, licensure, certifications, and/or other designations along with a degree. Because many factors determine what position an individual may attain, Capella cannot guarantee that a graduate will secure any specific job title, a promotion, salary increase, or other career outcome. We encourage you to research requirements for your job target and career goals.

Job Boards

This is a sample of jobs boards with positions related to this field. Use them in your research to identify additional job titles, common hiring requirements, and local employers. 

Further Exploration

There are a lot of factors that influence whether a career is a fit or not. These can include monetary compensation, benefits, work environment, organization culture, work/life balance, etc. As you consider your career, think about what is important to you in your employer, role, and setting. These resources can help you perform this additional exploration.

For a more detailed guide on career exploration, review Capella’s Career Exploration YouTube series that helps you identify what is important to you in your career and how that aligns with the world of work. 

Accreditation

Capella University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org), an institutional accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.