Why is an Online MPH Necessary to Advance Your Career?

If you ask most people why they are pursuing a Master’s degree, you will probably receive a similar response: training for a new career or advancing in their current career. Yes, there is the occasional student who is learning for the experience, but the majority of people are there for more practical purposes. They are pursuing higher education because they expect to get something out of it. They are interested in the long-term return on investment of advancing their education. They believe that a Master’s degree is key to significantly higher earnings potential over the course of their career.

Those working in the medical field may wonder if it is even necessary to earn a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree if they are already working as medical professionals. After all, they have already earned college degrees and passed licensing exams for their current position. How could they possibly benefit from earning an MPH in addition to the degree program that allowed them to become medical professionals? Plenty, as it turns out.

If you are a medical professional, or you are thinking about switching careers to work in this personally rewarding field, you should consider pursuing an MPH degree. The following represents just a few of the many reasons why earning an MPH degree can be the catalyst you need to advance your career.

Obtain Specialized Knowledge

Graduate degrees go above and beyond the information presented at the undergraduate level. At the graduate level, topics are explored more in-depth. Research papers are longer, assignments typically take longer to complete, and professors tend to expect an overall higher quality of work. The things you learn while pursuing your MPH degree will give you the specialized knowledge to make a more meaningful contribution in your job. Moreover, it is this knowledge that can help you to stand out from your co-workers.

Stand Out From Your Peers

Earning an MPH degree is a great way to stand out from your peers, many of whom may only have an undergraduate degree in their respective fields. When making hiring decisions, managers tend to look for the most qualified applicant for the position. In current economic conditions, it is not uncommon for each advertised position to receive many applicants. There is no better way to stand out from your peers in a job search or if you are seeking promotion than to earn a graduate degree. An MPH with a specialization in your field from a respected school could very well be the ticket to your dream job.

Advance to a Supervisory Position

Being promoted from a worker to a manager is a highlight in many people’s careers. You grow from taking orders and carrying them out, to being the person who is responsible for the work. Also, managers usually earn more money (see our FAQs about salary ranges for MPH grads) than those beneath them. However, in many fields, there’s only so much you can do to position yourself for a promotion without a graduate degree. By earning an MPH degree, you can both obtain specialized knowledge in your field and stand out from your peers when promotion time rolls around. With an MPH degree, you will be the obvious choice to lead the team.

Increase Your Salary

Why do people work? Some give altruistic (but sincere) answers about how public health workers make a difference in people’s lives, and they clearly do. However, unless you’re independently wealthy, one of the main reasons people go to work is to earn a paycheck, to live and thrive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that; everyone needs money to buy the things in life he or she needs, at the very least – food, clothing, and housing. You may not be able to buy happiness with money, but earning a little more doesn’t hurt, does it?

With an MPH degree, you have the potential to increase your earnings potential. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for an epidemiologist, which is a typical career for MPH degree holders, is $65,270. Not too shabby. Alternatively, how about the position of an industrial hygienist, another popular career path for MPH holders? The average salary for an industrial hygienist is $66,790. Moreover, there are other MPH careers that pay even more. If you desire to increase your salary, earning an MPH could be just the ticket to help you make it happen.