Majors Similar to Public Health That You Should Follow
From the COVID-19 outbreak, we’ve learned that we need highly-trained and qualified public-health professionals to keep us safe. They work tirelessly to prevent diseases from spreading, protect public health, ensure population wellbeing and solve community issues. If you’re interested in a career helping others, there are plenty of majors similar to public health you could pursue.
Public health professionals are in high demand, meaning your job prospects are promising. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth for Public Health Service Managers is projected at 32 percent over the next few years – eight times faster than all other occupations combined! On average, 51,800 new openings per year for managers of medical and health services will open up between now and 2030 – just some examples of this sector’s rapid expansion.
What is driving this unprecedented surge in public health jobs? Many of these openings will be caused by retirement of the Baby Boomer generation. According to BLS estimates, healthcare demand will increase as more seniors remain active throughout their later years.
Are you thinking about a career as a public health professional but unsure which path to take? In this post, we’ll cover some of the majors available and how they stack up against one another.
Similar to Public Health
You can pursue a public-health degree at either the undergraduate or graduate levels if you want to make our world safer, healthier, and more beautiful. For students just starting college who are interested in topics like epidemiology, public policy, occupational health, safety and community health; earning a bachelor’s degree is an ideal option. Public health can help respond to emergencies and combat disease outbreaks while decreasing chronic issues like obesity or pollution. With either your bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral in public health (MPH), your skillsets will be taken to new heights!
This major is not identical to public health, but rather exclusively focused on it. Those interested in the field can pursue careers as public health majors by working on the frontlines of community wellness, creating campaigns for improved access to healthcare, researching disease outbreaks and treatments, as well as ensuring safe environments where individuals can live, work, play and learn.
Health Science
Health science is becoming an increasingly attractive college option for college students due to the many career options available to graduates. You can select either an associate or bachelor’s degree in healthcare science depending on your career objectives. Goodwin University offers four tracks for bachelor’s degrees that cater specifically to students’ career aspirations.
- Environmental Health
- Health Care and Administration
- Completion of Bachelor’s Degree
- Healthcare Career Exploration
The health science curriculum offers a diverse selection of courses, such as nutrition and human healthcare, healthcare administration, alternative medicine and more. These topics are essential to the field of public healthcare so students interested in majoring in this area will find that studying health science is an ideal option.
Nursing
Nursing is an integral component of healthcare. Today, nurses who demonstrate compassion and caring are in high demand. These hardworking professionals make a significant impact on their community. Nurses working in hospitals, community centers, or outpatient clinics get to experience firsthand the satisfaction of helping patients every day.
In today’s world, to become a registered nurse (RN), you need either a bachelor’s degree or associate degree in nursing. Once licensed in your state of employment, there are multiple paths you can take towards becoming an RN; depending on what your career goals are.
For those with a bachelor’s degree in a non-nursing area of study, there is an option to expedite the process. This makes becoming nurses simpler and quicker for them.
No matter which path you take, earning a nursing degree is an investment for your future. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses made an average yearly salary of $75,330 in 2020; and job prospects are expected to improve by 9% over the coming years.
Healthcare Administration
You could be an ideal candidate for healthcare administration if you want to have a major impact on the industry but prefer more organizational tasks. This management role includes essential responsibilities like:
- Manage staff
- Delegate tasks to staff Members
- Supervise Training
- Monitor Departments Closely
Manage personnel in accordance with similar to public health established policies.
A bachelor’s degree with a focus in healthcare administration can give you insight into the business strategies and policies related to healthcare delivery. Such an education will prepare you for employment within this industry.
Human Services
A career in human services is similar to nursing; those who are compassionate and caring may be interested. These professionals respond urgent needs of the population, having a positive effect on lives and quality of life for many in your community. With a degree, you can gain knowledge and skillset necessary for helping people of all ages – from children to seniors – cope with mental illness, homelessness, addictions or disabilities. Human services could be the perfect career choice if you possess leadership qualities along with the capacity for supporting others through difficult times.
Human services programs can be studied at either the associate or bachelor’s degree level, just like all other disciplines. Graduates of Goodwin programs are prepared for a variety of positions within this industry:
- Manager of Case
- Counselor
- Specialist in Rehabilitation
- Youth Worker
Healthcare professionals have many excellent majors to choose from if they don’t want to dedicate a lot of time in medical school. You have numerous career options in the greater healthcare field depending on your interests, objectives and timeframe; some majors are similar to public health so you can choose one as you work towards achieving your objectives.
