Some of the fastest-growing fields in the U.S. are in the area of healthcare, and public health, in particular, is attracting the interest of many individuals who wish to help others in their professional lives. Those with a master’s degree in public health (MPH) can access a broad range of jobs, from healthcare administrator to epidemiologist.
Earning a traditional master’s degree, however, can take two or three years of full-time study, more if you need to attend classes on a part-time basis. Fortunately, there are other options, and schools are increasingly willing to develop online programs that allow you to earn your MPH in one year.
In this article, we’ll review what a one-year online MPH program looks like and explore the best programs available for your consideration.
How Do One-Year MPH Programs Work?
There are generally two strategies for earning your MPH in one year. If you are a recent high school graduate and know that you want to enter the healthcare field after you’ve graduated from college, you could enroll in a combined bachelor’s/master’s program. If you’ve already earned an undergraduate degree, there are compact programs that condense the material you need to learn into a shorter format.
Combined Bachelor’s/Master’s programs
Combined accelerated programs can be a good choice if you do not yet have a college degree but are interested in the type of high-paying, satisfying job you will be eligible for with an MPH degree. In these programs, you enter college as a freshman and take the usual introductory and humanities courses that are part of your institution’s curriculum. Once you are a junior or a senior, some of the more focused courses you take will earn dual undergraduate/graduate credits.
If you were earning a bachelor’s and master’s degree separately through traditional classroom study, you could expect to spend six years in school, four as an undergraduate and two as a master’s-level student. In a combined program, you can potentially shave off a year or more, depending on how rapidly you move through your coursework.
You’ll want to choose your institution carefully for this type of program since you will be earning two degrees there. There can be competition to enter these programs, and entry standards may be high, but this strategy can pay off in the money and time saved.
Compact schedules
If you already have a bachelor’s or postgraduate degree, this type of program may serve your needs better. This strategy involves intensive coursework over a shorter period of time. You may have shorter terms but spend longer hours attending classes. You may also take classes on weekends, holidays, and summer months.
As you can guess, this option can be challenging. You may not have long weeks of vacation from classes after a grueling semester. Instead, you will need to be ready to dive back into the next semester as soon as you’ve finished one. A compact schedule program favors students who are self-motivated, efficient, and organized.
This option is also probably not the best choice for those who work full-time or have significant family commitments. In addition to the hours you spend on your computer attending classes, you must put in three to four times as many hours of studying, reading, writing, and undertaking other preparations for exams and classes. There may be papers to write or time commitments you’ll need to make to excel, so this is only a good choice for highly motivated people.
How To Succeed In an Online MPH Program
Earning an MPH degree in a single year takes dedication, perseverance, and commitment, but it can be done and rewards you by getting you into the job market quicker, where you can start searching for that perfect job.
Here are some of the strategies that the most successful students use to ensure success in their online MPH programs.
- Get to know your professors. This can be more challenging when they only see you online rather than having you physically present in the classroom. Consider approaching them outside of class during their online office hours. Informing them of your dedication to education establishes a serious tone and opens the door for future assistance should you require it.
- Connect with your fellow students whenever possible. If your institution’s online platform allows it, see if you can pull together a study group with other motivated students. You all stand to benefit by banding together to work through challenging coursework.
- Build a schedule and resolve to stick to it. You may use an online app such as Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, Calendly, or another option, or maybe you prefer a good old-fashioned weekly planner, but whatever works for you, be sure to schedule your time wisely. Allow yourself three to four hours for studying and doing homework for every hour you spend in class. Consider using an online scheduler such as Asana or Trello to help you stay on track.
- Make sure you carve out time regularly to relax. Whether that means time to watch your favorite TV show or a morning hike in a local park, it is vital that you give yourself time, when possible, to rest and rejuvenate yourself, or you risk burnout.
- Make use of your institution’s online services. Most colleges and universities offer support to their online students just as they do for those who attend in person. This may include career advisement, tutoring, or academic counseling. Also, determine how to access your institution’s library and interact with librarians, who can play a vital role in your academic success.
- Build a supportive family and friends group. Having a partner or spouse can significantly increase your chances of success if they have your back. Talk seriously with them about sharing household duties and what they can do to help you succeed. Talk to your friends so that they know you may be less available for leisure time activities but that their support matters to you. Even small children can be helpful once they understand that mom or dad needs time for school.
- Prioritize wisely. Some days, there may simply not be enough time to do everything you’d like to do. You still have options. You can ask for help from a friend or family member or request an extension for a project from your professor. But sometimes, you will have to make choices, so be aware that there will be times when you may need to say no or postpone events or tasks you were planning on.
Our Research
This list features some of the country’s best online one-year MPH programs. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution, either public or private, with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions.
We evaluated each school’s program on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation. Then, we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.
Next, we compared this comprehensive list of the best online 1-year MPH programs to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications, such as U.S. News & World Report, to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.
The 50 Best One-Year Online MPH Degree Programs
