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A Specialized Curriculum and Real-World Training

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Alum Tim Day’s MSPH degree exceeded his expectations—academically and professionally.

 

After earning a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and law at American University, Tim Day’s thoughts turned toward graduate school. It was then time, he says, for “something more quantitative.”

He found the Bloomberg School’s MSPH program in health policy, with its focused academic curriculum combined with real-world experience, to be just what he was looking for. Finding a job proved easier than he could have imagined.

“I was actually offered a full-time position when I was applying for the 9-month field placement,” he says. “ It was a seamless transition after I graduated.”

Now a health insurance specialist with the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Innovation Division, he conducts independent evaluations of health care payment and delivery models.

The Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) professional degree program—offered in Environmental Health Sciences; Health, Behavior and Society; Health Policy and Management; Population, Family and Reproductive Health; and International Health— is an increasingly popular degree choice for students, in part because health-related work experience is not an admissions requirement.

“An MSPH degree provides depth in a particular area, and includes one year of coursework followed by a practical work experience,” explains James Yager, PhD, senior associate dean for academic affairs.

Program graduates often land full-time employment in the same places where they complete their required 6- to 12-month practicum.