Health policy encompasses the design of health programs, formulation of recommended legislation, and conduct of health research.

Careers in health policy span the public and private sectors. The governmental health policy positions are found at the local, state, national and international levels. Private foundations and lobbying or advocacy groups, particularly those that devote significant attention to health issues, also offer employment opportunities for health policy analysts.

The critical component for acquiring a health policy concentration in graduate school is the presence of faculty members who have established expertise in the field. With that in mind, there are a number of ways to pursue an academic degree in health policy. You could pursue a graduate degree in public health or public policy with a specialization in health. Alternatively, several traditional disciplines, economics, political science, sociology, law or philosophy, can prepare you for a career in health policy. Obviously, these various routes will produce different perspectives on policy and research design.

For more information, visit the Tufts Public Health graduate programs, or the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP).

Public Health deals primarily with community-based, population-oriented aspects of health care. Grounded in epidemiology and closely allied with preventive medicine, public health stresses health promotion and disease prevention and seeks to understand and control many of the non-medical aspects that influence disease and human well-being. Public health involves many aspects of curative health care but is taught as a separate discipline in schools of public health and in numerous programs in public health at other institutions.

Often (but not always) a master of public health (MPH) is the primary credential sought by those wishing to enter a broad, health-oriented career. Core courses in public health include basic biology, epidemiology and biostatistics, health planning and management, environmental health and social behavior. These courses can be augmented by advanced work in nutrition, population health, environmental health, health law and a number of other areas. A thesis and/or practical experience is often required.

For more information, visit the Association of Schools and Programs of Public HealthLinks to an external site., the American Public Health Association (APHA)Links to an external site., or Tufts Public Health Programs.