Choosing the right public health degree can feel overwhelming. Students can study public health at the bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral level, and programs may focus on areas such as epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, global health, health policy, community health, or health administration.

This guide breaks down the most common public health degree options, what each degree is designed for, and how to choose the path that fits your career goals.

The expansive nature of the public health degree allows for many areas of specialty. Because of this, most colleges and universities offering a degree in public health offer concentrations that students can declare. Below are four of the most common specialties offered:

Sponsored Online Public Health Programs

University and Program Name	Study Length	Test Requirement	Number of Credits
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Master of Public Health (MPH) info AD	As few as 20 months	No GRE Required	42
George Washington University Master of Public Health info AD	As few as 12 months	No GRE Required	45
George Washington University Doctor of Public Health info AD	36 months	No GRE Required	48
George Washington University Master of Health Administration info AD	As few as 24 months	No GRE Required	50
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Institute of Health Professions Master of Health Administration info AD	As few as 12 months (full time) or 24 months (part time)	No GMAT or GRE Required	36

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The Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) is the primary accrediting body for public health degree programs in the United States and is considered the gold standard for accredited public health schools and programs.

CEPH Accreditation is the process of assuring quality in public health education and training to achieve excellence in practice, research, and service, through collaboration with organizational and community partners. CEPH accredits both universities/schools, along with individual programs. The accreditation process is taken very seriously, which is why it can take up to three years for a school or program to become accredited.

CEPH accredits schools of public health within universities, public health programs housed outside schools of public health, and standalone baccalaureate programs. To qualify as a CEPH-accredited school of public health, an institution must offer a professional public health master’s degree in at least three concentration areas and doctoral programs in at least two public health areas. CEPH also accredits standalone public health programs and undergraduate public health programs that are housed within larger universities. While the accreditation process follows a similar structure across categories, CEPH uses different criteria for schools of public health, public health programs, and standalone bachelor’s programs.

To earn accreditation, schools and programs must demonstrate that they meet CEPH standards related to curriculum, faculty qualifications, student outcomes, advising, graduation rates, applied practice experiences and program administration. Schools and programs seeking accreditation typically complete a self-study process and undergo an external site visit as part of CEPH’s review. Once accredited, schools and programs must continue submitting required reports and updates to maintain accreditation status.

CEPH-accredited schools or programs let prospective students know that the degree program has undergone a multi-level review and meets nationally agreed-upon standards developed by public health academics and practitioners.

CEPH accredits public health schools and programs regardless of delivery format, so students considering an online MPH should confirm that the school or program is CEPH-accredited.

Information Last Updated: May 2026