Choose a Public Health Degree Based on Your Personality

Individuals find it easier to work in environments that are better suited to their liking. The same is true for careers and personalities. The Career Theory of John Holland is a system used to help individuals discover their personality type and determine a career path or work environment that’s better suited for their personality. Because public health has an extensive list of specializations and career opportunities, PublicHealthDegrees.org has created a public health specific version of the Holland Codes – matching the Holland Codes personality types to potential common public health degrees to pursue.

Explore your personality type and potential career path below then find a public health degree and speciality that is suitable for you!

PublicHealthDegrees.org uses the Holland Code system to help students choose a degree in public health based on their personality type – conventional, realistic, investigative, artistic, social, or enterprising.

CONVENTIONAL

Accurate | Methodical | Practical
People who like to work with data, have clerical or numerical ability, carry out tasks in detail or follow through on others’ instructions.

Potential Careers:
→ Medical Records Technician/ Medical Coder
→ Health Informatics Technician
→ Statistician

Degree/Specialty Recommended:
Masters in Health Informatics
Online Masters in Health Informatics

REALISTIC

Practical | Independent | Systematic
People who prefer to work with objects, machines, tools, plants or animals, or to be outdoors.

Potential Careers:
→ Environmental Specialist
→ Health and Safety Engineer
→ Environmental Science and Protection Technician

Degree/Specialty Recommended:
Environmental Health

INVESTIGATIVE

Inquisitive | Analytical | Scientific
People who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate or solve problems.

Potential Careers:
→ Epidemiologist
→ Statistician
→ Survey Researcher

Degree/Specialty Recommended:
Epidemiology

ENTERPRISING

Extroverted | Persuasive | Assertive
People who like to work with people, influencing, persuading, performation, leading or managing for organizational goals or economic gain.

Potential Careers:
→ Medical and Health Services Managers
→ Health Policy and Communication Specialist
→ Healthcare Executive

Degree/Specialty Recommended:
Masters in Health Administration
Online Masters in Health Administration

SOCIAL

Patient | Outgoing | Understanding
People who like to work with people, to enlighten, inform, health, train, or cure them, or are skilled with words

Potential Careers:
→ Nutritionist
→ Community Health Worker
→ Health Promotion/Health Education Specialist

Degree/Specialty Recommended:
Nutritionist
Community Health and Health Promotion

ARTISTIC

Innovative | Intuitive | Expressive
People who have artistic, innovating or intuitional abilities and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination and creativity.

Potential Careers:
→ Health Promotion/Health Education Specialist
→ Social and Community Services Manager/Program Manager
→ Health Promotion/Health Education Specialist
→ Health/Nutrition Educator

Degree/Specialty Recommended:
Community Health and Health Promotion
Masters in Public Health
Online Masters in Public Health

Please note that individuals may have a combination of personality types, some personalities may overlap public health specializations, and that the above roles are only a few of the many career opportunities within the public health field. It is always possible to explore multiple career paths through opportunities provided by a public health program or in the public health field itself. Additionally, individuals can try to find a role that combines job responsibilities they like and their passion within public health through research and networking!

However, if you are still unsure which specialty or program is for you check out our sponsored programs below or learn more about the different options available with a Masters in Public Health!