What Can You Do With a Community Health Degree?

Working in public health is a way not only to benefit communities but also to have a fulfilling and purpose-driven career. Within the broad field of public health, community health focuses on improving a population’s health through education, outreach, and community-based programs. By providing people within the population with education, offering them wellness resources, and serving as a bridge between them and available health and social services, community health professionals can play an important role in improving the community’s overall health. 

Public health professionals with a community health focus work in health care settings, government agencies, community organizations, and private businesses. Earning a community health degree — such as a master’s in public health with a community health education concentration — can help individuals prepare for these roles by building the skills they need to support population-level health initiatives.

What Does a Community Health Degree Program Entail?

Community health degree programs, particularly those at the master’s level, prepare public health professionals for roles focused on improving a population’s health by promoting wellness practices, supporting disease prevention efforts, advancing health education, and contributing to health policy development. 

Depending on the degree program, students may be able to concentrate on a particular disciplinary and applied focus area, such as:

• Health education: Centered on an area of community health that involves dealing directly with the public, health education coursework teaches students how to help members of the public seek assistance for or manage issues ranging from eating disorders to mental and physical health challenges, substance abuse management, and violence prevention. Coursework covers program evaluation, behavioral health, program planning, curriculum development, and research design.
• Public health: Degrees that focus on both community health and public health often cover topics that include epidemiology, biostatistics, environmental health, health policy, and the sociological aspects of community health, including poverty, ethics, and social movements. 
• Health sciences: Coursework in this area of study focuses on topics that include anatomy, epidemiology, disease transmission, global health, environmental health, and nutrition, providing students with a scientific foundation for understanding health outcomes at the population level. 

Students who enter master’s degree programs in public and community health come from a variety of academic and professional backgrounds. Whether they have prior training in health sciences, public health administration, or related social sciences, students enrolled in advanced community health degree programs are generally interested in pursuing greater responsibilities in program coordination, education, research, or leadership within public health settings. 

Careers for Community Health Degree Graduates

The field of public health includes roles across a wide range of settings and specializations, encompassing many types of responsibilities related to supporting population health initiatives. Depending on their goals, community health degree graduates pursue careers in public-facing roles in areas such as health and wellness advocacy, community-based outreach, and health education, as well as in public administration and academic roles focused on research, health policy, and management.

Community Health Worker

One of the most common positions for graduates with a community health degree is a community health worker role. Graduates interested in a supervisory or leadership position often pursue a role as a community health manager. Bridging the gap between the public and health or social services, community health workers focus on improving people’s health outcomes by providing education, outreach, and informal counseling or guidance, and by advocating on behalf of these people within the communities they serve. 

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), community health workers had a median annual salary of $51,030 as of May 2024. Individuals with an advanced degree may be eligible for more senior-level community health roles and higher compensation. 

Health Education Specialists

Health education specialists, also known as public health educators, inform community members about behaviors that can impact their health and well-being. They develop educational programs and materials on topics ranging from chronic disease management to proper nutrition and childcare. They may train other public health workers on relevant topics or inform policymakers on current community health trends.

These professionals work for health care entities, state and local government agencies, public health and social assistance organizations. Health education specialists had a median annual salary of $63,000 as of 2024.

Medical and Health Services Manager

Medical and health services managers work within health care organizations, such as hospitals, private practices, government agencies, community health groups, or businesses that provide medical services. With an advanced community health degree, graduates can specialize in roles overseeing health education, community health, nutrition, or needs assessment divisions and programs.

By directing and planning organizational systems, managing staff, and handling administrative responsibilities such as budgeting, patient record management, and regulatory compliance with state and federal laws, medical and health services managers play a critical role in an organization’s success. As of May 2024, medical and health services managers had a median annual salary of $117,960, according to the BLS.

Epidemiologist 

Epidemiologists are public health professionals who specialize in studying the patterns and causes of disease, with the goal of preventing the spread of disease and reducing illness transmission. By investigating outbreaks, collecting and analyzing data, and researching disease trends, epidemiologists can help governments, health care organizations, and pharmaceutical companies develop policies and treatments that protect the public’s health. 

For graduates interested in a science- or research-based career, epidemiology offers an opportunity to apply analytical skills in the service of population health. According to the BLS, the median annual salary for epidemiologists was $83,980 as of May 2024. 

Make a Difference in Your Community With a Master of Public Health

Public health professionals are more than health initiative administrators. They are advocates, educators, and trusted resources within the communities they serve. Whether they are working in public-facing jobs, research-focused positions, or policy and advocacy roles within government agencies and organizations, their work plays an essential role in supporting communities’ well-being and health. 

By earning a community health degree, such as the Master of Public Health in Community Health Education from Tseng College at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), individuals can build the advanced skills they need to pursue a career in public health. Designed as a cohesive and supportive program, the MPH program from CSUN prepares students for roles across health advocacy, social services, worksite health promotion, research, and academia. 

Consider CSUN’s MPH in community health as the next step in a meaningful career.