If you’re wondering what you can do with an MSN and an MPH? Because these are both master’s level degrees, there are many options you can pursue. The MSN degree is the Master of Science in Nursing, a degree that opens many doors for nursing jobs beyond those you can obtain with a BSN. The MPH is the Master of Public Health degree. It’s a practical degree that helps students learn to understand and promote public and community health concerns.
Joint Degrees
The MSN and the MPH degrees work so well together that they are sometimes offered as a joint degree program. Just as some students getting an MSN can pair that degree with a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) or a Master’s in Health Administration (MHA), students can pair the MSN with an MPH. One of the advantages to enrolling in a joint degree program is you can generally earn both degrees in less time than it would take if you pursued each degree independently. Depending on whether or not you can study full-time, a joint program will probably take somewhere between 18 and 36 months to complete.
The joint MSN/MPH is especially good at preparing nurses who want to be leaders in public health nursing. While you will continue to increase your nursing skills in the MSN portion of the program, you’ll also be learning about nursing theory related to public health & policy, biostatistics, environmental health, other concepts to help you perform effectively in a public health role.
What Kind of Jobs Will I Be Prepared for With This Joint Degree?
A joint MSN/MPH degree prepares student for many job options. Typically these jobs focus on educating communities on health, sanitation, and injury prevention; controlling the spread of diseases; and working with policy makers to enact lasting change for healthy communities. If you want to work in a more management focused position, you could become director of a public health agency or a community health program. If research especially interests you, you many look into becoming an epidemiologist. If patient care is your passion, you may consider working for an international aid organization, such as Doctors Without Borders. All of these jobs focus on more than individual patient care; they are caring for communities of people.
Whichever position your pursue, you will be prepared to become a leader in many community health situations. Having the combined knowledge and experience of nursing and public health, you could easily find yourself in a position to influence real change in public health policy and education. Nursing and public health skills are a powerful combination, that will enable you to step up in times of a public health crisis or provide education for poor or marginalized communities that have not always had equitable access to healthcare delivery or preventative health education. These are some of the things you can do with an MSN and an MPH.
