MPH degrees, in addition to including a core curriculum, will usually also let students pursue a specialization in a specific field, such as epidemiology, biostatistics, or health management.
A professional degree is one that, based on its learning objectives and types of positions its graduates pursue, prepares students with a broad mastery of the subject matter and methods necessary in a field of practice; it typically requires students to develop the capacity to organize, analyze, interpret and communicate knowledge in an applied manner.
They face the particular challenge of understanding and adapting scientific knowledge in order to achieve health gain and results.
This degree leads to a career in high-level administration, teaching, or practice, where advanced analytical and conceptual capabilities are required.
In India, the MPH degree course is a two-year full-time postgraduate course or a postgraduate diploma of one year (DPH), approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC), which is open to candidates with a bachelor's degree in any discipline of arts, commerce or science from a recognized university, with at least 50% marks.
Thus the programme during the first decade of its existence was aimed at producing competent public health specialist to serve the rural areas.
In the United Kingdom, the MPH or MSc in Public Health is usually a one-year full-time program.
Specialist trainees must pass two sets of examinations, demonstrably achieve certain skills and submit a portfolio of work.
The Faculty of Public Health is an autonomous joint faculty of the three Royal Colleges of Physicians of the United Kingdom (London, Glasgow and Edinburgh) and awards Diplomate Membership and full Membership by examination and Fellowship to those who have gained admission to the relevant professional register such as the register held by the General Medical Council.
In the United States, any person with an accredited undergraduate degree may pursue an MPH or MSPH and usually takes two-years of full-time work to complete.
Based on the accreditation of the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH), an MPH or MSPH is not a clinical degree.