Is an MPH/MPP Dual Degree Right for You? A Career Guide

An MPH/MPP dual degree program allows students to earn both a Master of Public Health and a Master of Public Policy at the same time. 

The MPH degree trains students in topics like epidemiology, biostatistics, and environmental health. Conversely, the MPP portion of the dual degree teaches students about legislative design, regulatory strategy, and socioeconomic analysis. As one comprehensive dual degree, students will gain interdisciplinary expertise and the ability to translate health data into public policy solutions. 

Graduates with an MPH/MPP dual degree can go on to work in leadership roles in areas like health departments, legislative offices, and non-governmental organizations. Other dual degree programs, like an MPH/MPA or MPH/MBA, focus more on business and administrative duties. In contrast, an MPH/MPP dual degree emphasizes analytical and quantitative skills that are beneficial in developing and enacting public policy.

An MPH/MPP dual degree is becoming an increasingly popular option for healthcare graduates because of the need for people who both understand science and public policy. 

Graduates of an MPH/MPP dual degree program become a crucial link between healthcare professionals and lawmakers. Their job often involves ensuring legislation and policy are informed by evidence-based findings, whether it's on the most effective way to respond to a global pandemic or the debate over Medicaid coverage and ACA marketplaces.¹

Once they graduate, students can pursue work in areas like global public health diplomacy for organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, or the World Bank. 

Aspiring students’ career goals can help them decide whether an MPH/MPP dual degree program is right for them. Those who are interested in analytical and quantitative policy, analysis, and design may naturally lean toward the MPP, while the MPA is more aligned with administrative and managerial duties. Either way, a degree in public health can lead to early-career roles like health policy analysts, legislative consultants, and public health advisors.

An MPH/MPP dual degree program usually takes about two-and-a-half to three years to complete for students who opt for a full-time schedule. As students rotate through coursework that focuses on health science and public policy, they’re often able to apply some courses to both degree programs. 

MPP coursework revolves around building a student’s analytical skills in areas like health policy, including topics like cost-benefit analysis, econometrics, budgeting, and political systems. Through these courses, students learn how to evaluate and design policies that address complex health issues. 

MPH coursework focuses more on foundational topics, like disease surveillance, environmental health, and behavioral science, which prepare students for scenarios in health science and population health.

Some programs also require capstone projects, where students explore real-world health policy issues like the effect of food deserts on childhood obesity. By participating in a joint capstone project that uses skills and knowledge from both degree programs, these projects allow students to apply their learnings from both public policy and public health education to develop recommendations and solutions for societal issues. 

Another way for students to gain real-world experience is through internships and field placements with state health departments, policy offices, or international health organizations. These hands-on experiences allow students to see health policy in action. Placements like these can help students combine their education in both theory and practice, preparing them for careers at the intersection of health science and health policy.

Admission to a dual MPH/MPP program can be quite competitive. Students who want to attend the dual degree program must demonstrate academic excellence as well as a commitment to public service.

Most dual MPH/MPP programs require a minimum education of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Some programs may waive GRE test results, while others require the scores to be submitted with the application.

Other application materials include:

Programs also like to see that applicants have prior experience in public service, health nonprofits, or legislative settings. 

When it’s time to apply, prospective students should submit applications to both the MPH and MPP departments. These applications can either be submitted through the same portal or through separate applications for each program. For example, some schools may require applicants to submit their MPH application through SOPHAS, which is a centralized application service for public health, and their MPP application through the school’s main application system.

Candidates who are likely to be accepted into these programs are able to articulate their motivations for pursuing a degree in both health science and health policy. Plus, they should be able to explain why they feel they will make an impact in the healthcare field.

Graduates of a dual MPH/MPP program have the opportunity to explore diverse and dynamic careers that combine public health and public policy. 

With an MPH degree, graduates have training in topics like epidemiology, biostatistics, and program evaluation, which prepares them to address a broad range of public health issues at the population level. The MPP part of the dual degree program equips graduates to advocate for systemic change. 

An example of the impact of these roles might involve the need to design legislation to ensure access to clean water or to evaluate the effectiveness of mental health funding initiatives. Additionally, healthcare policy professionals might play a part in reforming maternal health policies and improving the outcomes of mothers and families after childbirth.

With newly gained expertise in health science and advanced policy analysis, new grads are eligible for roles at think tanks, healthcare lobbying firms, nonprofits, and UN-affiliated agencies. They can also pursue roles with federal health agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Professional roles that MPH/MPP graduates might apply for include:

A dual MPH/MPP degree prepares students to work across healthcare, government, and nonprofit sectors, addressing issues that require both policy insight and public health expertise.

There are several MPH/MPP dual degree programs available across the country, offered in both online and in-person formats to fit different learning preferences. That being said, fully online or hybrid MPH/MPP programs are rare due to the intensive nature of the dual degree. However, some schools offer modular or extended-time formats to provide more flexibility.

See the list below for some of the nation’s top dual degree programs that combine health science education with advanced policy studies:

The following programs offer dual degree or single degree programs that cover similar topics and can be alternative paths to a rewarding career in public health and policy.

Tuition for the programs mentioned above can vary based on degree program and residency status. The average total tuition for an MPH/MPP dual degree program ranges from $50,000 to $130,000 for a two- to three-year program, or approximately $500 to $1,200 per credit.²

Students can apply for financial aid through public service fellowships, federal loans, research assistantships, and employer tuition assistance, where a student’s employer helps pay for advanced studies. The National Health Service Corps offers loan repayment options for students who graduate and go on to work in underserved areas, and the Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program has similar reimbursement plans for federal employees in health administration. 

Applicants to master’s programs can also refer to the individual program’s websites for more information on available scholarships and financial assistance. Many dual degree programs offer aid to students who pursue careers in health administration and policy, especially for those who pursue public service postings after graduating.

If you’re still trying to decide whether an MPH/MPP dual degree is the right decision for you, ask yourself the following questions:

Students who are comfortable with both quantitative models and the complexities of implementation at the community level would do well in this type of dual degree program. Graduates are well-prepared to work across sectors—including public, private, and nonprofit—and are able to translate health science into health policy and strategy. 

If you can picture yourself leading change and are passionate about improving population health, a dual MPH/MPP degree might be right for you.