Mastering Your Future: Should You Pursue an MPA or MPH?

The MPA degree is designed for those envisioning a career in public service—typically working as a non-profit, in the government, or sometimes in the private sector². As the name of the degree implies, an MPA sets you up to work in the administration of policies and programs related to the public good. The primary focus of a public administration degree is to learn the strategies and skills needed to develop these policies and programs in order to identify, address, and solve problems to improve the lives of others.

Within this overall degree, students may focus on different areas such as public management, policy analysis, and public affairs.

After completing a degree program, students can find jobs in a variety of settings to align with their unique preferences and goals. Many people with an MPA will work in government at the local, state, or federal level, in the private sector (that is, for a privately owned business), or at a non-profit. These can be roles like a policy analyst or policy manager who analyzes data to inform public policy. You’ll also see roles like the public affairs specialist—liaising between the public and private sectors—and public works manager, working in the administration of the local or federal government⁶. In the non-profit realm, common roles you’ll find are development coordinator, one who conducts fundraising activities, and executive director, one who oversees the administration and direction of the organization⁶.

We’ve written extensively about the master’s in public health (MPH) degree to provide you with guidance on application requirements, how to choose the best program for your unique needs and career options. The MPH degree is designed to help prepare students to address critical public health issues like health disparities and social justice. While medical school and health professions programs teach skills for treating disease in individuals, the public health degree focuses on the skills for implementing community-level initiatives to promote health and prevent disease.

All MPH programs will cover the core areas of public health in the first year, typically epidemiology, biostatistics, public health policy, socio-medical sciences and health promotion, program evaluation and research methods, as well as healthcare management or health administration. These courses are designed to give you a broad overview of the field of public health before you choose a specialization. In the second half of the program, students also have the option to take several MPH electives in topics like health communication, health informatics and environmental policy.

Most programs require an internship and thesis, or capstone project, which can be great preparation for the first steps of a career. Many people with a public health degree work in community health organizations in health education, in large health systems, or in healthcare administration. Entry-level positions for someone with an MPH include roles like health educator, community health worker, and research assistant.

While we’ve highlighted how the MPA and MPH have core similarities related to helping others, it’s important to discuss ways in which the degrees differ—aiding in your decision-making process for applying to graduate school. Structurally, both degrees are two-year programs (for a traditional program), with core courses in your first year and opportunities to specialize with MPA and MPH electives in your second year. A summary of coursework and specializations for each is here, along with key differences in their approach and objectives.

Both degrees offer the opportunity to build leadership skills and learn how to identify and address societal issues, however, the approach and objective of each program are unique. An MPA degree emphasizes organizational aspects of leading nonprofits and government agencies. This provides an understanding of the economic factors that underlie policies implemented within these organizations¹. An MPH degree emphasizes understanding the root causes of health disparities and inequities in order to develop programs and policies that prevent disease and improve well-being.  

What if both degrees sound appealing to you? Luckily, many graduate schools are now offering dual degree and joint degree options.

The terms “dual degree” and “joint degree” might be used interchangeably in casual conversation, however, they are different structurally. A dual degree means that students complete two programs of study sequentially and graduate with two separate degrees, whereas a joint degree means that students complete two graduate degrees concurrently and graduate with one degree¹⁴. For students in dual degree programs, credits from the first master’s program often apply to the second, allowing students to complete the second degree more quickly—frequently in three years for both degrees instead of four for traditionally structured master's programs¹⁵. Completing your degree in three years instead of four also has financial benefits with fewer semesters enrolled, resulting in significant cost savings.

Beyond the benefit of completing two master’s degrees in less time, dual degree programs also allow students to apply the management training of MPA programs to the health sector. This prepares them for leadership roles in public health nonprofits, government agencies, and community health organizations.

Many schools are offering dual degree opportunities now. Here are a few universities with dual degree programs. Please note, this is far from a complete list and is instead meant to provide a sampling of the variety of programs available in the United States. As you review programs, pay attention to their application requirements such as previous work experience or a GRE requirement.

As you consider what graduate programs to apply to, it’s important to think beyond the immediate first steps of an application. Two years (or three years if you choose a dual degree program) will go by extremely quickly. Considering the type of career you’d like to pursue, along with your personal values and interests, is an important determinant of what type of program you should pursue.

Choosing which degree to pursue is a personal decision and there’s ultimately no wrong answer. Both an MPA and MPH set you up for a career focused on the public: One is public service-oriented and the other is public-health oriented. One of the great benefits of either degree is that there is a lot of flexibility and variability in career paths.

The MPA is ideal if your main interest is in policy, organizational structure, and leading public organizations¹⁹. It’s also suited for someone who enjoys facilitating interactions between different types of organizations, as the MPA leaves you well-suited to liaise between public (i.e., government) and private companies¹⁹. Pursuing an MPH is ideal if you have an underlying interest in health: Everything from how health disparities exacerbate existing societal inequities to how health education and community health initiatives can prevent health problems.

As you consider whether you’d like to apply to graduate programs in public health, public administration, or a dual degree program that combines both, it’s important to think about your interests and career goals. Both an MPA and an MPH will lead to careers with positive impacts on society and it’s up to you to decide what is the best fit.

Do you want a career that has a greater focus on organizational structures, communication between organizations, and policies?

Then an MPA could be right for you. Do you want a career that addresses a wide variety of health issues to prevent disease and improve the quality of life for local and global communities?

Then an MPH but be better suited for you. Whatever your decision, use our application timeline to work through all of the steps of the application process. Getting started on your graduate school journey is an exciting time and we’re here to support you through the process!