Exploring an MPH in Infectious Disease Program

As the American Public Health Association (APHA) suggests, “preventing and controlling the spread of disease is at the heart of much public health work.”⁴ 

While a clinician may focus on patient treatment, a public health infectious disease specialist concentrates on infectious disease prevention, mitigation, and control of disease. However, regardless of one's role within the field, it’s crucial for all health professionals to have a basic understanding of infectious disease. While the term “infectious disease” may often be associated with the work of epidemiologists, an important distinction is that this area of epidemiology specifically focuses on communicable diseases - otherwise known as infectious pathogens or microbial diseases, which are diseases caused by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. Communicable disease epidemiologists study everything from seasonal influenza to outbreaks such as Ebola or Cholera. In doing so, experts must study how a disease is spreading, what populations are at risk, and what interventions may be most successful. 

These job duties are just a handful of the many key concepts that Infectious Disease Specialists employ in their practice. These include infectious disease transmission, or how the disease is spread, contact tracing, or the process of identifying people who have recently been in contact with someone diagnosed with an infectious disease, and disease surveillance, or the continuous, systematic collection, analysis and interpretation of outbreak data to inform the most effective response. Infectious Disease Specialists must safely identify sources of outbreaks, collect field data, analyze patterns of transmission, and identify strategies to maintain the continued spread of disease.

Students who pursue an MPH in Infectious Disease are equipped with the skills necessary to prevent, investigate, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks. While curriculum will differ depending on the program, the general core courses include epidemiology, biostatistics, and outbreak investigation. A deeper dive into the curriculum may reflect more specific areas of study, such as the nuances of infectious disease epidemiology and modeling skills, pathogen genomics, field investigation and contact tracing strategies, antimicrobial resistance, clinical trials, and the fundamentals of health policy and communication. Some programs may allow specializations or certificates in these areas or others like global health or emergency preparedness and response. 

Furthermore, MPH programs are becoming increasingly available in a variety of formats, such as in-person, online, or a hybrid of the both. This means that individuals can pursue programs from anywhere in the world, or maintain a full-time job while attaining their degree. This approach not only increases program accessibility, but also fosters opportunities for infectious disease research, allowing students to engage with cutting-edge studies and contribute to global health solutions in a flexible learning environment.

If you are currently working as a public health professional, or you are interested in pandemic prevention, emergency response, or international health, an MPH in Infectious Disease may be a good option when considering next steps in advancing your career. 

Individuals who thrive as an Infectious Disease Specialist are often analytical, data-driven decision makers, globally informed, collaborative in their nature, and adaptable in high-pressure environments. With the increased demand for public health professionals focusing on Infectious Disease, there are countless job opportunities that one may pursue. Among these include:

• Infectious Disease Epidemiologist

• Disease Surveillance Analyst

• Outbreak Response Coordinator

• Global Health Program Officer

• Public Health Consultant

• Global Health Research Scientist

• Field Epidemiologist

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for epidemiologists is $83,980 as of April, 2025, and job growth between 2023-2033 is 19% - a rate much higher than the average, which sits at 4%.¹² We have a full article detailing epidemiologist salaries that you can read in more depth. 

While COVID-19 brought to light the importance of infectious disease specialists on a global scale, there is a need for such professionals on every level. There are countless opportunities with state and local health departments, academic research institutions, international NGOs, as well as the National Institute for Health (NIH), Center for Disease Control (CDC), and various agencies within the United Nations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO) or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). 

When deciding the right MPH in Infectious Disease program, there are a few noteworthy factors to consider. First, it is recommended to ensure that the program is accredited by the Center on Education for Public Health (CEPH). In short, accreditation is the process by which higher education programs are evaluated to ensure that students graduate with the necessary skills to enter into the workforce. This is particularly important when considering the dynamic nature of public health, especially in an area such as Infectious Disease. You can learn more about and find a full list of CEPH accredited programs on the CEPH website. 

Next, depending on your ideal career trajectory, you may want to consider what practical opportunities are available for internships or fulfilling fieldwork or practicum requirements. On  program websites, you can look out for any relevant partnerships, organizations that alumni currently work for, or global health opportunities abroad are available for students to pursue. 

Lastly, identifying faculty research interests or current projects can be a great insight into what niche topics you may have the chance to learn more about. Finding faculty that have interests that align with your own may be a great way to gain advice on entering into the field.