Virginia has one of the richest histories in the nation thanks to the early settlements and sites that played a part in the country’s founding.
It’s also home to some of the best schools in America, and for those interested in a career in public health there’s no shortage of options.
MPH Schools, Colleges & Universities
Virginia Tech Masters Public Health Programs
Virginia Tech is one of the most well-known schools in the country thanks not only to its sports teams, but its excellent educational level. Situated in scenic Blacksburg, Virginia, more than thirty thousand full time students are enrolled here in more than two hundred different programs, including one hundred and fifty graduate level programs. It’s ranked as the forty fourth best research university in the country, and graduates find employment all around the world.
Masters in Public Health
The Masters in Public Health program offered by Virginia Tech is offered through a partnership with Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and is a forty two hour course devoted to providing students with the skills they need to excel in the field of public health. The assessment, monitoring, study and implementation of public health policies and services are the focus and students will learn the skills needed to improve the health of the public at large through a number of different career options.
Contact Information
- Address: 210 Burruss Hall Blacksburg, VA
- Phone: 540-231-6000
- Website: http://mph.vetmed.vt.edu/
Eastern Virginia Medical School Masters Public Health Programs
Eastern Virginia Medical School has been serving the southeastern Virginia region since 1973, and today it not only provides medical care to a wide range of those in need of it but also has one of the most respected medical education programs in the nation. Cancer, cardiovascular, diabetes, and infertility research is also conducted at length in the university, but its top priority remains providing students with a solid, accredited education.
Masters in Public Health
Those enrolling in a master’s in public health degree program here will receive an education designed to prepare them for employment in government or private sectors and to give them the skills needed to bring about positive changes in the world of public health including monitoring the effectiveness of health care, the epidemiology of infectious diseases, and other public health concerns like pollution, underage pregnancy, and much more. It’s a forty two credit hour course offered in conjunction with Old Dominion University.
Contact Information
- Address: P.O. Box 1980, Norfolk, Virginia 23501-1980
- Phone: 757-446-6120
- Website: http://www.evms.edu/evms-school-of-health-professions/master-in-public-health.html
University of Virginia School of Medicine Masters Public Health Programs
The University of Virginia’s School of Medicine is a highly respected institution. The University of Virginia itself was founded by Thomas Jefferson and today the school still works tirelessly to promote his vision of improving the world through education. The School of Medicine combines patient care, research, communication, community service, and education to deliver one of the best medical educations available in the country. Knowledge gained through research is directly applied to everyday classes in the school, ensuring that students learn the latest processes as soon as possible.
Masters in Public Health
There are two main options for earning a master’s in public health here – Health Policy, Law, and Ethics or Research in Practice. Either of the two study tracks will give students a deep skillset to lead them forward in the medical field, and the public health program draws from the knowledge of every other branch of the University of Virginia to provide a comprehensive education unmatched anywhere else.
Contact Information
- Address: PO Box 800793 Charlottesville, VA 22908
- Phone: 434-924-5118
- Website: http://www.medicine.virginia.edu/
MPH Scholarships and Fellowships
If you want to earn your master’s degree in public health, you will want to know the best ways to pay for your education. The state of Virginia offers many intriguing scholarships and fellowships that can help to offset many of your graduate school costs.
- Virginia Tech Fellowships and Scholarships: The various graduate schools at Virginia Tech offer many scholarships and fellowships that you should consider.
- Virginia.gov: The state government of Virginia has many scholarships, grants and tuition reimbursement programs that you should consider as a potential graduate student in the state.
- Virginia State University Scholarships: The graduate schools at this university offer several scholarships and fellowships that may be of interest to a student in public health.
- Virginia Department of Health Scholarships: For public health students who are interested in nursing, please consider applying for one of these scholarships, such as the Virginia Nurse Educator Scholarship Program or the Mary Marshall Nursing Scholarship Program.
- Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority: This organization has several million dollars of scholarship funds allocated each year by the state. The purpose of the organization is to improve the viability of health care and public health professions in the state.
- Liberty University: This small Virginia university offers several scholarships to deserving public health students at the graduate level.
- Emory and Henry College: This small, private college offers a few scholarships to public health students.
- Gates Millennium Scholars Program: This organization, run by Bill and Melinda Gates, provides 1,000 highly deserving scholars each year with a scholarships for their entire college career at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. The Foundation is particularly focused on the field of public health.
- Virginia Tech Assistantships: Virginia Tech’s departments at the graduate level usually have a number of assistantships available to deserving scholars.
Virginia Public Health Internships
For students who are interested in a public health career, you may need more public health experience to be admitted to graduate school. Or, you need to fulfill public health work requirements to graduate with your MPH. Either way, you are going to need an internship to realize your career dreams. Some of the best Virginia internships in public health include the following opportunities.
- Virginia Department of Health: The Department of Health offers many volunteer and internship experiences for students who are interested in public health as a career.
- Virginia Beach Department of Human Services Internships: This organization offers health-related internships to students who are interested in a career in public health.
- City of Richmond Internships: There are many health and public health-related internships available in the city of Richmond
- American Society for Microbiology: This organization has an extensive listing of internships available in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC, many of which are in the area of public health.
- Roanoke College Internships: This college has many public health and medical-related internships available to students.
- Virginia Chapter Sierra Club: This state branch of the Sierra Club offers internships to public health students who are interested in improving the environment.
- Virginia Tech Internships: This major university has a good list of internships that are available to graduate and undergraduate students.
- Fairfax County Internships: The County of Fairfax has many internship positions available in social work, nursing, public health, psychology and substance abuse counseling.
MPH Degree Salary in Virginia
Given its proximity to the nation’s capital, the state of Virginia generally is an excellent choice for people interested in a public health or health care-related career. The salaries of professionals in Northern Virginia in particular are well above the national average. The average salary for public health workers here is $62,000. Public health directors here, often working at the county level, can make as much as $84,000.
Related MPH Jobs in Virginia
If you take a close look at the salary averages for different public health jobs in Virginia, you can see that this is a most rewarding career near the nation’s capital. Public health directors here, often working at the county level, can make as much as $84,000. And many public safety officers in this area can earn as much as $71,000, usually working for the county or state government.
Virginia Career Opportunities for MPH Grads
A public health career in Virginia can be particularly rewarding, given how close much of the state is to Washington, DC. Many public health professionals, whether they are interested in behavioral health, biostatistics or nursing, will find ample opportunities in the state of Virginia. Job growth is especially robust in Northern Virginia in the health care field.
As a whole, job growth in public health in the US is booming, with many fields, such as epidemiology, seeing robust growth rates of 24% by 2020.
Some of the most dynamic places for public health workers to be employed in this state include:
- Virginia Department of Health – The Virginia Department of Health is responsible for the health and safety of the people of Virginia. It provides a variety of programs across the state, thereby offers several entry level and higher management positions to individuals with an MPH degree.
- Arlington Public Health Services – The Arlington Public Health Services offer a variety of programs to the residents of Arlington County in Virginia including dental, family planning, immunization and maternity clinics. Individuals with an MPH degree oversee the administration of these projects.
- Office of Minority Health and Health Equity – The Office of Minority Health and Health Equity is a subsidiary of the Virginia Department of Health. Public health officers identify the causes of health inequities in the state, and help develop policies to deal with them. It is a great place to work for MPH graduates interested in policymaking and research.
- West Virginia University – The School of Public Health at West Virginia University is a great place to work for public health professionals. It is one of the best schools in the state and offers several job opportunities, especially in teaching, research or administration.
- Hampton County – The Hampton Health District employs public health professionals to develop various health education programs and support services for its residents. The job profile is perfect for individuals with an MPH degree who love to make a direct impact on people’s lives.
- Virginia Beach County – The Department of Health at Virginia Beach also promotes the safety and health of its constituents. It offers many opportunities for public health professionals who are interested in designing and administering community outreach programs across the county.
- University of Virginia – The Department of Public Health is a division of the School of Medicine at the University of Virginia. It has been ranked as one of the top schools in the country, and seeks individuals with MPH degree to work as faculty members, researchers and administrators.
- Virginia Tech – The Carilion School of Medicine at Virginia Tech is one of the best schools in the country as well. It employs public health professionals as faculty members, teachers and administrators, especially for their Masters of Public Health program.
- Department of Veterans Affairs – The Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs conducts several awareness campaigns and support services to the veterans from the state. They may employ individuals with MPH degrees to design and implement programs such as Agent Orange and lung cancer awareness, and post-deployment health.
- Virginia Department of Corrections – The Virginia Department of Corrections offers healthcare and mental health programs for the inmates at state prisons and correctional facilities. It seeks services of public health professionals to oversee such programs.
- Virginia Department of Education – The Virginia Department of Education recruits individuals with MPH degrees to successfully administer various physical and mental health programs offered at Michigan schools and school districts. Your job profile may include policymaking and day-to-day management activities
- West Virginia Bureau of Public Health – The West Virginia Bureau of Public Health is a division of West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. Public health professionals provide information about common health problems in the area and collaborate with other agencies to develop preventive care programs.
- University of Virginia Health System – The University of Virginia Health System has been ranked as one of the top hospitals in the state of Virginia. Public health officials are employed to supervise various community outreach and patient education services offered by the hospital.
- Virginia Commonwealth University – The Public Health Department at the Virginia Commonwealth University is another great choice for MPH graduates looking for employment opportunities in the state. Several opportunities are available as faculty members, researchers and administrators.
- Memorial Regional medical Center – The Memorial Regional Medical Center employs public health professionals to organize health education programs and support services for its patients and their family members.
Virginia Public Health Research Centers
Virginia is one of the growing centers of health care and public health in the US, and is home to many public health research institutions, such as:
- University of Virginia: The Department of Public Health Sciences supports medical and public health research throughout the state to better the lives of Virginia’s residents.
- Virginia Tech Human Health Research: Virginia Tech has several public health research centers, including the Center for Family Services, the Center for Gerontology and the Institute for Community Health.
- Virginia Public Health Association: This nonprofit organization conducts extensive public health research, with the goals to strengthen public health practice and improve public health policy.
- National Association of Community Health Centers: This organization has extensive data available about community and public health in Virginia.
- Institutional Review Board at the Virginia Department of Health: This organization conducts public health research that involves human subjects.
- Department of Healthcare Policy and Research: This department at the University of Virginia focuses on health policy, public health policy, and health care delivery issues.
