Easiest Public Health Degree Programs for 2025

Public health degrees are focused on the study of health in populations. They often concentrate on understanding health in different populations and improving the health of various populations.

Public health experts are often required to have several years of education, and some public health degree programs can be difficult. The easiest public health degree is an associate degree. Keep reading as we break down why.

What Are the Easiest Public Health Degree Programs?

Public health degree programs are offered at the associate, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. The easiest of these to complete is an associate degree in public health.

Associate Degree in Public Health

Associate degrees are undergraduate degrees. They usually require around 60 credits and take two years of full-time study to complete.

Associate degrees require the fewest years of study. They also are focused on providing a strong foundation and don't usually include advanced courses.

Additionally, associate degrees are easier to obtain because they're offered by community colleges and other two-year colleges, which typically have lower tuition rates and higher acceptance rates.

Most associate degrees in public health are designed to be transferred into a bachelor's degree program, but some allow students to enter the field of health sciences immediately upon receiving their degree.

An associate degree in public health will usually include some general education courses as well as core public health and health science courses. Common course topics include:

• anatomy
• biology
• environmental health
• epidemiology
• medical ethics
• medical terminology
• nutrition
• population health
• public health administration
• public health education

Most associate degrees in public health also require statistics courses as well as courses in sociology and culture.

What Colleges and Universities Offer Associate Degrees in Public Health?

A few dozen colleges and universities across the United States offer associate degrees in public health. These include:

• Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, Maryland- Associate of Science in public health professions
• College of Western Idaho- Associate of Science transfer degree in health science and public health, available online
• Community College of Denver in Denver, Colorado- Associate of Arts transfer degree in public health, available in a hybrid format
• County College of Morris in Randolph, New Jersey- Associate of Science in public health
• Do�a Ana Community College in Las Cruces, New Mexico- Associate of Public Health transfer degree
• Mid Michigan College in Harrison, Michigan- Associate of Applied Science in public health and Associate of Science transfer degree in public health, available in a hybrid format
• MiraCosta College in Oceanside, California- Associate of Science transfer degree in public health science
• Saint Paul College in Saint Paul, Minnesota- Associate of Science transfer degree in public health, available in a hybrid format
• University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio- Associate of Science in public health, available online
• University of the Cumberlands in Williamsburg, Kentucky- Associate of Science in public health

In most cases, associate degrees in public health are offered on campus. However, some institutions offer these degrees online or in a hybrid format.

What Can I Do with an Associate Degree in Public Health?

Public health professionals can work in many fields, including health departments, governmental health agencies, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and research institutions.

Some roles that someone with a degree in public health may have include:

• community health worker
• disease prevention specialist
• health program coordinator
• nutrition specialist
• public health educator

However, it's important to note that many roles in public health require at least a bachelor's degree. Most associate degrees in public health are designed for transfer and many have transfer agreements with local universities.

Other Public Health Degree Programs

Public health programs are also available as bachelor's degrees, master's degrees, and doctoral degrees. These programs require more years of study and more advanced coursework than associate degrees.

Bachelor's Degrees in Public Health

Bachelor's degrees are also undergraduate degrees, but they require about 120 semester credits and usually take about four years of full-time study to complete.

Bachelor's degrees in public health provide students with a solid understanding of the pressing public health concerns of the day, and how to address these challenges and influence societal structures that may impact poor health outcomes.

Many public health careers require at least a bachelor's degree, if not a higher degree. Students who have already completed an associate degree will only need to complete their final two years to earn their bachelor's.

Bachelor's degrees in public health are most commonly offered on campus, but they can be found online and in hybrid formats as well.

Master's Degrees in Public Health

Master's degrees are the first type of graduate degree. These degrees usually require somewhere around 30 semester credits and can take one to three years to complete depending on the program.

A master's in public health prepares students to work as public health practitioners or for careers in public health research and analysis.

These programs often offer concentrations so students can tailor their degree to their career path. Concentrations may include:

• community health
• epidemiology
• global health
• health education
• health policy

Students who earn master's degrees are usually looking for more advanced roles in public health or to pursue additional public health education. Many of these programs are offered online to accommodate working professionals.

Doctoral Degrees in Public Health

Doctoral degrees in public health are the highest type of public health degree you can get. These degrees are offered as Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) degrees and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in public health degrees.

Doctor of Public Health degrees are the more common of the two. These programs are focused on the professional and practical elements of public health and are usually geared toward health practitioners and administrators.

Most of these programs take between four and seven years to complete. Some are offered online and many are flexible for working professionals. They may include hands-on elements or dissertations.

Ph.D.s are research degrees, and a Ph.D. in public health is focused on public health research. These are typically for those seeking careers in advanced research or academia.

Students in Ph.D. programs usually spend the first two to three years in courses and an additional two to four years working on a research dissertation. For public health students, this would be on a specific topic in public health.

Find the Easiest Public Health Degrees

The easiest public health degree to obtain is an associate degree, as it requires two years of study and basic coursework. However, many public health careers require at least a bachelor's.

For more information on public health programs or for assistance choosing a public health degree, reach out to Learn.org today.