Public Health

Yes, there are a wide range of options available for students looking to learn about public health online, from individual courses to master’s degrees. And, as in other areas of study, online education gives you the opportunity to learn remotely from top-ranked schools on a flexible schedule from anywhere in the world.

As the world’s leading online learning platform, Coursera offers the full range of these opportunities to learn about public health. Students can take individual courses such as epidemiology, biostatistics, and global health at a lower price than on-campus alternatives, or free collections of public health courses.

If you want to pursue a Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree, Coursera has options for this too. The Global Master of Public Health degree from Imperial College London and the Master of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan offer opportunities to gain an online education in public health from leading institutions in the field.‎

In its simplest explanation, Epidemiology is the study of epidemics. It’s the branch of medicine dealing with the incidence and prevalence of disease in large populations. It’s also concerned with detecting the source and cause of infectious disease.

Major infectious diseases not only have serious health-related consequences—being disasters that affect a vast range of communities within a larger population, they also have policy and social implications that need to be addressed. An education in Epidemiology is extremely important in giving people the skills they need to help inform decisions around public health policy, screening, and prevention in the event of infectious disease spread.‎

Health policy involves the principles that state how healthcare is given and its goals for improvement. It can be based on a state, national, or global level. It can also apply at a clinical and hospital level. Health policies are implemented for the safety and security of the public and can vary between places.‎