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Many career pathways are available to graduates of Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ’s Masters of Public Health Innovation & Practice. This selection of positions runs the spectrum of public health and healthcare from programming, policy, and community health to providers and research options.

Community Health Program Director 

• Leader who designs, assesses, and refines health programs that focus on specific populations or communities to address health disparities and improve health equity. Uses human-centered design to ensure programs are responsive to the needs of the people they support. 
• Example: Developing and managing a community initiative to lower diabetes rates in urban settings.
• Skills: Leadership, program management, health equity strategy, community engagement, and participatory designs. 

Health Policy Analyst or Advisor (Health Equity Focus)

• Analyst who evaluates social determinants of health and develops public health policies that promote equity. Offers insights on adapting policies to better serve marginalized communities and improve healthcare access, quality, and cost-effectiveness.
• Example: Overseeing multiple initiatives aimed at aging populations including performing policy and program analyses, managing grants, conducting literature reviews, and presenting to stakeholders.
• Skills:  Policy research, data analysis, and advocacy for health equity.

Health Communication Specialist

• Communications expert who develops and implements communication strategies that promote health equity by addressing specific needs and cultural contexts of diverse populations. Uses human-centered design principles to craft effective public health messages.
• Example: Developing and implementing communications campaigns to educate elders and their caregivers about fall prevention strategies to reduce injuries and support aging in place. 
• Skills: health literacy, communication strategy, cultural competence, social marketing, and design thinking.

Public Health Advocate

• Advocate for public health policies and practices that promote health equity and address the socio-political determinants of health. Collaborates with communities to ensure that advocacy efforts reflect their needs and priorities. Serves as key public health workers bridging between healthcare services and the community, providing essential health education and support.
• Example: Assisting rural populations by offering guidance on maternal and child health practices.
• Skills: Grassroots advocacy, policy advocacy, community organizing, human-centered problem solving. 

Health Services Researcher (Health Equity)

• Scientist who researches the effectiveness, acceptability, and accessibility of health services with a focus on reducing health disparities or population-specific needs. Uses participatory research methods and human-centered design to incorporate community input.
• Example: Conducting studies to examine the link between economic status, geographic location, and chronic disease rates, including identifying disparities in healthcare access and outcomes. 
• Skills: Health equity research, qualitative and quantitative research methods, community-based participatory research methods.

Health Program Evaluator

• An evaluation expert who assesses the effectiveness of health programs, focusing on how well they address population-specific needs and measuring differences in group-specific outcomes.
• Example: Assessing the results of a behavioral therapy intervention to reduce smoking among teenagers.
• Skills: Program evaluation, equity assessment, qualitative and quantitative research methods.