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Public health representative education requirements

Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read

There are several educational requirements to become a public health representative. Public health representatives usually study business, psychology, or public health. 58% of public health representatives hold a bachelor's degree, and 14% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 585 real public health representative resumes to see exactly what public health representative education sections show.

The most common colleges for public health representatives are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.

There are also many online public health representative courses to help get the education required to be a public health representative.

There are certain public health representative certifications that you should consider. These public health representative certifications include Certified Pharmacy Technician (CPhT) and Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT).

What education do you need to become a public health representative?

What degree do you need to be a public health representative?

The most common degree for public health representatives is bachelor's degree, with 58% of public health representatives earning that degree. The second and third most common degree levels are master's degree degree at 14% and master's degree degree at 14%.
  • Bachelor's, 58%
  • Master's, 14%
  • Associate, 14%
  • High School Diploma, 6%
  • Other Degrees, 8%

What should I major in to become a public health representative?

You should major in business to become a public health representative. 21% of public health representatives major in business. Other common majors for a public health representative include psychology and public health.

Most common colleges for public health representatives

Public health representatives often get their degrees at University of Phoenix, Coppin State University, and University of California, Santa Barbara. Here are the most common colleges for public health representatives in the US based on their resumes.
Public health representative common collegePercentages
University of Phoenix14.29%
Coppin State University6.35%
University of California, Santa Barbara6.35%
St. Louis6.35%
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey4.76%

Best majors for public health representatives

RankMajorPercentages
1Business20.9%
2Psychology11.8%
3Public Health9.4%
4Health Care Administration8.7%
5Sociology4.7%

Best colleges for public health representatives

The best colleges for public health representatives are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

A public health representative with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for public health representatives. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become public health representatives.

1. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$56,225

Enrollment

19,548

2. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

In-state tuition

$54,568

Enrollment

8,451

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

In-state tuition

$55,584

Enrollment

10,764

4. University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

Minneapolis, MN • Private

In-state tuition

$14,760

Enrollment

31,451

5. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Enrollment

34,564

6. SUNY Stony Brook

Stony Brook, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$9,625

Enrollment

17,407

7. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

In-state tuition

$53,948

Enrollment

17,238

8. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$51,354

Enrollment

7,083

9. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC • Private

In-state tuition

$8,987

Enrollment

18,946

10. San Diego State University

San Diego, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$7,488

Enrollment

30,018

20 best online courses for public health representatives

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1. Health After Cancer: Cancer Survivorship for Primary Care

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This course presents basic principles of cancer survivorship to primary-care physicians. Developed by a team of experts in caring for cancer survivors, and narrated by a primary-care physician, this course provides practical tips and tools that can be easily integrated into medical practice. You will learn about the complex physical and psychosocial needs and concerns of the growing number of cancer survivors, along with the key role that primary care physicians have in guiding these patients...

2. Data and Health Indicators in Public Health Practice

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Epidemiology is often described as the cornerstone science in public health. Epidemiology in public health practice uses study design and analyses to identify causes in an outbreak situation, guides interventions to improve population health, and evaluates programs and policies. In this course, we'll define the role of the professional epidemiologist as it relates to public health services, functions, and competencies. With that foundation in mind, we'll introduce you to the problem solving...

3. Health Data 101

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4.4
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An Introduction to Health Data for data analysts...

4. Data Science for Healthcare Claims Data

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4.4
(489)

Learn and practice how to transform raw healthcare claims data into valuable knowledge and actionable insights!...

5. Systems Thinking In Public Health

coursera

This course provides an introduction to systems thinking and systems models in public health. Problems in public health and health policy tend to be complex with many actors, institutions and risk factors involved. If an outcome depends on many interacting and adaptive parts and actors the outcome cannot be analyzed or predicted with traditional statistical methods. Systems thinking is a core skill in public health and helps health policymakers build programs and policies that are aware of and...

6. Health for All Through Primary Health Care

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This course explores why primary health care is central for achieving Health for All. It provides examples of how primary health care has been instrumental in approaching this goal in selected populations and how the principles of primary health care can guide future policies and actions. Two of the most inspiring, least understood, and most often derided terms in global health discourse are “Health for All” and “Primary Health Care.” In this course, we will explore these terms in the context...

7. HIPAA Compliance Complete Course

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Protecting Patients and Practices...

8. Mental Health Ambassador Certificate

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Be a leader in improving society's mental health and learn to provide mental health first aid...

9. Breastfeeding: Public Health Perspectives

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Engaging in this course will provide you with the opportunity to think about breastfeeding and its public health implications. The Socio-Ecological Model will be the framework of the course as we think about how each level of the Model (individual, interpersonal, community, organizational, and public policy) impacts breastfeeding practices in the United States, and globally. Through short video lectures you will be introduced to relevant topics related to the public health perspectives of...

10. Health Care Delivery in Healthcare Organizations

coursera

Have you ever needed health care and thought that there must be better ways to get or deliver health care? For example, have you found yourself thinking that there should be a way to get a diagnostic test or treatment at home? Or do you work in a healthcare organization and find yourself thinking that there must be better ways to deliver health care? If you have, this course is for you. Course content includes an overview of health care delivery including healthcare consumerism, the patient's...

11. The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health

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The People, Power, and Pride of Public Health provides an engaging overview of the incredible accomplishments and promise of the public health field. The first module includes interviews with legendary public health figures whose work led to millions of lives saved with vaccines, air bags and car seats, and the federal Women Infants and Children (WIC) nutrition program. The second module brings key public health tools to life -- including use of data, communications, and policy - through...

12. Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2

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This course, Public Health in Humanitarian Crises 2, addresses public health issues of people affected by disasters, both natural or conflict-related. It discusses the many changes that occur in people’s lives when they are uprooted by a disaster, including many important topics related to humanitarian crises, such as when there is an epidemic a public health emergency; what do we mean with the humanitarian development nexus; what are the basics of disaster epidemiology and surveillance;...

13. Major Depression in the Population: A Public Health Approach

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Public Mental Health is the application of the principles of medicine and social science to prevent the occurrence of mental and behavioral disorders and to promote mental health of the population. This course illustrates the principles of public health applied to depressive disorder, including principles of epidemiology, transcultural psychiatry, health services research, and prevention. It is predicted that by 2020 depressive disorder will be the most important cause of disease burden in the...

14. Traditional herbal medicine in supportive cancer care: From alternative to integrative

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Please join us for an exciting and innovative journey, examining one of the most important and often overlooked aspects of the oncology setting: Traditional Herbal Medicine in Supportive Cancer Care. This course is presented with short lectures offering a wide range of issues related to the principles and practice of herbal medicine in cancer care. The course includes interviews with leading world experts from the field of Integrative Oncology, from the U.S. and Canada, as well as Europe, the...

15. Health in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies

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The Center for Humanitarian Emergencies is a partnership between CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch and the Rollins School of Public Health that drives global collaboration, research and evidence based training to improve the lives and well-being of populations impacted by humanitarian emergencies. - Center for Humanitarian Emergencies: http://www.che.emory.edu/ - CDC's Emergency Response and Recovery Branch: http://www.cdc.gov/globalhealth/healthprotection/errb/index.html This course...

16. Health Coaching Conversations

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Are you a healthcare practitioner or student in a healthcare field? Do you want to learn how to have more empowering conversations with your patients and support them to take control of their own health and wellbeing? Are you looking for a course to start learning these skills that also fits with your busy life? If so, this is the course for you! In this course, you will become much more familiar with some key health coaching principles and skills, and will be equipped to start applying these...

17. Health Care IT: Challenges and Opportunities

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A strong argument can be made that the health care field is one of the most information-intensive sectors in the U.S. economy and avoidance of the rapid advances in information technology is no longer an option. Consequently, the study of health care information technology and systems has become central to health care delivery effectiveness. This course covers the modern application of information technology that is critical to supporting the vision and operational knowledge of the health care...

18. Operations and Patient Safety for Healthcare IT Staff

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Now that you've been introduced to the world of Health IT and the important role played by electronic health records (EHRs), we'll focus on other technologies that play a role in maintaining ongoing operations in healthcare. Telemedicine, patient portals, barcode scanners, printers, and medical devices are just some of the technologies that impact providers and patients. As an IT support specialist, you’ll be asked to troubleshoot issues with a wide variety of tools. You'll see a scenario with...

19. Introduction to Digital health

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This course introduces the field of digital health and the key concepts and definitions in this emerging field. The key topics include Learning Health Systems and Electronic Health Records and various types of digital health technologies to include mobile applications, wearable technologies, health information systems, telehealth, telemedicine, machine learning, artificial intelligence and big data. These technologies are assessed in terms of the key opportunities and challenges to their use...

20. Understanding Prostate Cancer

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Welcome to Understanding Prostate Cancer. My name is Ken Pienta, Professor of Urology and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I have been studying prostate cancer and treating patients with prostate cancer for over 25 years. Over 1,000,000 men worldwide and 230,000 men in the United States are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Three hundred thousand men worldwide and 30,000 men in the US are dying from prostate cancer every year. As people live longer, the incidence of...

Top 10 most affordable universities for public health representatives

The most affordable schools for public health representatives are University of Florida, california state university - long beach, and hunter college of the city university of new york.

If the best universities for public health representatives are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for public health representatives.

1. University of Florida

Gainesville, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,381

Cost of attendance

21,034

2. California State University - Long Beach

Long Beach, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,798

Cost of attendance

18,306

3. Hunter College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,182

Cost of attendance

13,998

4. Baruch College of the City University of New York

New York, NY • Private

In-state tuition

$7,262

Cost of attendance

14,046

5. California State University - Dominguez Hills

Carson, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,942

Cost of attendance

14,469

6. California State University - Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,749

Cost of attendance

14,823

7. California State University - Fullerton

Fullerton, CA • Private

In-state tuition

$6,886

Cost of attendance

17,645

8. Brigham Young University

Provo, UT • Private

In-state tuition

$5,620

Cost of attendance

18,136

9. Florida International University

Miami, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$6,556

Cost of attendance

19,434

10. Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL • Private

In-state tuition

$5,656

Cost of attendance

21,623

Top 10 hardest universities to get into for public health representatives

The hardest universities for public health representatives to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Southern California.

Some great schools for public health representatives are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for public health representatives based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston, IL • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,508

2. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA • Private

Admissions rate

8%

SAT average

1,492

3. University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA • Private

Admissions rate

13%

SAT average

1,445

4. Stanford University

Stanford, CA • Private

Admissions rate

4%

SAT average

1,497

5. New York University

New York, NY • Private

Admissions rate

20%

SAT average

1,419

6. Boston University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

22%

SAT average

1,420

7. Northeastern University

Boston, MA • Private

Admissions rate

19%

SAT average

1,466

8. Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD • Private

Admissions rate

11%

SAT average

1,513

9. University of Rochester

Rochester, NY • Private

Admissions rate

29%

SAT average

1,422

10. University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL • Private

Admissions rate

32%

SAT average

1,365

Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for public health representatives

The easiest schools for public health representatives to get into are Barry University, d'youville college, and marymount university.

Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a public health representative without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for public health representatives.

1. Barry University

Miami, FL • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,006

2. D'Youville College

Buffalo, NY • Private

Admissions rate

100%

SAT average

1,072

3. Marymount University

Arlington, VA • Private

Admissions rate

91%

SAT average

1,065

4. Felician University

Lodi, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

81%

SAT average

999

5. AdventHealth University

Orlando, FL • Private

Admissions rate

87%

SAT average

1,016

6. Saint Joseph's College of Maine

Standish, ME • Private

Admissions rate

84%

SAT average

1,069

7. University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX • Private

Admissions rate

88%

SAT average

1,044

8. Kean University

Union, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

86%

SAT average

991

9. Oklahoma Wesleyan University

Bartlesville, OK • Private

Admissions rate

68%

SAT average

964

10. William Paterson University of New Jersey

Wayne, NJ • Private

Admissions rate

93%

SAT average

994

Average public health representative salary by education level

Public health representatives with a Master's degree earn more than those without, at $59,765 annually. With a Bachelor's degree, public health representatives earn a median annual income of $52,754 compared to $47,165 for public health representatives with an Associate degree.
Public health representative education levelPublic health representative salary
Master's Degree$59,765
High School Diploma or Less$46,135
Bachelor's Degree$52,754
Some College/ Associate Degree$47,165

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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