Students who take courses in public health may understand how to use their skills and knowledge of complex issues in various fields. Some of the positions that graduates might find themselves qualified for include epidemiologists, nutritionists, community health workers and forensic pathologists.

The PhD is a doctoral degree, specifically called a "doctor of philosophy" degree. This is misleading because PhD holders are not necessarily philosophers (unless they earned their degree in philosophy!). That said, PhD recipients are able to engage in thought experiments, reason about problems, and solve problems in sophisticated ways.