MPH Vs MSW

[Guest deepaksoni]

This is Ankita, Manu must have spoken about me . I have done my Masters in Social Work from India. Currently I am living in New Haven with my spouse.

I have been accepted to three MPH programs in Health Policy and Management. They are - Columbia, UMass, Boston University. and MSW program at Columbia, WUSTL, UPenn, Boston, NYU. I have a few questions regarding the choice between the two programs. Your advice would help me in making a decision.

How important is program ranking in this field?

Which school/course would you recommend among the above mentioned?

What are the job opportunities for people in health policy and management concentration as well as MSW?

How good are the job opportunities after an MPH and what are the challenges especially for an international student?

How intensive is the MPH program?

How was your MPH/MSW experience?

Does it matter if I donot have any science background?

In Boston I have the option of a dual degree in public health and social work. Would you recommend that? I may get a similar option at Columbia if I get admitted to the social work program.

What was your MPH specialization - was it health policy? If not will you be able to connect me with someone who had this concentration, especially at Columbia?

Regards,

Ankita

[basille]

What do you hope to do as a career? The two disciplines do blend in some ways, but I would think that your future work preferences would play a large role in what path your education should take. I found myself in your shoes 2 years ago, and then again when applying for PhD programs. I can say that if you would like to consider applying for PhD programs in Public Health at some point, having the MPH will probably be better than the MSW. And actually, that is also fairly true if you would like to consider a social work PhD. I love the idea of the dual MSW/MPH program. I wish I would have pursued that option from the start. If you want to do health policy work, you would be well-served by either an MSW or an MPH, particularly if your university has a research center that does health policy research.