SLU MPH- Be Wary

[slucphsj]

Hi all. I was a frequent reader of MPH-related forums a few years ago and ended up choosing Saint Louis University for my MPH in a dual concentration. I am now a second-year and would not recommend this school to anyone seeking their MPH. I will preface this by saying I am one of the more involved students and am doing quite well in my classes- I don't have some unique grudge against the school that separates me from the typical student. Here are the reasons I strongly urge you against matriculating to SLU, in no particular order:

1. SLU has significant funding problems. This has led to major confusion over who is in charge of basic things such as advising, internships, and graduating. One of my instructors was even laid off midway through the semester.
2. Because of the funding problems and other issues, faculty have been leaving the university in mass quantities. I had an epidemiology professor quit two months into the semester and another quit two weeks before classes start.
3. Additionally, classes are constantly being canceled. My transcript looks nothing like the intended curriculum plan because I had to substitute multiple electives for required classes that were canceled due to low enrollment.
4. There is little transparency given to prospective students. For example, this year the Environmental & Occupational concentration was removed. Despite that this has (unofficially) been SLU's plan for over a year, the College still admitted new students to the EOH program who now have to take all of their EOH classes right now before the department is gone at the end of the year.
5. Online classes are outdated and rarely updated. I just finished a lecture for one class that was recorded in 2012 and referenced 2015 as being 'relatively soon' and heavily cited the Global Burden of Disease report from 2004.
6. The Global Health program offers no funding and little assistance for finding internships, but you are required to do one abroad.
7. Graduate assistants saw their tuition waivers reduced by thousands of dollars this year, and were given no warning that they would have to pay that extra out of pocket.

Though the school is currently ranked #23 in the nation, I am confident that this will decrease in the future. If you have any questions please let me know.