tsavrey Posted March 18, 2008 Posted March 18, 2008 Hello, I was recently admitted to the U of Pitt's school of public health as well as their school of public and international affairs. I will be pursuing a dual masters MPH/MID. Does anyone know anything about this school? Pittsburgh? Thank you in advance!
CIIP Posted March 19, 2008 Posted March 19, 2008 Congrats. I did my undergrad at Pitt, so I might be able to answer some of your questions, though obviously not too much about graduate school. It's a good school, Pgh. is a great and relatively cheap city. Lots of nice neighborhoods and really friendly people. Feel free to ask any specific questions you might have!
tsavrey Posted March 20, 2008 Author Posted March 20, 2008 Hello, Thanks for the offer of help! I am excited but a little wary. I suppose it is just that it will be a big change to be back in school after 3 years! One of Pitt's draws for me is the cheap living expenses. Not too many cities can boast such affordable accomodations. Therefore my standard of living will probably not be too diminished by going back to school. The only thing that concerns me is that I will be pursuing a degree in International Development and I wonder about Pittsburgh's location. It seems to me that I may be better served completing a degree of this nature at a school in DC or New York. What did you like best about living in Pittsburgh that may make it really worth while? Thanks!
dmh26 Posted March 21, 2008 Posted March 21, 2008 Hey there, I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and am finishing up my BA at Pittsburgh. If you have any questions, message me, and I'll try my best to answer them!
dmh26 Posted March 21, 2008 Posted March 21, 2008 The only thing that concerns me is that I will be pursuing a degree in International Development and I wonder about Pittburgh's location. It seems to me that I may be better served completing a degree of this nature at a school in DC or New York. Don't forget that pittsburgh was a huge steel stown; therefore, we have lots of ethnic influences. Each city region shows remnanats of different cultures. In many regions, these ethnic influences are still very prevalent. You'll find local music, food, and events that reflect traditional Russian, Irish, East European, Greek, Lebanese, Indian things. You'll find that Pitt is a wonderful school for international development. Although you may complete an internship outside of the city during the summer, the resources on campus are great. I earned certificates in Russian Studies and Global Studies as a undergrad, and have several friends in GSPIA. The research library is large and Pitt gets lots of federal funding. I got my whole trip to Russia paid in full with university scholarships and federal grants administered by the university.
tsavrey Posted March 22, 2008 Author Posted March 22, 2008 So. . .you may not have the answer to this but. . .I am a bit worried about funding at this point. I was accepted on provisional status and will have to have it lifted before I can pursue a large source of funding. Did you find the financial aid department to be helpful? Did they help you pursue funding options? Thanks!
dmh26 Posted March 23, 2008 Posted March 23, 2008 Ok..The financial aid department sucks! They lost my undergraduate scholarship notification every semester, and charged me a $50 late fee each time. I would call and yell, and they wouldn't do anything! Then...my mom called and yelled, and they did something! You have to be persistent and sorta mean to get shit done! Not to mention, that the Pitt Pay system sucks, and they don't take VISA. I really didn't get any help from them when trying to find scholarships, I did it on my own. If you find a faculty mentor, they will often help you find money. My friend is in GSPIA and she got a full tuition ride, but no stipend..but she did find work within GSPIA, but its been hard for her to balance work and school. Plus, she is expected to do an internship in DC in the summer (unpaid) and she stated that Pitt has done nothing to help her find a way to live. I don't know if this helps you, but just remember..you will have to do most of the legwork!
tsavrey Posted March 24, 2008 Author Posted March 24, 2008 Hello, Actually this is all very helpful. It sounds pretty typical of most universities. They are not necessarily there to make our lives easier! Doing a lot of leg work is not too bad. I still hope to secure some sort of funding for the second year at least. Thanks for your help. I will have more questions later I am sure.
robot_librarian Posted March 27, 2008 Posted March 27, 2008 I'll be at Pitt in the fall for an MS in Library Science! Can't wait to get there and meet everyone!
ukiitm Posted April 1, 2008 Posted April 1, 2008 I'll mostly be joining Pitt this fall for a PhD in Bioengineering. cheers!
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