MPH Programs

[RoJean]

What should one focus on when applying to MPH programs? ( i.e the schools rank or the name of school [ prestige etc...] ) Thanks !!!

[juilletmercredi]

In no particular order:

1. The only clearinghouse that ranks public health programs is USNWR, which is a bit sketchy. I think you should pay attention to the overall reputation of the SPH within the field, but not the rank. Like, don't choose Columbia over Emory just because they're ranked one place higher, if Emory is the better fit for you.

2. Money. MPH graduates don't get paid that much. If you can get a scholarship, an assistantship or anything like that - all other things being equal, follow the money. Also, check if your local public university has a decent school of public health. CUNY Hunter College has an MPH program and for NYS residents, it's a steal. California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Alabama, Illinois, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, Minnesota, Michigan, and Washington all have top-25 ranked MPH programs at public universities and those are great deals for residents of those states. (Actually, most MPH programs in general are at public schools.) Some of these states also have decent out of state tuition rates, too. Think about what your starting salary will be in the field of your choice and compare that to how much you plan to borrow for an MPH.

3. Research/professional interests. An MPH, despite being a professional degree, has a strong research component. You will learn how to do certain skills but those skills will be related to research, so look at what the faculty are doing in that department. For example, my university (Columbia) is known for sexuality research; we even have a whole track called Sexuality and Health. Michigan has quite a few people doing racial health disparities. Harvard is where it's at for broader social determinants of health and social epi, what with Krieger and Kawachi there. Johns Hopkins has a health communications concentration. Decide what your research and professional interests are, and look for that at these schools. That includes flipping through the course catalog online and seeing what courses are offered on a regular basis.

Prestige can only take you so far, and it's a locality dependent thing too. I mean, virtually anywhere will know about a Harvard degree, but in the Midwest a Michigan degree might take you almost as far - if not farther because of more extensive alumni networks (and Michigan alums are like glitter - they're everywhere!). The same may be true for Washington grads in the Pacific Northwest. I mean, if you want to work in New York a Columbia degree might be ideal, but a degree from Hunter College might work just as well. If you want to work in the South, an Emory degree is going to be where it's at because that school is the holy grail of public health down there. And so forth.

[vielglueck]

A great reply, thanks for sharing.

[Bryana Butlar]

The MPH degree focuses on public health practice along with research and teaching. Master of public health programs are available in most of the medical schools, schools of public health, and schools of public affairs. There are some countries where the MPH program is only available for medical graduates. So for those without the medical degree can join the master of science in public health degree. In America medical graduates can pursue MPH in public health practice major and medical students can pursue the same program as public health medicine. The site http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/academics/master-of-public-health-program/ has some details about this career. If you are about to pursue MPH, then this site would be helpful for you.

[bikefarm]

Also check out asph.org for all accredited public health schools in the country. It has a fun interactive map feature that I like to use.