MPH Vs MSW

[Guest deepaksoni]

Hi Friends,

This is Ankita. 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, Boston, Smith, WUSTL, NYU and UPenn. I have a few questions regarding the selection of the program in general and Columbia University in particular. Your advice would help me in making a decision.

How important is program ranking in these field?

Which school would you recommend among the above mentioned?

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

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

How intensive is the MPH/MSW program?

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.

How was your Columbia experience - both academically and socially?

What is the housing situation for married students?

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

Should i go for MPH or MSW or Dual?

Regards,

Ankita

Will it be possible to call you and discuss this over the weekend, as I need to make a decision by early next week?

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.

Ankita

[Guest guest]

Hi, Ankita

I have an MSW from UNC Chapel Hill and currently am a research associate in Public Health at UNC. You have asked a lot of general questions so I thought that since I am in both fields (social work and public health) that I could get you started on your decision. All of the schools that you have listed are great schools, so I don't think you should be so much concerned with the ranking of the school as the focus of the program and what YOU really want to study. What areas are you interested in? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each program that you applied to (in terms of what you want to learn)? Also, if you are interested in both SW and PH, I think looking at dual degree programs is a great idea. Most dual degree programs are completed in three years (vs. two years for a single degree), so you would need to consider adding an extra year to your schooling. You also need to think about what you see yourself doing after you get out of school. Both of these are professional degrees (there is a broad range of job opportunities for both)--do you want to work in a community agency? If so, in what capacity? Do you see yourself working more on an individual level or a more community level (micro vs. macro practice)? As far as marketability, I think the dual degree is the way to go, unless you want to work more clinically with clients. In that case, I would go just for the MSW and choose a program that is clinically focused.

I hope that I'm not confusing you more here. My main point is that the first step in making this big decision is to decide what you are looking for in a program and try to match your academic/professional goals with the program most likely to help you reach them.

Good luck!!

Traci