Public Health Masters Chances + Value

[WMMG]

I recently graduated from a fairly prestigious university (top-50) with a BA in Philosophy. I had a 3.5 undergrad GPA with just over a 3.8 in my major (as well as for my final three semesters of undergrad). I completed the degree fairly early (2 years, one semester) last winter and still did not know exactly which direction I wanted to go with it. I am beginning the master's program in Bioethics at Columbia this fall, which I will either complete in the summer or winter of 2015 (depending on a few factors).  However, I am also interested in pursuing a degree in public health (specifically, social/behavioral sciences). I am specifically interested in the MS program in Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia and the AM program at Brown in Behavioral and Social Sciences Intervention. Would the completion of either of these programs add significant value to my employability (are they worth the additional cost)? Provided I perform in my current graduate program, would I even have a shot at getting into these programs? My GRE scores are: 156V 157Q 5.0W (should I retake them?)

[samiam]

What sort of work do you want to do? It's hard to say much about whether a degree will improve your employability without knowing that.

[WMMG]

I am still fairly undecided, though I am very interested in doing work for policy/research organizations. But does it seem like I have a chance at admission to either of these programs?

[themmases]

I considered going into bioethics before choosing epi. Most people who practice as bioethicists, either by providing ethical consultation to healthcare providers or researchers, or as academics or some combination, also have an MD or JD. Indeed, because it's fairly new as a distinct professional field, many people who work as bioethicists don't have a degree in this topic. They are people who work in healthcare or research and have accumulated experience and credibility in ethical issues specifically, for example by volunteering on an IRB or ethics advisory board. Perhaps that will change as the field grows (I hope it does actually), but in the current climate you have a better chance of finding a straightforward use for a bioethics degree if you are also a legal or biomedical professional. Public health and bioethics methods have applications in some of the same fields, biomedical research most obviously. However, I don't know anyone who has done degrees both public health and bioethics and I can't tell you that being a public health professional will "count" as far as getting you into an organization where you can offer ethical guidance as well.

 

As far as whether to do a degree in public health, probably the most common jobs for people with an MS in a public health field are epidemiologist and biostatistician:

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/epidemiologists.htm

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/math/statisticians.htm

 

The BLS doesn't have a page for policy analysts specifically, just this 2007 fact sheet about the field and a page for political scientists:

http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2007/spring/art03.pdf

http://www.bls.gov/ooh/life-physical-and-social-science/political-scientists.htm

 

It's for you to decide whether a public health degree is worth the debt-- MS funding is easier to get than MPH funding, but still competitive most places-- on top of whatever sacrifices you are making for your current program and undergrad, given the types of jobs you are likely to get.

 

General guidance on public health programs:

- Pick a CEPH-accredited one.

- Many of the good ones are public. Don't limit yourself to only private schools, or big name schools you wish you'd gotten into for undergrad. Go find out who's the best in your specific area of interest.

- Public health has both research- and practice-oriented wings. If you're interested in research, don't consider places with poor research fit-- you won't get it in and if you do, you'll be unhappy. If you're interested in public health practice, don't go to a school in a city or region you wouldn't be willing to stay in. These programs involve internships and contact with local and regional health departments-- they are not the time to try out living somewhere else for just a couple of years.

- At least a year of relevant work experience will help you a lot.

 

I'd recommend checking out the MPH forum at Student Doctor for a seriously long, helpful thread on people's credentials, where they applied, and where they got in.

[juilletmercredi]

Sociomedical Sciences at Mailman is actually where I got my PhD

 

Quite frankly, funding is limited for master's programs in public health and just one of those master's programs would be expensive, much less two.  I really see no reason to get two, especially given that much of the subject matter is overlapping. What you could do while you're in the MS in bioethics is take some classes at Mailman in SMS.  I do think that the MPH is more employable than the MS in bioethics, but you're already in the MS program. If you were going to get a second degree in public health, I second the suggestion of an MPH in epidemiology or biostatistics.