MSIE or MSHS (Health Systems)

[DennisthePrincess]

I'm currently an undergrad Industrial Engineering major at GaTech. As of now, I intend on working for the healthcare industry after schooling. I enjoy learning about general IE but it seems heavily theoretical. Looking at the coursework for MSIE, it's just a huge chunk of theories and topics that I learned in undergrad, except it's even more in-depth. MSHS coursework seems more interesting as there are a lot of applications of IE in the healthcare field. The only setback is that MSHS is very specific so I'm worried that it may not open as many doors career-wise as an MSIE would have.

A Masters degree is pretty expensive so I want to consider both degree carefully before making a decision. Any thoughts/advice/experience you guys would like to share on this? Thanks!

[ace589]

Ah you did not mention in your other post  that you are currently attending GA Tech.  Your admission will likely be decided by the schools philosophy.  Some schools, like Purdue, prefer their own graduates... Others, especially those in Canada from what Ive heard, encourage you to attend other grad schools. You should ask your undergraduate advisor.

Anyhow, back on subject.  If you are interested in healthcare then you should seek a school which has such a lab.  Look for schools that also have a medical school and they may have such a partnership.

Also you can quickly learn about schools and their research through organizations and conference articles. I searched INFORMS healthcare analytics and found Vanderbilt. You could find more with little additional searching.  I don't think MSHS is necessary and could limit your options down the road.