MPH Reputation of Different MPH Programs

[moonwave89]

Even after attending info sessions and hearing representatives/students about their different MPH programs, I'm still struggling to narrow down a list of schools to apply to. I don't want to eliminate a program because it's in a part of the country I don't really want to live in, and then find out they have an amazing program in the concentration that I'm interested in.

I'm wondering whether people could share their thoughts on the reputation(s) of different MPH programs. For instance, I've heard things like University of Washington is strong in their global health concentration, and Columbia's sociomedical sciences program is very large and impersonal. What other "impressions" do people have of different MPH programs in terms of concentrations, graduation and job rates, location, etc.? What are certain schools/programs best known for, or not known for? I realize this may be subjective to an extent but I'm curious to hear other people's thoughts.

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[BPW1088]

In order to effectively answer this question, we will need more information. You must have some sort of idea on what area you would like to concentrate in, right? A specific region or concentration, i.e. sub-Saharan Africa or Global Health. I'll try to help you to the best of my ability, though this question is really vague.

Though, here's my take:
Global Health: Johns Hopkins, UNC, Emory, and Tulane tend to be the big players
HPM: UNC, Harvard, Emory, and Columbia
Epidemiology: Johns Hopkins and Emory; Emory is ideal because of its location and proximity to the CDC.
Health Behavior/ Behavioral and Social Health Education: Emory, UNC
Tropical Medicine: Tulane and LSTMH

If you know you want to be in New York City, then go to NYU or Columbia; if you want to be in Washington, DC, then go to GW or Johns Hopkins; if you want to be in Atlanta, then go to Emory; and so on and so forth. Human capital is a very important aspect of graduate school. As much as graduate school is about mastering public health coursework, one's success during and after graduate school is closely linked to their social network. Get to know your professors and network with alumni of your program, and other public health professionals who work for an organization or in an area of public health that you see yourself in upon graduation.

My opinions are based off of years of research and conversations with both public health professionals and alumni from each program. I hope this helps!

 

[Stories]

Even though you state you don't want to discount a program based on its location--location does make a huge impact on your general happiness. I didn't realize this at the time, but location made a huge impact on my general perception of my life, and all my future decisions of my life, location is a huge factor.

But if you know yourself and don't believe location matters that much, then go ahead for the best program. But if you're like me, carefully consider whether a school is in a location you'd actually be interested in living. 2+ years isn't an inconsequential amount of time. 2 years is plenty long to substantially alter your life (i.e. if you get depressed or you're in a food desert and gain/lose lots of weight, etc).

 

[Pdesai8]

Second everything Stories said. Location is huge. The reputation and career networks of the school will be strongest in that city. If you know which city/area you want to work in after school, it would be wise to go to a school in that area if possible.

Also, the culture of the school can be very different based on location. For example, because Berkeley is extremely liberal, it does impact the education too. Its a very pro-reform, pro-social programs type of culture which does inherently impact the classes. I know it's not like this at Emory (my professor spoke their recently and said she had to get rid of all of her left-leaning slides and her snarky republican comments). I suspect UW would be similar to Berkeley in that regards. Just something to think about

 

[Bolingbroke]

Though, here's my take:
Global Health: Johns Hopkins, UNC, Emory, and Tulane tend to be the big players
HPM: UNC, Harvard, Emory, and Columbia
Epidemiology: Johns Hopkins and Emory; Emory is ideal because of its location and proximity to the CDC.
Health Behavior/ Behavioral and Social Health Education: Emory, UNC
Tropical Medicine: Tulane and LSTMH

Just about exactly what I'd say, though I didn't know that Emory was a HPM heavy, and I'd definitely put LSHTM as a top global health school, in addition to tropical medicine as while the school remains top of the game in terms of classic tropical diseases, they have also grown so much in terms of newer public health fields and focus. LSHTM's epidemiology research is also picked up frequently in the media as it often takes a new look at certain epi issues, or may be groundbreaking in one way or another.

Location is huge. The reputation and career networks of the school will be strongest in that city. If you know which city/area you want to work in after school, it would be wise to go to a school in that area if possible.

Global health might be a sort of caveat here as a career in this field might well require moderately frequent moves, as would a career in academics, and you might be better served going to a school that interests you the most in terms of research and available opportunities.

 

[mimiQ]

In order to effectively answer this question, we will need more information. You must have some sort of idea on what area you would like to concentrate in, right? A specific region or concentration, i.e. sub-Saharan Africa or Global Health. I'll try to help you to the best of my ability, though this question is really vague.

Though, here's my take:
Global Health: Johns Hopkins, UNC, Emory, and Tulane tend to be the big players
HPM: UNC, Harvard, Emory, and Columbia
Epidemiology: Johns Hopkins and Emory; Emory is ideal because of its location and proximity to the CDC.
Health Behavior/ Behavioral and Social Health Education: Emory, UNC
Tropical Medicine: Tulane and LSTMH

If you know you want to be in New York City, then go to NYU or Columbia; if you want to be in Washington, DC, then go to GW or Johns Hopkins; if you want to be in Atlanta, then go to Emory; and so on and so forth. Human capital is a very important aspect of graduate school. As much as graduate school is about mastering public health coursework, one's success during and after graduate school is closely linked to their social network. Get to know your professors and network with alumni of your program, and other public health professionals who work for an organization or in an area of public health that you see yourself in upon graduation.

My opinions are based off of years of research and conversations with both public health professionals and alumni from each program. I hope this helps!

Does Columbia have good reputation in other areas/departments besides HPM?

 

[BPW1088]

I believe they have a strong socio-medical department,because of their world rated sociology department.

 

[jxa216]

Anyone options or insight on Emory's Biostat department? I feel like I hear about all the other departments but no one ever talks about Biostat

Thanks!