UNC vs. USF Online MPH

[cmpalaz]

I am planning on pursuing an MPH within the next year and am undecided about which school. I already have a Masters in Public Administration and am seeking an MPH because my work has recently become more focused on public health (specifically global public heath as I work in Latin America for an international NGO). I am also just really interested in the field and would like to have a solid foundation in public health principles and skills. My job has a partnership with USF and I have already been accepted to their Public Health Practice program which is for professionals with public health experience. Unfortunately, I have not been offered any funding, despite the connection between the university and my job. Opportunities for funding were one of the main reasons I applied to their MPH program, so I am definitely disappointed they have not offered me any funding aside from the standard tuition discount programs offered. I was accepted this past August, but have deferred admission.

I have now begun to look at other MPH programs and came across UNC's online Public Health Leadership program. They have recently introduced a Global Health track and UNC is my state school so I would qualify for in-state tuition. I know they are ranked #2, and am wondering if it would be worthwhile to hold out and apply for UNC's program or just go ahead and start USF's program in January. USF did not require the GRE, but UNC does, which means I'd need to take the paper-based GRE in February (I last took it in 2007). Since I am working full-time, pursuing another Masters would be quite a sacrifice, so I want to make sure it is worthwhile in the long-run. I have also considered pursuing a graduate certificate in Global Health at UNC instead of the MPH.

How do the two schools compare and do you see any clear advantages of choosing one over the other? Also, thoughts on graduate certificate vs. MPH?

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[IntriguedStudent]

I don't know much about graduate certificates, but an MPH would give you a good basis on public health as a whole while also allowing you to concentrate on Global Health. I think it just depends on whether you would rather learn more about public health as a whole or if you only care about the global health aspects.

As for how the two schools compare, UNC is definitely highly regarded for its global health department. I don't know anything about the online programs, but I would assume they would be the same. However, USF is still a good school. If you would have to take time off from your job to pursue a MPH at UNC, then you should definitely evaluate whether the benefit will outweigh the lost time.