Mph with no concentration.

My school offers it and from a student perspective it seemed attractive because it gives me the flexibility to design a program around my career goals but I was concerned also that employers wouldn't give it any serious consideration.

Honestly, I'd worry if you didn't have a specific concentration because the MPH curriculum is already pretty broad as it is. Employers look for specificity, and if you don't have a specialization, you'd have to really sell yourself harder than someone who has an epi degree or a biostat degree.

confusedsunflow said:

What do you guys think of an MPH that has no concentration. Do you think it is worth it or should you apply to a program that has one?

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I think it would depend on the quality and reputation of the school, the number of courses available from which to choose one's curriculum, and the degree of motivation and focus of the student. At Hopkins, there are various concentrations available, but a sizable fraction of students elect to customize their programs and choose from among the hundreds of courses available, according to their interests. Many mid-career and highly focused students customize because this suits their needs perfectly. On a resume, one can state that he/she 'focused' rather than 'concentrated' on a specific discipline. Hopkins actually did not have concentrations until a very few years ago. Are you referring to a specific school?

I agree with espre. It depends on the school/program's reputation, courses and opportunities available. It also depends on how you make use of the opportunities. When I was looking for jobs with my general MPH, potential employers would be like "Oh, I didn't even know your school had a public health program, but oh, I like your experience, your writing skills, resume, publications, ..." etc. etc. There was no MPH in epidemiology on my transcript but I made sure that was my focus in the program. It depends on how you sell yourself. You could have a MPH with a specific concentration on your transcript and you don't have the knowledge and experience to do well because you didn't make the best use of what was available to you. On the other hand, you could have a general MPH, hone in your focus based on available courses, research opportunities, etc. and still be a valuable asset to the field of public health, whether you are planning to work, or go back to school for more advanced training.

I say all that to say, don't rule out applying to general MPH programs. If you get into more than one MPH program, then you will have the option of deciding then.

Good luck!!

espre said:

I think it would depend on the quality and reputation of the school, the number of courses available from which to choose one's curriculum, and the degree of motivation and focus of the student. At Hopkins, there are various concentrations available, but a sizable fraction of students elect to customize their programs and choose from among the hundreds of courses available, according to their interests. Many mid-career and highly focused students customize because this suits their needs perfectly. On a resume, one can state that he/she 'focused' rather than 'concentrated' on a specific discipline. Hopkins actually did not have concentrations until a very few years ago. Are you referring to a specific school?

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and also some programs like columbia (where' i'll be attending) have a customizable/tailorable option (though it may be called something and not 'no concentration'). i'll be doing the mph track in general public health b/c 1) its accelerated and can be done in less than a year and 2) it allows me to choose courses from ANY of their sph departments as long as i fulfill the 5 core classes that everyone takes regardless of their affiliated department/program/track.