Berkeley Vs. John Hopkins... HELP!!

[shruts1116]

So I've narrowed down my choices to Berkeley (Health Policy and Management) or Hopkins (MPH/MBA dual degree program). I went to Berkeley's Admitted Students day and the faculty, current students, and admitted students were all REALLY great… they really seem to care about the students at UCB and it helps that there are only 25 students in the entire HPM cohort. Also I'm a California Resident so going to Berkeley means an affordable top-notch program...

With that said Hopkins is also a great program! I'd get a dual degree, a MPH and a MBA, which would hopefully open up many doors in the healthcare business world for me after I graduate. Not to mention Hopkins is the number one ranked Public Health School (I know rankings don't matter... but still, lol)...

Anyways as you can see I'm having struggles deciding! Does one school hold a greater power over the other in the professional world; will one get you a better job over the other? I don't like that Hopkins doesn't have an internship program, I only have a year and a half of full-time working experience, so I don't know what would be better-- going to Berkeley and just getting an MPH however getting to do a 6-month internship thus having more work experience by the time I graduate OR going to Hopkins and having no internship but earning a MPH and MBA.

HELP! Any advice/suggestions/comments are really appreciated! Thanks in advance for any help you can give about any aspect of these two programs, pros or cons!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[shruts1116]

oops my bad, I meant Johns Hopkins, not John Hopkins 🙂

 

[sab1228]

I would say choose based on which location you would prefer to work/live in post-graduation. I would assume Johns Hopkins would have a better reputation on the east coast, and Berkley would have a better reputation on the west coast.

 

[botsMPH]

Personally I'm not a fan of dual degrees. I see them as cash cows for universities trying to get as much money from you as possible. There just aren't that many people in the world who really need them and I don't think they open more doors professionally.

That being said, a friend of mine in the HPM program once lamented that Berkeley should emphasis the "and MANAGEMENT" part of HPM. (She wanted a policy focus and wished she went to an MPP program.) So I think Berkeley would be right up your alley. I'd also do a cost analysis. Going into tons of debt to get a dual degree from Hopkins isn't going to be worthwhile in the long run if you can get your MPH for cheap at Berkeley. Just my .02

 

[Generals]

I’d get a dual degree, a MPH and a MBA, which would hopefully open up many doors in the healthcare business world for me after I graduate. Not to mention Hopkins is the number one ranked Public Health School (I know rankings don't matter... but still, lol)...

Hi there,

First of all, congrats on your acceptances! I agree with what other posters said about location and expense. Another thing to think about is that Hopkins is not among the US News top 50 business schools. I don't know how this speaks to the quality of education, necessarily, but if you are thinking at all about rank, this might be important. I've always been under the impression that an MBA is most meaningful when it comes from a top program, and is otherwise not a huge deal. I also have always thought that an MBA is something to get after you've been in business for awhile - that the experience in your field really enhances your education. I don't mean this to be offensive - this is just my perspective! I don't really think you will go wrong no matter what you choose 🙂

 

[shruts1116]

THANK YOU to everyone who replied 🙂

 

[bobdogsam43]

since you are a CA resident i'll say go with Berkeley. you aren't going to beat the combo of price and access to AMAZING courses, faculty, and the greater University. As you said, the size of the HPM program is a BIG plus. The School of Public Health is organized, intense, diverse, I would say that admissions manages to choose a very diverse group - it's like one of each type of student is represented. There are some amazingly famous professors here but they are all totally accessible. Most of them want you to call them by their first name.......all of the other masters programs in the SPH are also small. Plus which is better....walking thru campus at Cal and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge...no snow....CA temps and weather....or Baltimore?? Plus, if you are into it, the football and sports programs at Cal are a GREAT way to blow off steam.....something hopkins doesnt really have.

IDK how much you value the MBA...do you HAVE to have it? Cal's b-school is top 5 and i'm sure you can take courses there.....some HPM students also get a MBA from Haas. It's one of the degree programs....maybe you could transfer into it.

 

[shruts1116]

Bobdogsam, just out of curiosity, did you or do you currently attend UC Berkeley?

You would make an excellent Cal SPH salesperson, seriously, I'm sold! 🙂

 

[lalogyal]

the MBA at hopkins is not accredited and i agree with one of the earlier posts, it's a total cash cow degree.

 

[TheBigGREEN]

berkeley is very expensive to live in. i would be paying double of what i am paying now, if i were to live in berkeley and have my own room.i have friends at berkeley, and they pretty much afford the living expenses by cramming 4 guys into a 1 bedroom apartment.

 

[mpurcell]

I don't think prices in Berkeley are that much more outrageous than other college towns (though I live in California, so I know its generally more expensive than other parts of the country and i'm used to it). I'm from northern california, so i know tons of people who go to cal, and not one of them has ever had to cram 4 people in a 1 bedroom apartment. I have a few friends who have their own rooms (some in apartments, others in rented houses- all within walking distance of campus) and they all pay between 6-750 a month for rent. But there are tons of housing options, so if you're looking for cheaper than that, it can be found. When I lived in Berkeley I lived in a co-op (they have grad only co-ops that are really nice), and payed just under 700 a month, but that included food. That was a few years ago, so the co-ops have probably gone up in price, but they are still a really great value.
There are certainly people who pay too much for where they live, but I wouldn't be scared away by the thought that it is just too expensive to live there... it doesnt have to be, and you'll certainly spend more at JH on that tuition. I'd say go for berkeley.

 

[catladyMPH]

I can chime in on the cost issue here. I have lived in Baltimore; I went to undergrad in a typical college town (chapel hill); I currently live in San Francisco but I have lots of friends in the east bay (where Berkeley is). Berkeley is NOT an inexpensive college town. Metropolitan CA is not inexpensive for the most part. In the bay area, most people have roommates. I don't know about 4 people crammed into one bedroom, but I'm a professional with lots of professional friends and just about everyone I know has a roommate. So you can imagine this is certainly the case for students. This is because there is basically no such thing as a decent studio or 1-bedroom that costs less than $1000-1100 (note my use of the word "decent"). So, if you don't have your heart set on your own place, you might be OK. But, you should also consider transportation costs. As a student at Cal SPH, you will be taking classes and collaborating with UCSF School of medicine (Cal does not have a SoM), which is across the Bay in SF. Every time you cross the bay bridge (round trip) it costs a minimum of $4 in tolls. To take the BART across, its about $7 round trip. Currently gas here is ~$4 a gallon. Food prices are also higher. For some reason everything just costs a bit more in this city. In Baltimore, you can get your own 1 br apartment for around $700-$800. Food, gas, and transportation costs will all be cheaper, but of course Hopkins is not a state school and debt is an important factor to consider. In general, a“typical” college town, like Chapel Hill or Ann Arbor would be quite a bit cheaper than either of these choices.

I don’t want to scare you away from the Bay area. I LOVE it here. The only reason I have to leave is because I was rejected from Cal (which was absolutely devastating).

In terms of caliber of schools I think they are equally matched, although one is well known in the west and one better known in the East.

I would suggest that if you did your undergrad on the west coast you should to go JHU. If you did your undergrad out east you should go to Cal. This way, you’ll educational experiences on both coasts.

Good luck with your decision, either way you are stoked!

 

[shruts1116]

Yea but is an east coast experience really worth $20,000 more a year? lol

Thanks for all your help guys! I still don't know which one for sure yet, but I think it may be Berkeley 😉

 

[bobdogsam43]

"As a student at Cal SPH, you will be taking classes and collaborating with UCSF School of medicine (Cal does not have a SoM), which is across the Bay in SF. Every time you cross the bay bridge (round trip) it costs a minimum of $4 in tolls. To take the BART across, its about $7 round trip. Currently gas here is ~$4 a gallon. Food prices are also higher"


This really isn't true per se, the Berkeley SPH curriculum for the MPH NEVER forces you to travel to UCSF. UCSF is a great place for opportunities but the Berkeley SPH is ENTIRELY self-sufficient in terms of academics---if you want to take a class somewhere else....fine......but it's not required if you never want to leave the campus. There are waaaaaaaaaaaaay more UCSF affiliated students taking classes at Berkeley then the other way around. UCSFers who want an MPH COME TO Berkeley.