BU vs. Pitt

[HealthMaster22]

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Hello all,

I'm currently trying to decide between attending Boston University's or the University of Pittsburgh's MPH program. I've seen a good amount of responses from people about BU's program in other threads, however, I haven't seen much on here from people who are currently at or plan to attend Pitt. Can anyone speak to their experience in Pitt's MPH program or give me insight into why you are choosing it? Specifically, I am interested in the Social and Behavioral Science concentration at each.

I'm having an extraordinarily difficult time making my decision, so any insight anyone can provide on how to go about making this choice would be much appreciated. For example, what in your opinion should be weighted more heavily when choosing between schools?

Thanks!

 

[Kalla]

The only thing I can weigh into in general is the last part - "What in your opinion should be weighted more heavily when choosing between schools?" I am attending BU in the Fall, so I don't know anything about Pitt, but I can provide some insights into what I am looking for in a school.

It's a tricky question to answer, because the answers vary from person to person, but I chose a school for the following reasons:

My first focus was geographical location - for me, this was Boston. I love Boston, and I want to continue living and working in the area after I graduate, so it made sense for me to attend a school (Tufts, BU, or Harvard) in the area. Also, Boston has a fantastic public health atmosphere, so this was certainly a big plus as well. I just didn't want to relocate somewhere again when I knew I could get an equally amazing education in the Boston area...especially since I'm settled with an apartment, job, etc. I also applied to 3 online schools, just in case something fell through with Tufts and BU, as backups.

My second criteria was a strong, CEPH-certified school with a good reputation...again, this is Boston, so you can't go wrong with BU, Tufts, and Harvard in the area. The online programs I applied to were CEPH-certified as well.

My third criteria was breaking down the schools into the programs themselves - Did they have a full school of public health? Did they provide support services both inside and outside the classroom in terms of student life, financial assistance, interesting and varied courses/degree options, etc? Did their academics and practicums match my career goals and interests? Did faculty research interests match my own or similarly? Was there flexibility to obtaining my degree? So after considering location and accreditation/reputation, I started looking more at the "nuts and bolts" of the programs.

I hope that helps...and that someone can give you some insights on Pitt. Good luck deciding!!! 😀