General JHSPH or LSHTM?

[nutr92]

Hi All!

I've applied to the full-time MSc in Nutrition for Global Health at LSHTM (not yet accepted) and the full-time MPH at JHSPH (I've been accepted). My goal is to work in international emergency nutrition - with a UN agency such as UNICEF, WFP, WHO or an INGO, USAID...etc. For JHSPH I would concentrate in Humanitarian Health and focus my practicum and capstone on emergency nutrition. I am already a registered dietitian in the US so I already have some domestic nutrition experience. And of course at LSHTM the MSc in Nutrition for Global Health is already specialized. Both JHSPH and LSHTM have courses in emergency nutrition.

Factors I am considering:
1. I'm a bit nervous about the cost of JHSPH, which would be about 60k (only if I get a scholarship I'm eligible for) versus about 35k at LSHTM.
2. Is it better to have a more general MPH versus obtaining a MSc degree in nutrition (my undergrad is in human nutrition)? I am worried that the MSc in nutrition will limit my opportunities in the humanitarian health field. I am open to working in other areas of humanitarian health if I'm not able to find an emergency nutrition job right away.
3. How is LSHTM regarded by US employers at INGOs/UN/USAID based in the US?

I'd appreciate any advice, thanks in advance.

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[She-Hulk]

Hi All!

I've applied to the full-time MSc in Nutrition for Global Health at LSHTM (not yet accepted) and the full-time MPH at JHSPH (I've been accepted). My goal is to work in international emergency nutrition - with a UN agency such as UNICEF, WFP, WHO or an INGO, USAID...etc. For JHSPH I would concentrate in Humanitarian Health and focus my practicum and capstone on emergency nutrition. I am already a registered dietitian in the US so I already have some domestic nutrition experience. And of course at LSHTM the MSc in Nutrition for Global Health is already specialized. Both JHSPH and LSHTM have courses in emergency nutrition.

Factors I am considering:
1. I'm a bit nervous about the cost of JHSPH (which is about double the cost of JHSPH).
2. Is it better to have a more general MPH versus obtaining a MSc degree in nutrition (my undergrad is in human nutrition)? I am worried that the MSc in nutrition will limit my opportunities in the humanitarian health field. I am open to working in other areas of humanitarian health if I'm not able to find an emergency nutrition job right away.
3. How is LSHTM regarded by US employers at INGOs/UN/USAID based in the US?

I'd appreciate any advice, thanks in advance.

Wow, I'm really impressed by your specific career goals and definitely there is a need for global health programing regarding nutrition. My thoughts would be:

1. Cost is an issue with JHSP, though obviously it is probably the top public health school in the US.

2. LSHTM is a top public health school, probably the best public health school in the world with regards to global health and meeting people from diverse cultures. I think a bonus of LSHTM would be that you get to establish a network outside of the US and get a little more of a diverse perspective than being at JHU, though they obviously get international students as well.

3. I think that for getting a job as USAID, for example, experience matters a lot, as well as working in a developing setting for a number of years for some positions, so it might pay to look at placement for students from both schools though I feel that LSHTM would have a slight advantage as London is such an international hub, though things have changed a bit with Brexit, there's just always so much happening in London.

4. Definitely LSHTM has a global reputation that would be well regarded by employers, probably slightly more so than JHU when talking about WHO/UN and the same at NGOs and USAID.

5. The LSHTM course is specifically nutrition from a community viewpoint, (as opposed to your dietician degree which allows you to work specifically with individuals LSHTM specifically states that their nutrition degree doesn't qualify somebody to do what you do.)

6. I know that JHU specifically is good with FEMA/emergency related MPH work and know some people who went there for that, getting started in global health can be hard, even people getting a generalist MPH with a concentration in global health at JHU have had issues, the important thing is getting hard skills and specific global health experience.

7. The MPH degree is somewhat generalist, positions on USAID that you would be interested in would require an MPH or dietician degree to equivalent degree with experience in emergency nutrition programing or another aspect. Generally, I think that the MSc is better regarded than the MPH as it seems to say that you have more in demand hard skills and specialized expertise in a specific area.

8. Being a registered dietician already is something unique you have going for you! Definitely, look at keeping that credential active and using it to do emergency nutrition work in the future, perhaps a project during your masters and then maybe work for a year or two with an NGO on emergency nutrition projects. This would be a great way to connect with faculty at JHU or LSHTM, try to see if you could do work and research as a RD working with refugee population in the US or abroad while studying, might be funding for that. More important than which of these two top schools you get the degree from is how you work to integrate experience into your education, along with getting hard skills.

 

[ekmurph2]

Hi All!

I've applied to the full-time MSc in Nutrition for Global Health at LSHTM (not yet accepted) and the full-time MPH at JHSPH (I've been accepted). My goal is to work in international emergency nutrition - with a UN agency such as UNICEF, WFP, WHO or an INGO, USAID...etc. For JHSPH I would concentrate in Humanitarian Health and focus my practicum and capstone on emergency nutrition. I am already a registered dietitian in the US so I already have some domestic nutrition experience. And of course at LSHTM the MSc in Nutrition for Global Health is already specialized. Both JHSPH and LSHTM have courses in emergency nutrition.

Factors I am considering:
1. I'm a bit nervous about the cost of JHSPH, which would be about 60k (only if I get a scholarship I'm eligible for) versus about 35k at LSHTM.
2. Is it better to have a more general MPH versus obtaining a MSc degree in nutrition (my undergrad is in human nutrition)? I am worried that the MSc in nutrition will limit my opportunities in the humanitarian health field. I am open to working in other areas of humanitarian health if I'm not able to find an emergency nutrition job right away.
3. How is LSHTM regarded by US employers at INGOs/UN/USAID based in the US?

I'd appreciate any advice, thanks in advance.

 

[ekmurph2]

Good luck! Sounds like a great decision to make.