MHA from U of Washington or MPH in HPM from Emory?

[CLE514]

I have been accepted into both programs (yay!), but I am having a hard time making a final decision. I have heard mixed things about whether an MHA or MPH degree is "better" or more versatile. I do not have a particular direction I am set on just yet for my career. Both programs are fairly expensive so cost won't be the biggest determining factor. Seattle and Atlanta are very different cities in very different regions of the country. However, I can live 2 years anywhere without a problem.

Any insights? Which school do you think is better? Better market? Is one degree proven to be better?

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[kc1223]

The degrees are going to be mostly identical, though I know that a lot of people feel MPH will deal more with policy and MHA will deal more with the business side. If you don't know what direction you want to go afterward, your decision will be made on location. Decide where you want to live for two years, and potentially where you would like to start a career. A lot of these programs are pretty much all about the connections you make. Yes they're both great schools, so you can't go wrong with either, but ultimately the decision is yours to make, and you have to make it based upon what matches up with your overall goals.

 

[pubh43]

As a 2nd year MPH student who has taken MHA classes, I personally disagree that the degrees are mostly identical. Broadly speaking, an MPH degree is typically helpful if you're interested in research and the clinical side of things e.g. You might choose to specialize in cancer epidemiology further down the road. As an MHA student, you'll typically be more exposed to (as the name suggests) healthcare administration, which concerns more management, operations and finance side of things.

That's not to say you can't crossover from the MPH side and do administration type work (hospitals, consulting etc) but MPHs learn everything from biostats to epi to health behavior, whereas MHAs learn more about healthcare technology, healthcare finance and so forth.

Please feel free to message me if you have any further questions!

 

[aprill0]

You may want to look into where the students go either during internships or after their graduations and see if they appeal to you at all overall. Or, take a look at the faculty if you're research-oriented or want to know what types of news, activities, etc. are most relevant or known to the programs at hand.

Did you visit both schools? There is still a price difference, how much is it and have you heard about scholarships? Have you spoken with students from both schools about their rent costs (rather than what the school projects) or taken a look around the school area on Craigslist/Padmappr/etc.? Keep digging into what fit means for you.