Oxford MSc Global Health Science

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Hello all,

Does anybody have any comments or thoughts about the MSc Global Health Science at the University of Oxford? I haven't found much useful feedback about the program, particularly as it's been a few years since people here have commented on it. I'm weighing an offer from them against my other acceptances, though I'm currently leaning towards an offer from Harvard (SM Global Health and Population) that includes full tuition funding.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Many thanks!

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Full-tuition offer from Harvard? Go for the Big H and don't look back.
 
Yes,

it is very competetive. They take like a few people from each country. They look for A LOT of experience. I applied there.
 
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Hello all,

Does anybody have any comments or thoughts about the MSc Global Health Science at the University of Oxford? I haven't found much useful feedback about the program, particularly as it's been a few years since people here have commented on it. I'm weighing an offer from them against my other acceptances, though I'm currently leaning towards an offer from Harvard (SM Global Health and Population) that includes full tuition funding.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Many thanks!

If I didn't know any better, I would think you are being rude. But seriously... it'd be a fool to turn Harvard's offer down.
 
ok wow, apologies, that certainly wasn't my intention! I was asking more about how Oxford stacks up to other schools. I know it's a newish program, and I was curious about what people knew/had heard about it, is all. (For what it's worth, HSPH could end up being even more expensive for me, since it's a two year program, I could pay home/EU fees at Oxford, and I'd need to take frequent trips to the UK.)

After the MSc I hope to continue on to doctoral studies anyway, so I'm intrigued by the one-year MSc. Any additional thoughts on the Oxford program itself?
 
If I didn't know any better, I would think you are being rude. But seriously... it'd be a fool to turn Harvard's offer down.

I read that several times after this comment looking for a hint of rudeness and just don't see it :confused:

Anyway, where do you (OP) intend to work after you graduate? How does the cost of attending Oxford compare to the cost of flying back home several times if you go to Harvard? Do both schools have research and coursework that appeals to you? Where do you think you would want to do your doctoral work?
 
I read that several times after this comment looking for a hint of rudeness and just don't see it :confused:

Anyway, where do you (OP) intend to work after you graduate? How does the cost of attending Oxford compare to the cost of flying back home several times if you go to Harvard? Do both schools have research and coursework that appeals to you? Where do you think you would want to do your doctoral work?
Hi OneDay81, thanks. I'm interested in the social determinants of health. Looking at the course offerings, research placements, etc., I'm a bit concerned that Oxford's strengths might lie more with infectious disease/tropical medicine. Harvard does seem stronger when it comes to my interests.

That being said, I was assured by faculty at Oxford about the flexibility of our research placements and thesis in terms of our personal research interests. It's only a one-year course, so there's a limit to what you can learn anyway. After the course, I'm hoping to pursue doctoral studies.

I also just found out that funding at Harvard is likely to be for the first year only. So it would end up being much, much more expensive than the one-year MSc at Oxford (around 40k more, if I can't get anything else). I'm not sure it's worth it.

What do people think of the Oxford program? How might it stack up to JHU, Harvard, LSHTM, etc.? How does it serve as preparation for doctoral studies?
 
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I can't really comment on the Oxford program but based on the new information you've laid out above I think it's the best bet for you if you'll be saving money and time. Having an MSc from there would certainly make you stand out come Ph.D. / DrPH application time. Good luck with your decision!
 
Oxford does not have a school of public health. The only place in the UK that can compete with Harvard for Public Health is LSHTM. End of discussion. Go to Harvard although you have chosen the wrong concentration - you should switch to society, human development and health if you are interested in the social determinants of health. global health is a non-concentration. it is very easy to change concentrations once you arrive at Harvard. Harvard has lots of big players in social epidemiology - e.g. Ichiro Kawachi, Lisa Berkman, Nancy Kreiger, David Williams.You will have plenty of opportunities to TA or get paid for research assistantships etc to help offset the costs. If you are interested in this field in the UK another possibility is UCL which is very strong in the social determinants of health but their research portfolio is not as strong on migration and health, but Michael Marmot leads the program there. Oxford is a name brand alone and it is well known that their venture into masters degrees is a money making scheme and does not match the quality or prestige of their undergraduate education.
 
Oxford does not have a school of public health. The only place in the UK that can compete with Harvard for Public Health is LSHTM. End of discussion. Go to Harvard although you have chosen the wrong concentration - you should switch to society, human development and health if you are interested in the social determinants of health. global health is a non-concentration. it is very easy to change concentrations once you arrive at Harvard. Harvard has lots of big players in social epidemiology - e.g. Ichiro Kawachi, Lisa Berkman, Nancy Kreiger, David Williams.You will have plenty of opportunities to TA or get paid for research assistantships etc to help offset the costs. If you are interested in this field in the UK another possibility is UCL which is very strong in the social determinants of health but their research portfolio is not as strong on migration and health, but Michael Marmot leads the program there. Oxford is a name brand alone and it is well known that their venture into masters degrees is a money making scheme and does not match the quality or prestige of their undergraduate education.
Hi splik, thanks for the response. I think what you say about the master's programs at Oxford might be a bit strong - there are plenty of top-ranked master's programs there, and the same case could be made for any number of schools in the US as well. That being said, I'm inclined to agree with you re: social epidemiologists and Harvard. I know the program at Oxford is new, but it does seem to be attracting a number of top-tier students and benefits from the strength of the school's Medical Sciences division. Since I want to do a PhD as well, is it really worth an extra year and $40,000 ($60,000, if you count the opportunity cost of an extra year of master's studies) to do my MSc at Harvard instead?
 
It just seems a little odd you want to do this MSc when it isn't what you are interested in. You say you are interested in social epi and immigration and health - Havard, Michigan, Berkley, Columbia, UCLA, UCL all spring to mind, Oxford does not by any stretch of the imagination. There are some top biostats and epi people at oxford but they don't even teach on the course! The level of epi/biostats is not ideal for what you would want if you are looknig to do a PhD - really you want to be taking courses in causal inference and study design which they don't offer at Oxford. You have the benefit of doing courses in other schools at Harvard too - so if you were interested in social capital for example you could do a course at GSAS with Robert Putnam or you could do a medical anthropology course, and have the option to do qualitative research methods classes (which are v. important along with quantitative stuff) or do courses at the law school in human rights etc... there are a dizzying array of classes to choose from at Harvard, as well as lots of other opportunities outside the classroom in terms of networking, an endless stream of talks, filmscreenings, conferences etc, opportunities to get involved in research etc. which you would miss out on at oxford.

It's for you to decide what is worth what and how much you can or are willing to pay. Personally I would never pay $60000 or whatever but that is a cultural thing as I've never had to do so and it seems crazy to me. I would be looking for what sort of scholarships etc were available. My point is there are many great courses out there to suit your purposes and Oxford is not one of them.
 
It sounds like timing might be something you're thinking about. If you'd like to rush through your studies as quickly as possible, the EU PhD system pushes students through much faster than US schools. Whereas most doctoral programs in the US require coursework on top of the dissertation, most EU schools push you right into dissertation. This should save you some time.

That said, you'll need a master's degree to be a competitive applicant to a US school, and you have to have a master's to even be considered for the EU schools.
 
Hi! I'm applying to the same schools and programs - do you mind sharing your stats?

Thanks :)
 
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