UNC vs JHU

[tarheelhealth]

My two program finalists are the MSPH in International Health - Health Systems concentration @ JHU, and the UNC Leadership in Practice (interdisciplinary program with leadership focus) MPH. I want to work in strategic development/organizational leadership at an NGO/humanitarian focused non-profit (i.e. MSF, Gates). In addition to being a NC-resident, I received a fellowship (unnamed) to UNC, bringing the costs down further. Did my undergraduate at UNC however. Am weighing the following:

• The total cost @ JHU is ~90K (tuition+housing+living expenses) while at UNC it is about ~15K after the fellowship
• JHU is more research focused (that's the MSPH component) while UNC is more practicum based. Not sure what the implication of this would be for my first job or subsequent ones.
• JHU program is more focused around international work & preparation overseas impact, and also has a lot of classes around organizational leadership. UNC's has a core set of leadership classes as part of its concentration, but gives students a lot of flexibility via their electives to take classes elsewhere.
• Did my undergraduate at UNC (usually this is a negative, however I never interacted with any public health faculty members as a student and the program culture is very different, so not sure how much this weighs in)

Are there other factors to consider? I can't stop looking at the $ difference. JHU is probably better in every other area, but is it worth the difference?

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[She-Hulk]

My two program finalists are the MSPH in International Health - Health Systems concentration @ JHU, and the UNC Leadership in Practice (interdisciplinary program with leadership focus) MPH. I want to work in strategic development/organizational leadership at an NGO/humanitarian focused non-profit (i.e. MSF, Gates). In addition to being a NC-resident, I received a fellowship (unnamed) to UNC, bringing the costs down further. Did my undergraduate at UNC however. Am weighing the following:

• The total cost @ JHU is ~90K (tuition+housing+living expenses) while at UNC it is about ~15K after the fellowship
• JHU is more research focused (that's the MSPH component) while UNC is more practicum based. Not sure what the implication of this would be for my first job or subsequent ones.
• JHU program is more focused around international work & preparation overseas impact, and also has a lot of classes around organizational leadership. UNC's has a core set of leadership classes as part of its concentration, but gives students a lot of flexibility via their electives to take classes elsewhere.
• Did my undergraduate at UNC (usually this is a negative, however I never interacted with any public health faculty members as a student and the program culture is very different, so not sure how much this weighs in)

Are there other factors to consider? I can't stop looking at the $ difference. JHU is probably better in every other area, but is it worth the difference?

I would start off by saying that both JHU and UNC are excellent public health schools, though of course JHU has a bit of an advantage in the reputation department, UNC is more laid back and the climate and geography is more interesting. I really like the MSPH programs at JHU, I feel that I would really enjoy networking and attending a lot of lectures at JHU. I'm kind of hesitant about the interdisciplinary MPH at UNC, great school to be sure, just the idea of an interdisciplinary degree for the MPH . . . the MPH is already very interdisciplinary, maybe that is why the job market just isn't there, you can have an experience ranging from microbiology work in a laboratory to a social work experience or both . . . eventually you aren't a master of anything, look carefully to see what people with the "Leadership in Practice" MPH from UNC actually do, you can't really just take a course or get a degree that makes you an instant leader, at least in my estimation, people who have the right work experience, plus a solid foundation in a specific area, can be come leaders in a given segment of the public health world, often they didn't rise through the MPH ranks to do it.

Tuition counts for a lot, UNC is a great deal with that fellowship. Baltimore has a very high per capita homicide rate, the highest in the country, they were going to declare a state of emergency over the homicide rate this year, and Bloomberg was going to arm JHU security officers with real firearms to protect students or at least faculty and employees were possible. The coronavirus epidemic might well change this situation, if people are sheltering indoors more then maybe this would actually help Baltimore to decrease homicides, but know what other students have to face, how to stay safe. 99.99% probably you won't be a victim of a homicide while a student there, but you'll have to live with the psychological stress of knowing that it is happening around you, paying a little extra attention to safety and stuff like that.

Personally, I'd be tempted by JHU, knowing that they are good with global health.