BU vs. Emory vs. Pitt MPH

[Jro610]

I was just accepted to Emory, BU, and Pitt's MPH programs in Epidemiology and am trying to decide between the three. I got an academic scholarship to BU so it's actually a little less expensive than Emory is. I'm interested the most in chronic disease epidemiology and pharmaceuticals. (Also infectious disease epi but not as much!)

I like BU the most out of the three programs. It seems like there are more options for me when it comes to certificates and courses that I could take and I found a lot of faculty doing research that I am interested in. I would rather be in Boston than Atlanta. I think that while Atlanta has the CDC and places the like the American Cancer Society, Boston has major public health institutions, hospitals, and other healthcare organizations that get a lot of NIH funding. Also, even Emory's non-Global MPH program seems to be geared more towards students who want to work in Global Health and I don't really want to do that.
Academically, is Emory a way better Epidemiology program than BU and Pitt? The more I research it, Emory seems like it really is one of the top schools of public health in the country. (It's also down the street from the CDC.) If I decide not to go there am I passing up a huge opportunity academically and career-wise?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pudu2009]

As I have said many many times on this forum, any CEPH accredited program is a good program. You obviously don't like Emory's curriculum, and you don't want to live in Atlanta, so you can cross that off your list. Since you said you like BU the most and would prefer to live in Boston, then you've already answered your question.

 

[Stories]

Emory is a highly regarded program and I have had several friends and colleagues come from Emory. They've all had very positive experiences with the program. Having the CDC close by with such strong ties is obviously a big plus.

I personally loved going to BU, although depending on your interests, BU may be less of a good fit--for instance if you want to focus a lot on research methods. For a practical MPH with a focus on practical public health and real-world usage, I think BU is a wonderful program.

But if Boston is a much better draw and you'd really prefer New England, it's a big difference with the south. You should probably consider Boston as your overall happiness in a city you want to be in can play a big role in how you feel about life.