Does the "brand" really matter?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

minne94

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2016
Messages
27
Reaction score
38
Can anyone give me insight as far as how big of a deal name recognition is in this field?

I'm very split between an MPH from UMN an MSPH from Johns Hopkins.

I'm from Minneapolis and currently living there, and before I was applying to schools I visited UMN several times to meet with SPH faculty and find out more about the program and how to be a competitive applicant and they were incredibly willing to speak with me and very supportive. I have been granted a small scholarship and a research assistant position that make UMN very affordable.

But Johns Hopkins has such a great name and good network with organizations I would potentially like to work for.

I just worry that going to UMN will limit my job prospects to the area which wouldn't be the end of the world but I would also like to have options...

If anyone has any input it would be greatly appreciated!!

Members don't see this ad.
 
What exactly do you want to do with your degree?
 
To a certain extent, the brand name does matter. What I mean by that is a school like Hopkins likely has an excellent career services office in addition to top-notch networking opportunities as you mentioned. As many will say, what you do in the program ultimately matters most, rather than where you attend. Hard work is required and expected no matter where you go, but you already know that. Personally (I know some will disagree, which is completely fine), I associate the bigger name with better resources to succeed. It depends on each school's relative strength in your desired track, as well as on your career goals. Have you spoken with current Hopkins students about their experiences?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I am most interested in designing, implementing, and evaluating nutrition interventions in urban areas like school or community gardens, healthy corner stores, etc. but that could change as I learn more about my options.

I have an interview set up for next week with a Hopkins grad so hopefully they'll be able to give me an idea about how much they support their students or recent graduates as far as job placement.
 
To a certain extent, the brand name does matter. What I mean by that is a school like Hopkins likely has an excellent career services office in addition to top-notch networking opportunities as you mentioned. As many will say, what you do in the program ultimately matters most, rather than where you attend. Hard work is required and expected no matter where you go, but you already know that. Personally (I know some will disagree, which is completely fine), I associate the bigger name with better resources to succeed. It depends on each school's relative strength in your desired track, as well as on your career goals. Have you spoken with current Hopkins students about their experiences?

I agree that the school name matters. It's definitely not the only factor in launching your career, but it's a big one. You're considering Hopkins which is ranked number 1, it's the oldest US school of public health, and it gets an enormous amount of federal funding for research (more than any other school). It provides you with immediate brand recognition to anyone in the public health and medical fields. The school also has the money to attract influential speakers from around the world. I have great respect for Minnesota, but it doesn't quite compare in these respects. But I believe quality of life is one of the most important factors in choosing a school. For me, all of the exciting research, speakers, and other resources would add to my quality of life at the school. If that isn't as true for you, and you would be happier in MN, then that makes a lot of sense.

One other thing I thought of... I don't know about the public health field, but in the medical field, nutrition is one of those subjects that doesn't get a lot of respect (kind of like mental health). Going to big name school can sometimes help you bring credibility to an underappreciated field.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Can anyone give me insight as far as how big of a deal name recognition is in this field?

I'm very split between an MPH from UMN an MSPH from Johns Hopkins.

I'm from Minneapolis and currently living there, and before I was applying to schools I visited UMN several times to meet with SPH faculty and find out more about the program and how to be a competitive applicant and they were incredibly willing to speak with me and very supportive. I have been granted a small scholarship and a research assistant position that make UMN very affordable.

But Johns Hopkins has such a great name and good network with organizations I would potentially like to work for.

I just worry that going to UMN will limit my job prospects to the area which wouldn't be the end of the world but I would also like to have options...

If anyone has any input it would be greatly appreciated!!
I am in the same position; UMN (MPH Community Health) or JH (MSPH Pop, Family and Reproductive Health). It's a tough decision but I'm leaning toward UMN. Also, I know it might sound ridiculous but I am dreading the cold there (I live in Puerto Rico)
 
I'm very split between an MPH from UMN an MSPH from Johns Hopkins.

I would go with Johns Hopkins if everything else is equal. If there is a perfect fit program for you at UMN, and if it is cheaper, by a lot, then go to UMN. Here is my take on "brand name" for the MPH:

1. If you go to the top 2-3 schools like JHU, Harvard or UNC, it helps career wise as these are top schools, and they attract a little better of caliber of students.

2. As people who have hired MPHs have said before is that it matters how hard you work in school vs. the name, so for most people simply financial cost makes sense. If you go to a school where you want to work in the future that is good too. People hiring MPHers might not even know much about how the schools are ranked or care. A good number of schools even in the top 10 of public health schools are safety schools, meaning there isn't much difference between them and the top 20.

3. You can go to a school like BU, enjoy the city of Boston when it's not freezing, pay a ton in tuition, maybe have trouble making connections, versus if you go to a technicality lower ranked Yale (per US News), maybe pay less tuition and make more connections and work harder and you come out easily ahead with Yale. In general people know the Yale name more than BU. Rankings of public health schools doesn't necessarily have anything to do with getting a job, or prestige, but also factors in research dollars and some institutions which have just grown big.

4. Public health schools aren't super competitive, people surprise themselves and get into Harvard and JHU with average stats, and some people are happy to get into a safety school, so apply broadly.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I was in a similar position when I was applying to grad school. The advice I was given by one of my professors was 'don't just go to a school for the name recognition because in the end, everyone gets the same three letters behind their name.' I got my MPH from UMN and work along side folks who went to JHSPH and Yale.

I think that to an extend, the brand of a school does matter, but it's more about what you choose to do with your degree. I would also agree with the post above-in the public health world, employers don't really look or care too much if you went to JHSPH versus UMN. Going to JHSPH doesn't necessarily equal more qualified to an employer.
 
Top