epidemiology

Master’s Degree Programs in Epidemiology: What To Look For

BU’s Chair of Epidemiology, Maria Glymour, offers her advice on what to consider and what questions to ask

Each fall, prospective graduate students across the world hone their essays and browse university websites to choose programs. I am now in my second year as Chair of the Boston University Department of Epidemiology, and one of the highlights has been working closely with our excellent faculty and students in our Master’s programs for epidemiology: Our MPH with a concentration in Epidemiology and Biostatistics, and MS in Epidemiology (both degree programs are STEM-approved).

Before I share advice on choosing a graduate program, let me take a step back and describe epidemiology a bit. The core of epidemiology is understanding why some groups of people are healthier or sicker than others, so we can use that evidence to improve everyone’s health. Epidemiologists work on a huge range of health concerns, from infertility to healthy aging and everything in between. Because most epidemiology is quantitative, some people think of epidemiology as situated at the intersection of health research and data science. Epidemiologists work in a variety of settings, including for-profit, non-profit, government, and academic positions.

If you’re considering a Master’s degree, you may still be exploring what areas are exciting and how to get the preparation to set you up for the career most aligned with your interests. For me, epi (especially social epi) checked all the boxes—a focus on the social determinants of health (such as poverty and education) as well as the career opportunities in the field. But there’s a lot of space within the public health umbrella. Here are some suggestions to help you sort:

• Flip through the research that faculty in the program are leading and the collaborations they have. Is this work compelling to you? Read some faculty publications; even just the abstracts will give you a great sense of what people work on. Google Scholar is very useful here because you can see what people have published and how their work is being cited (i.e., who else is being influenced by their work). A tip: if you want to know if a particular faculty member is actively researching a topic, focus on papers for which that individual is the first or last author. This applies to faculty in schools of public health and medicine; in other fields the norm is different.
• Consider the environment of the program overall. Most students learn as much outside of the classroom as in the classroom. Is the program embedded in a community that will allow you broad exposure to key ideas, movements, approaches, and people making a difference? Are there seminars, workshops, or activities you would be excited to participate in? Talking to current students—visiting campus if you can—can give you a sense of whether the academic environment is lively and thriving or minimal and isolating.
• Don’t be embarrassed to factor in cost. Most Master’s degrees have tuition, so drill down to find out exactly what tuition will really cost you. Also explore if there are partial or full tuition waivers or scholarships common at the schools you are applying.
• What support will you have for your next professional steps? Does the school have strong career support to help you get where you want to go? Ask for specific data on alumni outcomes. Is there a strong alumni network that engages with current students to provide opportunities and advice?
• Examine the flexibility of the program. Will you be able to tailor the training to get the skills you want?  Master’s programs are generally very fast-moving, and developing core skills will often take up most of the required class time. To get the best education, you need many opportunities to build skills, including via classwork but also co-curricular activities like seminars, journal clubs, visiting speakers, community engagement, and working closely with mentors on projects. Does the school include these types of activities as part of your curriculum? Will you be able to take more than the minimum required classes? Is advanced coursework available for Master’s students? Will you have flexible mentored opportunities that allow you to go beyond the foundations?

I asked a couple of our faculty program directors what they want prospective students to know about our epidemiology master’s programs here at Boston University School of Public Health:

“The Master’s of Science (MS) Program in Epidemiology is ideal for students with strong analytic interests who are passionate about health equity. With opportunities to combine rigorous training in epidemiologic methods with policy-oriented research, this program will equip you to make a tangible impact on the leading population health challenges of our time.” – Dr. Andrew Stokes, MS Program Director.

I am especially excited about this emphasis within the MS of the intersection between social epidemiology and research methods. There’s an urgent need for people with a passion to tackle the health inequalities we see everywhere while also adopting rigorous methods to figure out what approaches will truly make a difference. Some programs emphasize health equity or rigorous methods, but students need strong training in both.

“The Master’s of Public Health (MPH) program prepares students to improve the health and well-being of populations around the world […] students choose an interdisciplinary focus and develop practice-based skills that fit their interests. BU offers lots of opportunities to engage socially and intellectually, from our student organizations and on-campus events to our public health conversations and symposia. What makes our program so special is that students are supported holistically throughout their time at BU and as alums.“ – Dr. Megan Healey, MPH Program Director.

Whether you are more interested in a practice-based degree like the MPH, or a more research-intensive degree like the MS, the process is an opportunity to learn about work being done in the field, how people are approaching their research, and what different universities are like in terms of community, research focus, and substantive priorities. There’s so much amazing work in public health that it can be challenging to narrow down how you want to focus your own precious time. I hope you can take advantage of this period exploring programs to deepen your understanding of public health and your own goals and values.

This article originally appeared on LinkedIn.