MSN vs MPH vs MBA????

MrChicagoRN, RN · Mar 21, 2010

Figure out what types of jobs interest you BEFORE you pick an academic program. Too many people choose the educational program first and the hope that they can parlay that into jobs they will like in the future whether or not the degree is actually well-suited for those jobs or not. That's backwards.

Exactly right.

I am currently finishing up a Masters in Management. It's almost the same as the MBA also offered by the school, except no microeconomics, one less accounting course, plus adding a human resources course.

I chose the business degree because I felt it would give me more career latitude and open more doors. My BSN and years of experience establish my nursing credentials, while a business/management opens doors to non-nursing positions.

The only thing I can't do because of a non-MSN, is to teach.

Mission · Mar 22, 2010

I have an MPH and was really happy with the program. I was in a general MPH program for people with prior clinical degrees so I was able to make my own concentration, which ended being epidemiology and informatics. I decided I liked research so much I'm now doing my PhD in nursing with a focus informatics. The MPH really gave me an advantage over other students in the program as far as understanding study design and biostats. Also, I feel it just has made me really well rounded.

Mijourney · May 17, 2010

Mission, did you get do your concentration in epidemiology and informatics under your MPH program? Do you mind sharing what school you went to?

Mission · May 17, 2010

I went to Columbia (http://www.mailman.hs.columbia.edu/). Most of the informatics classes are taught in the department of biomedical informatics which is part of the medical school (http://www.dbmi.columbia.edu/). The general program is really flexible because it only requires the 5 core classes, beyond that you're free to take what you want.