Master in Public Health??

[raindropstea]

Has anyone done one and did it get you a better paying position upon graduation? I want to return to school for postgrad, but I'm torn between a few different options.

I've also thought of Speech and Language Therapy, though this would be longer (though I am willing to commit). My SIL is one and I'm familiar with the career path and she has never made that much for all the training required. I would have to wait another year to apply for this.

I've also though of HR, but not really my cup of tea. There is another program for Wildlife Conservation (Msc) as I would love to work for the WWF in communications (my undergraduate degree) or anything really, but I have doubts as to whether a masters in Conservation would actually land me a job with them or not.

I'm aiming for Public Health. And yes I am all over the place. I need to place my application soon and have my letters of reference ready to go. I'm just hesitant and feel overwhelmed about this decision.

I'm afraid that if I don't do a vocational degree that I will have difficult landing a job.

[titchy]

To be blunt you're wasting your £ unless you know what you're aiming for. What experience do you currently have? What's your ideal role?

To do Comms for WWF you need comms degree and experience, not a degree in ecology or conservation - everyone at WWF will have one of those!

What do you want? Comms or to work for WWF?

[raindropstea]

I already have a degree in Communications. I've worked in communications and for large multi national corporations, but it's hard to get on with the WWF. I want to move upward though. The degree I was looking at is in Conservation and International Wildlife Trade. It's not ecology.

[raindropstea]

And no, not everyone at WWF has an ecology degree. What you're saying is entirely untrue. There are communications departments at WWF along with loads of other departments. I have the degree and applicable experience, but it's highly competitive to get in there. That's why I'm looking at Public Health or even Speech pathology. My degree is American and I have prereqs for Speech Pathology (my minor) on top of my communications degree from a top uni.

[raindropstea]

My ideal role would be working at WWF or someplace similar, but I've been out of uni since 2014 and have gotten nowhere so I'm looking at postgrad. And everyone around me is discouraging. I don't want to pump money into a masters to land up in the same position I'm in now. I make decent money but I'm doing work that doesn't feel like my purpose. So public health or ST would be my next choices.

[swingofthings]

I really can't see how Public Health would be the best choice to end up working in communications, even for WWF.

The Master in Public Health is hard and science minded. It's research lead and involves a lot of statistical analysis. Most people with a Masters in Public Health end up working in some sort of research environment.

[raindropstea]

I'm talking more of a career change AWAY from communications. I'm not going to grad school to come out with the same qualifications I already have. I want to do something different if I can't end up working for WWF and it seems like a longshot. I know what a Public Health degree entails and there are a lot of different paths you can take with it. I'm interested in Womens and Childrens health if I take this route. I know there is a module that focuses on epidemiology which will be part of it. I already do a lot of research and analysis in what I do now and I enjoy that.