Hi, am planning to do Uni Manchester's MPH (distance learning).Does anyone know if this Uni's MPH is good?I read from other poster's that LSHTM(School of Hygiene..)is really good, but it's too expensive for me.Uni Manchester has a good reputation but not sure of their MPH.Is an MPH something that is alright to do via distance learning?I should think it's not a problem but would like to hear other's opinion.Any advice given is much appreciated.

Some posters also wrote that they are worried abt job prospects after completing their MPH.I've been doing abit of researching on the internet and it seems that Public Health is a big thing-now and in the future, and career prospects are really good.Perhaps they find it difficult to find jobs in PH being advertised as the job title isnt as clear cut, eg "Public Health Specialist required" unlike, say an advertisemnt for a Pharmacist.Job titles for a public health graduate are so varied-eg."Epidemiologist","Health Educator","Health Economist"...Any comments on this from other PH posters? Thanks in advance.

Hi.

you are right. MPH is a great course with status. however, it is very practical such that taking it at a distance may not be beneficial to you since you are likely to be a half-baked PH professional. i will explain why. I am not sure what you are dong right now ( as in occupation . but if you are working ( i presume you must be working or have worked in the past for you to get it) may be to some extent you may relate the theory you read about, to your current or past work experience. taking it by contact exposes you to a professionally diverse millieu and you learn fomr others. evidently public health in the UK is diferent from PH in australia. it is a very interactive course which needs inputs from a variety of health professionals/social scientists etc. I am not sure how the Manchester program is structured but i have a feeling that if you take it at a distance you may feel lonly and demotivated or probably fail to meet your expectations.

staying focused and knowing what area you want to major in is key at the very onset. what you choose as a concentration speaks to where you will end up. if you take health economics as your concentration you will likely have to work mostly in the developed world as opposed to someone who will have taken health management, promotion, health systems development etc. these may end up in the UN agencies, NGOs etc. if you major in epidemiology, you may end up in a research institution or academia. however this is not always the case. these are just odds. sometime the dream does not always match the reality. but if you are a clinician, i am sure you have a chance to get employed anywhere.

but why Uni of manchester? are you in the UK. you could try a couple of more Univ. MPH is a great course. dont think twice. i am considering doing a Dr.PH soon. i will go all the way

thanks mochemoseo for your advice.Back in Australia I worked as a pharmacist.took 1-2yrs off to come to UK to do some 'soul searching' and also do a postgrad course.PH came to mind as graduates seem to have more transferable skills & knowledge, as opposed to a pharmacist.Our skills/knowledge are somewhat confined to the 'pharmacy field', if you know what i mean.To be honest the thought of doing PH scares me a bit,I've tried looking up info on PH but all I've gathered is just a scratch of the surface of what PH is all about.really appreciate the 'insider' advice you gave
I've also tried looking up for postgrad courses other than PH that can complement my pharmacy degree, didnt find many-nutrition was probably another option.Maybe you know of other pharmacist like me?