Thanks bhai, I was thinking about doing the MSc and pairing it with a law or business degree because, to be honest, I dont know what a masters is worth. I recently finished a BA in Public Policy & Administration and have found it to be worth very little in the job market.
HSK... if I were to suggest a path based on what I've see with students in Management of Health Services programs in two b-schools, as well as two other colleagues who work in Health Policy... I would say that the MSc itself should suffice.
You're right in that a BA on it's own isn't quite enough to land you with an opportunity with the same prospects of growth as it used to 7 or 10 years ago. At the bare minimum, over the last years, I've seen employers ask for a degree and a more hands-on or co-op based post-grad program from a community college.
With the two colleagues I know, one actually did an MBA with a concentration in Health Services Administration, while the other simply had an undergraduate degree in Commerce and paired that with diploma in Health Regulatory Affairs (or something similar sounding) from Humber College. The difference in their career paths was that the guy with the MBA started off at a Policy Advisor level while the guy with the undergrad and diploma started at the Analyst level. I should say though that both had different number of years of experience though - the latter one having almost negligible.
I can try to put you in touch with these folks to see if they can offer advice as well.
Looking to the future, the policy positions I've seen ask for a law degree and the administration positions I've seen ask for a business degree. I just assumed that somewhere down the line I'd have to pair a MPH with a law or business degree. I could be wrong.
Again, I personally see little need for an additional degree unless you find yourself in a situation where you think it's a necessity to get into the type of role you want to see yourself in. Initially, I would suggest deciding whether you want to invest the time, money and effort into a graduate degree right out of school or may be a quick stint at a community college might help you land a reasonable opportunity where you can work for a couple of years and make a more informed decision based on what you see around you.
Do you think a MSc in Health Policy, Planning and Finance is a good enough final degree?
Yes I do... especially if it is an "MSc"... and not just a "Masters in Health Policy...". In the latter case, I'd need to look at the curriculum a little more. The difference between an MSc and a Masters is an academic issue really and the employers are rarely aware of the nuances, but on the outset, you can expect an MSc program to be more regulated with stricter guidelines for up-to-date curriculum with an industry voice.
Do you think there's any value in getting a MSc and then tagging it along with a law degree or business degree? Or is it just too much? I'd like to think a masters isn't a stepping stone but rather an end point. I'm just not sure if that's how it is.
I really think that a specialized Masters degree is self-sufficient - once you're in the workplace, you can always fill in any "gaps" with additional industry endorsed qualifications and professional training options.
I still have a few more applications in public health, health admin and health policy that I'm waiting for. It's not easy picking a masters program and you've been really helpful.
My only advice in selecting a good program for public health is to seek a program where you have a mix of faculty from business and health sciences background - a partnership between b-school and a health sciences faculty is often a model I've seen work well in the past. Also, find out if there are any capstone projects or practicum components where you'd be able to work with people from the industry on real-world issues. I know a lot of MPH programs are based on the case method, but I've found the practicum approach to be a better fit with programs like MPH. That's one of the reasons why Alberta's program is quite well regarded in the industry. Where I teach, we have a similar residency program in place that tries to mimic the Alberta model.
Can I PM you in the future with any other questions? Once again, thank you for all you've done (for all of us).
no problem... you have my email address - I'd be glad to help in any way I can.