JD/MPH...worth it? Forum

[underwood15]

I am currently considering doing the JD/MPH at BU, which is a seven semester program. I want to go into health policy/law at a boston firm and then the biotech industry. is it worth it? anyone heard good/bad things about the degree? My other option is going to BC to get a JD, with no dual degree.

[twenty]

Total cost at both (minus scholarships), work experience, IP eligibility, and GPA/LSAT numbers?

Edit> even without answering those questions, my gut tells me no.

[underwood15]

Both will be $75,000 total.

161/3.7.

1 year W/E.

[twenty]

If that's your legitimate price (which would mean you're either getting a full ride/almost a full ride at both programs or else you're living with parents), 75k for both is probably not terrible for BU + an MA.

That said, you're unfortunately probably not going to end up in true policy. Most policy kids these days do undergrad at HYP and then a Ph.D in whatever med-policy field they're trying to do work in at an equally-prestigious university. On the practice side, biostatistics is a fairly in-demand field right now, as is epidemiology, but for those you should probably go to a school with a stronger practice area like UNC. Those kids will sometimes lateral into policy spots later in their careers. Not that BU is bad for PH (it's better than it is for law), but is Harvard an option here at all?

Here's the thing though, at some level, one of your degrees will be used regularly, and the other will end up occupying a line on your resume. Because most people that do dual degrees have really particular interests outside of the law, most of the time, the second degree ends up winning out. This isn't just true of the T1 schools like BU, this is true of Kellogg/Northwestern kids that have literally every opportunity in front of them and still almost universally go with business.

Figure out if you really want to be spending three and a half years and 75k on school for the strong likelihood that you end up only using the MPH. Good luck.