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MEMO
TO: Jason Charnesky, English 202C Instructor
FROM: Sarah Kauder
DATE: June 23, 2009
SUBJECT: Graduate School Analysis Report
The following document is an analysis report on two graduate schools that I am
interested in; Emory University and Tulane University. This report was written as
an assignment for English 202C at Penn State.
Please read this report for grading, and make any suggestions that you think will
help me improve it for my final draft. Thank you for your time.
Graduate School Analysis: Emory University and
Tulane University
Prepared by: Sarah Kauder
Prepared for: Jason Charneski, Instructor
June 23, 2009
Abstract
“Graduate School Analysis: Emory University and Tulane University”
Prepared By: Sarah Kauder
This report was written for the English 202C (Technical Writing) course at The
Pennsylvania State University. It is an analysis of the Masters in Public Health
degree programs offered at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health,
and Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. Research
was conducted online at the university websites to find relevant information on
which to base the analysis. I concluded that Emory University had the best
graduate program for me, because it best fulfilled most of the qualities that I was
looking for in a graduate program.
Keywords: Masters, Emory University, Tulane University, Public Health, Penn
State
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Table of contents
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………1
Introduction………………………………………………………………………..2
Methodology……………………………………………………………………….2
Description and Analysis of Emory University……………………………...3
I. Mission and Goals…………………………………………………..3
II. Degrees and Programs…………………………………………….3
III. Location……………………………………………………………....4
IV. Opportunities……………………………………………………. ....4
V. Admission Requirements…………………………………………5
Description and Analysis of Tulane University……………………………..5
I. Mission and Goals…………………………………………………..5
II. Degrees and Programs……………………………………………..6
III. Location……………………………………………………………….6
IV. Opportunities………………………………………………………...6
V. Admission Requirements………………………………………….6
Results……………………………………………………………………………...7
Conclusions………………………………………………………………………..8
References………………………………………………………………………….8
Appendix: Cover Letter and Curriculum Vitae……………………………....9
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Executive Summary
This report was written for the English 202C (Technical Writing) course at The
Pennsylvania State University. It is an analysis of the Masters in Public Health degree
programs offered at Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, and Tulane
University’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. I conducted online research
at the University websites to find relevant information based on a set of criteria that I
developed. Then I compiled all of my research and formed my conclusions.
This report demonstrates my ability to think critically and draw conclusions from my
research. It also shows my technical writing ability. I drew up a list of criteria by thinking
about the qualities I wanted in my graduate school and degree program. I used the
criteria to focus my research on only the aspects of each university in which I was
interested.
After analyzing each graduate program I drew my conclusions. I decided, based on how
well the school met my criteria, that The Program at Emory University would be the best
match for me.
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Introduction
In my English 202C course, we were asked to find two Graduate schools that
offer a program we were interested in and to write an analysis of them. The following is
an analysis of Emory University and Tulane University. They both have schools of
public health and offer a Master in Public Health (MPH) degree in International or Global
Health. The purpose of this analysis was to determine which school and graduate
program best suited my personal and professional goals and standards. The appendix
at the end of this report contains a cover letter and my Curriculum Vitae for further
reference.
Methodology
The first step I took was to find a list of the top accredited Schools of Public
Health in the country. I found the rankings on the U.S.News and World Report Website.
I used this site before when I was looking for undergraduate schools, so I thought that
this would be a good place to start. Both Emory and Tulane were ranked in the top
fifteen Schools of Public Health in the country. The next step I took was to go to the
official websites of Emory University and Tulane University. I chose these sites because
they were most likely to have the majority of the information I was searching for. From
those sites I found the websites for Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health and
Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. I am very confident that the
information I gathered from these sites is accurate and of good quality because it comes
from the official websites of the schools and not from an outside source.
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To determine the focus of my research, I went by a list of criteria. Some of the
criteria came from my English instructor and some of them were things that I was
personally looking for in a graduate school program. They are the following:
1. The mission and goals of the school
2. The Departments offering an MPH and the areas of specialty they offer
3. The location of the school
4. Opportunities for field experience and involvement with local health
organizations.
5. Admission requirements
Description and Analysis of Emory University
I. Mission and Goals
The Mission of the Rollins School of Public Health (RSPH) is “to acquire,
disseminate, and apply knowledge and train leaders to promote health and prevent
disease in human populations around the world”. The goals of RSPH are:
- to educate for professional careers in public health through masters programs
- to conduct basic and applied research in recognition, characterization and
resolution of health problems
- to provide support to local, state, federal, and international organizations
- to create an environment that supports instruction, research, and service.
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II. Degrees and Programs
RSPH offers six MPH programs. These programs are Behavioral sciences and
Health Education, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Environmental and Occupational
Health, Epidemiology, Health Policy and Management, and Global Health. Within the
Global Health program there are four areas of concentration; Infectious disease, public
nutrition, reproductive health and population studies, and community health and
development. The MPH in Global Health requires 42 credits usually completed in two
years.
III. Location
The MPH degree at Emory University is offered by the Rollins School of Public
Health. It was founded in 1990. Emory is located the Atlanta, Georgia suburb of druid
Hills. The campus is about a fifteen minute drive from downtown Atlanta, and there is
public transportation between the downtown area and Emory. Atlanta is known as the
“Public health capital of the World”. The offices of the US Centers for Disease Control,
The American Cancer Society, The Carter Center, CARE USA, and other state and
regional health centers are located in close proximity to the school.
IV. Opportunities
Due to the close proximity to many public health organizations, there are a lot of
opportunities for students to get practical experience in their areas of interest. The
school offers global practicum opportunities. RSPH also offers Global field experiences.
These give students the opportunity to use the knowledge they gained in their first year
in real world settings around the globe. Another opportunity for enrichment is the
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compañeros exchange program. This is an intensive, week-long program in Mexico in
which students are exposed to culture and field work through lectures, lab tours, and
field visits conducted in Spanish.
V. Admission Requirements
The first step in the application process is to fill out the SOPHAS application. This
is an online application that many accredited schools of public health use. Along with
the online application, prospective students must also take the GRE, obtain three letters
of recommendation, send in school transcripts, write a personal essay, and demonstrate
that they have had volunteer/field/work experience. The average GPA is 3.6 for
graduate students, and the minimum GPA for the Global Health department is 3.0. The
average GRE scores are; 551 verbal, 664 quantitative, and 685 analytical. The Global
Health department considers 1200-1300 to be a competitive range for GRE scores.
Description and Analysis of Tulane University
I. Mission and Goals
The mission of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical
Medicine is “to advance public health knowledge, promote health, and well being, and
prevent disease, disability, and premature mortality”. This is accomplished through
rigorous education, research, partnerships, and service. The school also has a set of
goals:
- to provide educational opportunities that prepare students to identify, resolve,
and prevent public health problems
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- to advance knowledge
- to improve community health through disease prevention and health
promotion
II. Degrees and Programs
Tulane offers an MPH degree in Biostatistics, Community Health sciences,
Environmental Health Sciences, Epidemiology, Health Systems Management,
International Health and Development, and Tropical Medicine. The MPH program
requires the completion 42 credits.
III. Location
Tulane University is located in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is situated in the
central business district six blocks from the French Quarter. The area is the regional
center for health care programs.
IV. Opportunities
There are many opportunities for research while studying at Tulane. Students are
able to work with a variety of centers and institutions to do this research. Some of these
centers are: the Center for Evidence-Based Global Health, the Center for Infectious
Diseases, the Center for Health Equity Research, and the Office of Global Health.
V. Admission Requirements
The school uses the online application SOPHAS. It also requires it’s applicants to
get three letters of recommendation, write a career statement of no more than 1500
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words, and submit a CV. For the International Health degree program, the minimum
GPA is 3.0 and the minimum GRE combined score is 1000.
Results
The MPH program in Global Health at Emory University (RSPH) meets many of
the requirements that I have for graduate school. It is located near the headquarters for
some of the largest public health organizations in the country, which creates great
opportunities for field experience.
I love warm weather and I hate winter, and both RSPH and Tulane are located in
the southern United States where it is warm almost all year. The suburb RSPH is
located in is beautiful, and its vicinity to the city of Atlanta really nice. Being located ten
minutes from downtown Atlanta is great because there are lots of activities to do, places
to go, and restaurants to eat at. Tulane is actually located in the central business district
of New Orleans which I don’t really like very much. I like being near a city, but I do not
know how much I would actually like living in a large city.
The location isn’t the only aspect that I am basing my decision on, the Academics
are also very important. I am really interested in nutrition and disease prevention and
the Global Health department at RSPH offers nutrition and Infectious diseases as areas
of concentration within their MPH program. Tulane offers an MPH in International Health
and development which I like, but they don’t really have any areas of concentration.
The admission process at both schools is very similar. Both require the SOPHAS
online application. They also request the same number of reference letters, and a
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personal goal statement. The average GRE and GPA for RSPH students is higher than
at Tulane, which indicates that it might be easier to get accepted to the Tulane MPH
program.
Conclusions
If I had to decide between RSPH and Tulane, I believe that RSPH at Emory
University would be the best school for me. The Global Health Degree program at
RSPH would definitely take me in the right direction towards my future goals. One of the
factors that has solidified my decision is the school’s close proximity to all of the Public
Health organizations in Atlanta. I would have many opportunities to gain practical
experience while taking classes, which is very important. Doing the research for this
report has shown me what I am looking for in a graduate program, and it has definitely
helped me make this decision.
References:
U.S.News and World Report, Retrieved June 22, 2009, from http://grad-
schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-public-
health-schools/rankings
Emory University Rollins School of Public Health. Retrieved June 23, 2009, from
http://www.sph.emory.edu/overview_rsph.php
Tulane University School of Public Health and tropical Medicine. Retrieved June 23,
2009 from, http://www.sph.tulane.edu/
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Appendix
This appendix contains a cover letter and Curriculum Vitae (CV) that I have written for
RSPH. I have revised my resume so that it is now in the form of a CV. I did this so that it
now focuses on my academic achievements and goals. I have also written the cover
letter specific for the program at RSPH.
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519 Horizon Way
Neshanic Station, NJ 08853
(908) 642-5647
Smk5126@psu.edu
June 23, 2009
Theresa Nash, Assistant Director of Academic Programs
Rollins School of Public Health
Grace Crum Rollins Building, Rm. 772
1518 Clifton Road
Atlanta, Georgia 30322
Dear Ms. Nash:
I will be graduating from The Pennsylvania State University in spring 2010 with a B.S. in
Science, life science option. I have been interested in Global health for a long time and I
have been doing some research on the Universities that offer a Masters in public health
degree in Global or International Health.
I have read a lot about the Global Health program at the Rollins School of Public Health
and I am very interested in applying to your school. I was wondering if you could help
me begin the application process and point me towards some faculty members that I
could speak with to learn more about the program.
On the school website I noticed that RSPH has close relationships with some of the
nearby public health organizations such as the CDC. I am really interested in gaining
some more practical experience and want to know if there is a way to intern with one of
these organizations before starting my graduate studies. Any help or advice you could
give me would be much appreciated. I have enclosed my CV for reference.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Sarah Kauder
Enclosure
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Local Address: (9/09-5/10) Sarah Kauder Permanent Address:
463 E. Beaver Ave. #101 smk5126@psu.edu 519 Horizon Way
State College, PA 908-642-5647 Neshanic Station, NJ
16801 08853
Personal Goal
Statement: In my junior year at Penn State I became involved with a club called GlobeMed. It
opened my eyes to the problems with health equity throughout the world, and ever
since I have been learning as much about these issues as I possibly can. I want to
pursue the MPH in Global/International health and nutrition so that I can learn
even more and use my knowledge to help the people who need it most. With this
degree I would like to work with a Global health organization to develop and
implement health improvement projects in disadvantaged areas around the world.
Education: The Pennsylvania State University University Park, PA 16802
B.S. in Science, Life Science option GPA: 3.2
Projected date of Graduation: May 2010
Relevant Courses: -Biology: Molecules and Cells -Introduction to Health Services
-Biology: Function and Development of organization
organisms -Introductory Principles of Nutrition
-Principles of Immunology -Organic Chemistry (with lab)
Activities: Penn State GlobeMed Fall 2008-present
-Worked with our partner in Chiapas, Mexico to fundraise and support
health projects.
-Learned about global health issues and how to develop sustainable
solutions
-Educated students about health disparities throughout the world
Awards and
Recognitions: -Penn State Dean’s list, Fall 2008
-National Honor Society
Computer Skills: Microsoft office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
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