<p>This is my first post but I've been reading the messages on the forum and I am impressed with some of the advice given.</p>
<p>How many of you have completed two master's degrees? What were your experiences; for instance, the highs and lows? If they were completed at different schools, compare the academic experiences.</p>
<p>I have a master's degree in public administration (MPA) in health administration from Long Island University (Brooklyn Campus) and is preparing to apply for the new master's degree in public health (MPH) in global public health at NYU to supplement my first master's degree.</p>
<p>In January 2006, I read in the Washington Post the pursuit of second master's degrees is becoming popular.</p>
<p>Personally, I am rather lukewarm to the idea of having dual master's degrees, or multiple degrees of any sort. The truth is, it's a low-yield investment. Employers don't really care. Grad schools (i.e. PhD programs) don't really care. It doesn't give you much of an edge, relative to the time and money you have to spend in getting that extra degree. If you want to get dual master's, you should do it because you have a genuine interest in both fields. Because the truth is, I don't think it's going to help you become significantly more competitive when it comes to landing jobs or securing promotions. </p>
<p>As a case in point, I happen to know quite a few people who got dual master's at MIT (usually an MBA + Master's in engineering, but sometimes a different combination) who lost out on jobs to others at MIT who had just a single degree. In fact, some of them have bitterly said that would probably have been better off had they not gotten that second degree and instead used that time to do more recruiting and networking, as well as work on their interview skills. It's better to get a single degree and get the job that you want than to get multiple degrees, and get turned down for the job that you want.</p>
<p>It depends on the professional degree. I have both an MLIS and an MA in English and teacher certification. Librarianship can demand specialization. For instance, when I was attending classes for my MLIS, there were several lawyers in the group who wanted to be law librarians. It all depends.</p>
<p>I don't have great advice concerning this, but something I sometimes ask myself is, "will this be worthwhile in the long run?"
A MPA and an MPH are, from what I understand, very similar degrees. But if it's something you really want to do, and if you're really interested in the field, it might not be a bad idea. Have you considered instead doing a PhD in that field or in a related field?</p>
<p>I can manage organizations in the publlic health field, but I don't know the core areas of it. Hence, I believe the public health degree, esp. the global public health degree, would cover the other areas lacking in my expertise. The DPH is a research degree. I am not interested in doing research.</p>