Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Health Economics masters

Options
  • 24-03-2012 3:13pm
    #1
    ryanmj
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭


    Hi,

    I am looking into completing a masters in Health economics next year. I think I would enjoy it. I am slightly worried though that it might be too narrow a field and perhaps I would be better just doing a MSC in Economics. Is there much work for Health economists? Or has anyone done a masters in this field. There seems to very little online about prospects after college and of course all colleges make every course sound amazing. Any help / opinions greatly appreciated!


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    happyman81
    Closed Accounts Posts: 315 ✭✭happyman81


    ryanmj wrote: »
    Hi,

    I am looking into completing a masters in Health economics next year. I think I would enjoy it. I am slightly worried though that it might be too narrow a field and perhaps I would be better just doing a MSC in Economics. Is there much work for Health economists? Or has anyone done a masters in this field. There seems to very little online about prospects after college and of course all colleges make every course sound amazing. Any help / opinions greatly appreciated!

    In my opinion, you should do a masters in Economics. Some masters allow you to take HE as a module and thus you could do your thesis on a related topic. I know UCD has such a module in their MA. However, all that employers (in analytical fields) really care about are your ability with quants based work and your personality. So doing the Economics masters would allow you to maximise that, in a more generalised way. As for your personality...


  • Options
    #3
    noodler
    Registered Users Posts: 26,219 ✭✭✭✭noodler


    I didn't know there were postgrad options for pure Health Economics in Ireland.

    All I can tell you is that it is available in the UCD MA as a module as Happy says.

    I did it in undergrad and enjoyed it but didn't choose it in the MA.

    I defo wanted to stay general.


  • Options
    #4
    ryanmj
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭ryanmj


    yeah they do one in UCC - I will have no choice but to do the masters in UCC just work and family wise but I think ye are right the straight forward MSC Economics is probably best - I kind of was thinking the same. I guess I just wanted reassurance I suppose! icon7.gif


  • Options
    #5
    noodler
    Registered Users Posts: 26,219 ✭✭✭✭noodler


    ryanmj wrote: »
    yeah they do one in UCC - I will have no choice but to do the masters in UCC just work and family wise but I think ye are right the straight forward MSC Economics is probably best - I kind of was thinking the same. I guess I just wanted reassurance I suppose! icon7.gif

    Ah now, our ramblings were hardly conclusive.

    But if you have an eye on what you want to do afterwards and you feel health would be better than who are we to advise?

    You'd be surprised how willing some of the lecturers are to lend you some advice on this if you drop them an email.


  • Options
    #6
    J.D.R
    Registered Users Posts: 2,200 ✭✭✭J.D.R


    You could always do a second, more focused masters in HE somewhere down the line if you wanted a change of path


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Msmahon
    Registered Users Posts: 1 ✭Msmahon


    Hi Ryanmj,

    You should look at the MSc in NUIGalway in Health Economics, I did this one and from hearing from others who took UCC, NUIG is the better HE course. It also has a small number of summer placements so you could work with a pharma company or with a hospital/HSE for yout thesis (theres not an external placement for everyone though). The UCC one has no placement programme.

    As for HE as a career choice, if your unsure what direction you want to go in, then stay broad, though those with a specific HE masters qualification will beat you to the punch in the jobs market after if you do decide health is what you want.

    For job opportunities, for graduates in Ireland it is limited, and difficult (but not impossible) to get on the career ladder with no experience. With experience, there is high demand for HE skills in the private sector (pharma companies and consultancies that do contract work for pharmas). There is plenty of work for both graduate and experienced in the UK.

    Also, in terms of scanning the jobs market, the job titles you need to look out for are "Market Access", "Health Outcomes", "Economic Modelling", "pharmacoeconomics" in the private sector (usually followed by 'specialist' or 'consultant' or something vaguely businessy like that!)

    Hope that helps, and best of luck with the career choice! ;)


  • Options
    #8
    ryanmj
    Registered Users Posts: 28 ✭ryanmj


    Thanks MsMahon - very helpful. Unfortunately, leaving Cork isn't an option at the moment so I am stuck with UCC. Pretty much decided to do HE anyway - I guess if it doesn't work out I can always do something different at another stage, but may as well give what i am interested in a go first! Thanks again


Advertisement