If I earn a bachelor's degree in Political Science and Public Health Policy, what are a few of the best graduate schools I can further my education in?

Great questions. It all depends on what you want to do with that post-grad degree, and what skill sets you want to develop. If you are interested working directly in a public health organization or in public health policy, you could consider an MPH degree, perhaps in Health Policy and Management. Depending on your specific interest in policy work, a JD might also be appropriate. If you are looking for a job in academia or a think-tank organization to do research, you may want to consider a PhD program in Health Policy.

With a dual major in political science and public health you have set yourself up nicely to be a potential candidate for graduate programs in either public affairs or public health. However, the best way to answer your question is not at the specific graduate school level, but instead there are a few questions you need to answer for yourself that will help guide you towards the best program and mentor for your particular interests and career goals:

1. Are you interested in the workings of the state or federal government?

Federal: set your sites on a school in DC that will give you more opportunities to immerse yourself in the political culture, as well as internship and volunteer opportunities. A few schools to consider for this would be Georgetown, George Washington, and American University.

State: Focus on State schools, but remember that state schools are state funded and the politics and research specializations of their programs are usually slanted towards the political philosophy of the party in charge—so carefully consider this when deciding which programs you apply to.

Personally, I chose UT School of Public Health because: 1) it is located at the Texas Medical Center which affords me the opportunity to truly get in the health policy trenches; 2) the research specialization of my mentor/advisor; and 3) as the saying goes “if you can do policy in Texas, you can do it anywhere” is true and has given me the “real-world” opportunity to try and make policy level changes in a state government that doesn’t follow the “normal” rules of textbook political deliberation and policy-making.

1. What if it is not the state or federal government that interests you, but instead your interests are in international public health and policy?

For this I would suggest you look overseas at programs that would give you the opportunity to work with organizations like the UN or WHO. You can get these opportunities in the US, but they are fewer in number and immersion in an international environment is a plus, especially if your future career plans have you working in a diplomatic position within the State Department.

1. What is it that interests you about policy and public health?

For this I suggest you write down the 3 areas of specialization that most interests you in either field and then do a Google/Bing search casting a wide net to find programs and researchers that specialize in those interests—For graduate school it’s not the specific school that you should focus on as the deciding factor, but more importantly it is the program’s focus and the professors within the program who are conducting research that are in line with your interests. On that note, don't be shy about sending a cold email to professors who are conducting research in the areas that interest you the most, even before you start sending in applications-- this will help you in determining if they have openings and/or funding for graduate students (an extremely important point to consider when applying).

Also, is it public affairs or public health that most interests you and to help answer that I suggest you look at each field’s association: Association of Public Policy and Management & Association of Schools of Public Health.

Another thing to consider is going to a law school that offers a joint program such as a JD/MPH, JD/MBA, JD/MHA. Having a JD with a specialization in policy and/or public health is a great set up for working in both the private and public sector—especially if it is not an academic career that you have in mind. If an academic/university position is what most interests you, then a joint PhD/MPH, MHA, or MBA (specialization in health economics) is a MUST.

I hope this helps and good luck.