What Students Say
Likes
- Location: I love how the university is located in the center and integrated into the city, giving us a feel of home wherever we go.
- Structured curriculum: All the courses here at Pitt are brilliantly structured based on the various industry requirements post-graduation.
- Student-Faculty ratio: All of us here have access to all the professors and additional industry experts who help mentor us throughout the process.
Dislikes
- Tuition cost: Even though Pitt offers great scholarships, the tuition fees are on the higher side especially for international students compared it to other public universities.
- Limited diversity: Some programs here at Pitt have less diversity of people. For example: my cohort has only one international student that is me.
- High cost of housing: Since the university is located in the city, the cost of housing is pretty high.
Course Curriculum
- My course is structured differently when comparing it with my other friends. Most of my assignments are thought-provoking and challenging wherein answers cannot be found over the internet. We are required to go out there in the real world and figure out things. More of practical things.
- Positives are definitely we have a better understanding of the world than just the books. It gets challenging when things get piled up.
- I have classed three days a week this semester. 3 classes in a day with about 120 minutes of class time.
Admission Experience
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I applied to University of Pittsburgh (Admitted); University of Michigan (Rejected); University of Scranton (Shortlisted); Long Island University (Shortlisted).
I received confirmed admission from all of the above universities except from the University of Michigan.
I was rejected by the University of Michigan because the required a 4 years bachelor's degree or wanted the student to have at least one year of experience in healthcare. -
The course curriculum, along with the location of the university. Various employment opportunities post-graduation are available here at UPMC.
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The process involved submitting the application essays along with the SOP and LORs, which were followed by a video interview with the director of the program. Post that I received an offer of a scholarship.
Maintaining a GPA of above 3 with great SOP and application essays. IELTS of 6.5 and above was a requirement.
The admission was a smooth ride for me personally because I had a lot of my well wishers guiding me throughout. -
I applied for the Fall 2024 intake in January, which is typically the priority deadline for international students.
However, there was a slight delay in hearing back due to my SOPHAS verification being completed at the last minute. -
I had my interview in April and received an admission decision in less than three weeks, which was exciting and reassuring.
Faculty
- Yes, here at Pitt the faculty members assist students in finding jobs.
- My program director has to be the person I admire the most here at Pitt. The level of commitment he has toward the students is invaluable.
- My cohort is quite small, with just 14 students, all coming from diverse backgrounds. I am the only Indian student, and the student-to-faculty ratio is an impressive 1:14. This allows for personalized attention, as all faculty members know us well and are highly accessible. Many of them are industry leaders, providing valuable exposure to the field before entering the job market.
Campus Life
- The University of Pittsburgh has 5 campuses:
-Pittsburgh Campus - Oakland, Pittsburgh
-Johnstown Campus - Johnstown, PA
-Greensburg Campus - Greensburg, PA
-Bradford Campus - Bradford, PA
-Titusville Campus - Titusville, PA - The university has so many facilities, multiple gyms, libraries, sports center, playing arena and the list can go on.
- Some of the major events so far were the homecoming week, college football/basketball/volleyball games, fall fest, international week, and many more.
- As master students, we don't have enough time to get into extracurricular but we have career/academic-focused events that help us in our career that I can mention about. I recently traveled to New Jersey for a case competition representing the university. But there are numerous students organisations and clubs to be a part of!
Part Time Jobs
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There are numerous opportunities for students to get a part-time job on campus. It varies based on the departments. Close to 12-15 dollars per hour. There are many like designers and library assistants. I am currently working as a designer with the community engagement team. The wage varies from 10-20 dollars per hour. The maximum number of hours international students is 20 hours per week. Its relatively easy here at Pitt.
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International students prefer working on campus as it’s safe, convenient, and the process is straightforward. Students typically earn between $10-$15 per hour. Securing part-time jobs is relatively easy while studying. Pitt provides a website listing on-campus jobs where students can apply by submitting their resume and class schedule to find the best fit.
Placement
- 85% of students who graduate secure employment within 6 months of completing the course.
- Students can expect to earn 45-50 dollars per hour after graduation. Career fairs are available every semester for students to find their match.
- Networking is huge here and plays a crucial role in landing a job. Most of my seniors have been placed at UPMC, AHN, Highmark etc.
UPMC and Highmark hire largely in my field.
Accommodation
- Masters students go for off-campus housing. I had a family friend of mine who stays here who helped me out with the housing.
- The monthly rent for my house is $1,000 plus $200 for utilities. The house is unfurnished but the kitchen is furnished.
- Luckily I did not face any issues. The house is located about 1 mile from the campus which takes me about 15-20 mins by walk. Most of the Indian students stay in walking distance to campus.
Exams
- IELTS is a basic requirement for students coming from non-English speaking countries. The documents required were SOP, application essays, LORs, resume, and transcripts.
- Yes, I had an interview directly with the program director. The interview focused on why I wanted to do this particular course and what my long term goals are. It also focused on why the University of Pittsburgh.
Fees
- Tuition and fees here at Pitt cost about $52,700, housing costs about $10,000, and other expenses amount to $5,000 annually.
- The fees here at Pitt are charged per semester and they do have credit plans.
- My monthly expenses amount to $1,500- $2,000 including my rent, and groceries. Transportation is free for Pitt students with a valid ID card inside of Pittsburgh.
Scholarship
- Yes, I received two scholarships.
- Pitt Public Health Futures Award ($6,000) and Health Policy and Management Achievment Award ($9,000).
- Both the scholarships amounted to $15,000 annually.
- Yes, some of them received scholarships based on their work experience.
- Almost 50% of the cohort receives scholarships based on the various backgrounds they come from. It typically ranges from $5,000 - $20,000 annually.
