Published September 29, 2021
Miranda Bosse is a Buffalo native who completed her undergraduate degree at UB. She triple majored and then went on to SPHHP's dual MPH/MSW program. She has a passion for public health research, student success, and academia, and is the newly appointed assistant director of graduate public health programs at SPHHP.
I obtained my Master of Public Health degree from UBSPHHP, alongside my MSW. While in graduate school, I also served as an ambassador for the school and was able to mentor many undergraduate students and network with public health professionals.
I began graduate school in the MSW program because I originally thought that I wanted to become a mental health counselor working with individuals with chronic illnesses. The health care industry has always been of interest to me, as has to help people. Throughout my clinical experiences, I realized that I was more passionate about research and administration than I was about clinical practice, which ultimately lead me to add on our Advanced Graduate Certificate in Public Health, followed by the Master of Public Health. The MPH really gave me the in-depth research and program management experience that I craved and showed me how I could serve people on a macro scale.
As someone who studied at UB for seven years and now works here, I may be biased when I say that I absolutely love UB and the education I received here, which is ultimately what lead me to want to work here as well.
The MPH program at UB allowed me to expand upon my foundational knowledge of public health through analysis of topics such as social determinants of health and health disparities, human behavior, U.S. health care policy and infrastructure, and research and data analysis of intersectional topics. The theories and topics taught in my academic coursework were reinforced through my field training, interprofessional practices, and research experiences. Everything I obtained throughout my Master of Public Health has directly applied to the real world and has helped me gain a better, more holistic view of the world around me.
I don’t find a day in which I don’t reference public health or see how some issue in the world is relative to public health. I see public health as the common denominator and common solution to many situations locally, nationally and globally.
The fact that I get to work with students and people who are just as passionate about public health and health care as I am, and help people find their place in the future of public health, is incredibly rewarding to me. To me, knowledge is power, and I get to witness that every single day through the School of Public Health and Health Professions.
Don’t overburden yourself with too many commitments while in graduate school. Take advantage of opportunities and experiences as you see fit, but remember to take time for yourself as well, because ultimately you need you to get you through this program.