Anyone know if Northwestern's full-time master is harder to get into than the part-time program?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Northwestern University
1

So I’m currently thinking of applying to Northwestern’s Master in Public Policy Admin. As a political science major in college and working the last 3 years at a small community NGO, I saw NW’s MPPA as something that might help elevate my career growth to a better position.

What I’m debating about is: should I apply to part-time MPPA or full-time MPPA? I know NW offer a full-time 1-year accelerated program, while their part-time program is 1.5 to 5-years.

I’m open to either, but I want to know if anyone has any idea if with NW’s master programs (for those that also offer part-times)…are there any difference between full and part-time admission “difficulty”? Would a full-time program be harder to get admitted to than the part-time one (or are both equal)? I may just end up applying to both, if that’s even allowed, haha.

2

I doubt it. I don’t believe any of the programs in SCS are terribly difficult to get in to. Something to keep in mind.

3

What are your career goals? Do you have the option to attend grad school full-time?

I would spend a lot of time understanding what career placement is coming out of this program. It’s not inexpensive and not accredited by NASPAA.

Take a look at the NASPAA site for more information, and a list of accredited programs. https://www.naspaa.org/accreditation/roster-accredited-programs

And, it’s NU, not NW :slight_smile:

Good luck.

4

Thank for the information.

To Mwfan, I currently am budgeting a maximum of 2 years for my graduate studies. So either I go with the 1-year full-time program (so I can get my degree and onto the job hunt sooner than later), or if I opts for the part-time, I’d like to get it done within 8 quarters (2 years). Would not being NASPAA-accredited mean I’d have a harder time getting work out of school, even with the NU name on the diploma?

5

What type of job do you want to get, and how would any MPP/MPA program help you attain that job?

Again, this is NU SPS…which is not the same as NU’s graduate programs. SPS accepts basically anyone with a bachelor’s degree. I don’t know the outcomes, but it is something you have to figure out by speaking with the SPS people. Also ask if SPS students can utilize NU’s career center and services.

6

My current career goal after graduation is likely either a federal/state policy position (perhaps as an analyst?) or see if I can work for a political office after a few years of work/exp. I’ll be sure to ask SPS about the career services.

7

BTW, NU SPS is as much a part of NU as Columbia SPS is a part of Columbia, Harvard Extension School is a part of Harvard University, the Graham School is a part of the U of C, and Penn LPS is a part of Penn.

All of them tend to offer programs for working professionals that aren’t terribly stringent in admissions.