Can someone give me more info about MPA/MPPs?

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm currently a 2nd year at a top 25 university majoring in History and minoring in Public Affairs. I originally wanted to go to law school, but I have to say I really enjoy the classes I've taken in the Public Affairs minor. That being said, I am volunteering at Justice Corps this year and it's been a rewarding experience. I've been considering pursuing a Masters in Public Administration or Public Policy, but the problem is...I don't know much about it? For one, I don't even know anybody who has any interest in the field. When I mention it to people, they tell me they didn't even know there was such thing as an MPA or MPP. So I guess I just have a few questions hopefully some of you guys can help clarify for me...</p>

<p>1) What "career" does one pursue when obtaining a MPA/MPP? When I looked at various university data polls, most career titles are "Program Director" or "Coordinator" or "Analyst." What exactly is one doing in these jobs?</p>

<p>2) Is an MPA/MPP a Masters of Science or Masters or Art or neither? I only bring this up because I always thought MPA/MPP was a "professional degree" like the M.D. or the J.D. or the MBA. Someone asked me if the MPA/MPP was an Art or Science and I responded "I don't think it's either?" and that person assured me it was an Art as it is most related to economics.</p>

<p>3A) What is the salary range of someone with an MPA/MPP? I've been searching online and it seems the starting salary for most people are in the low to mid $50,000 range. Although this is a starting salary, is the general range for the entire career? I mean, do most people with a MPA/MPP have to work for 20+ years just to make $80,000 or something?</p>

<p>3B) How much debt is it worth to be in to get an MPA/MPP? I come from a low income background and right now I'm paying for my undergraduate education all by myself via grants and loans. By the time I graduate with a B.A, I will be ~$20,000 in debt. However, I believe grad schools don't give grants and the only financial aid is loans and merit scholarships. Assuming I only get loans, how much would be considered too much? Some schools like U. Southern California will cost as much as $50,000+ a year while other schools like UCLA or UT Austin would cost half as much if you're an in state resident. This question kinda corresponds to the previous one I guess because if the salary was fair, it would be enough to pay off loans right?</p>

<p>4) Is it rare for students to pursue an MPA/MPP directly out of undergrad? By the time I graduate, I will most likely have had two 3 month internships with a law firm and a nonprofit org in Washington DC as well as volunteering 1 year at Justice Corps (which is a branch of AmeriCorps). Would this be considerable "work experience?" I know it doesn't look as great as someone who has 2+ years of professional work exp, but I'd really like to continue school instead of taking a few years off to work.</p>

<p>5) Career Placement. How do most people that graduate from schools get jobs? I've talked to a few representatives from USC and UCLA and I know USC has a well-established career placement center and networking. Essentially, most grads land a job well before they graduate so they are set. UCLA on the other hand, lets you fend for your own. The career center is practically non-existent and it's up to you to find a job.</p>

2

<ol>
<li><p>Most careers will involve being a midlevel bureaucrat at the state or federal level. Mostly you’ll oversee programs to ensure efficient distribution of services (MPA) or you’ll work to develop and analyze new policy proposals (MPP). City and urban planning in another popular option, with these people usually overseeing everything it takes to run a city, from transportation issue to sales tax and beyond.</p></li>
<li><p>The MPA and MPP are both professional degrees. Some schools do offer an MA or MS in Public Administration or Public Policy, but these are different degrees.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>3A. An average starting salary of $50,000 is common because most MPA/MPP graduates have work experience under their belts before enrolling in the program. If you go to work for the government as a bureaucrat, don’t expect to ever top more than $100,000 in the course of your entire career. Public Administrators do not get paid well (compared to other professional degrees), but the benefit is job security and a good retirement package. There are some jobs that do, obviously, pay much better, but these are usually senior government positions or chief city planning officials.</p>

<p>3B. My suggestion to you is to go to work right out of undergrad and pay down the debt you have now. You can always go back to school, and at most top programs this is pretty necessary. My rule of thumb for loans: don’t let your debt climb higher than your annual salary. You can probably find a decent in state program for a reasonable price. Not everyone has to go to Harvard.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>As I said before, go to work. You’ll take a lot more away from the experience if you’ve had a real job for a few years, I promise.</p></li>
<li><p>If you have a job before getting the grad degree, you have a much better shot of returning to work there. Most MPA/MPP programs require an internship, which is usually a good transition into a career. There are numerous government, think tank, and NPO jobs out there - if you do have to fend for yourself, you won’t have difficulty finding something.</p></li>
</ol>

3

<p>Will I be at a huge disadvantage if I go to an MPA/MPP program directly from undergrad? Wouldn’t doing an internship essentially, like you mentioned, transition me into my career? I know many schools like Georgetown and Duke practically force you into an internship if you have no professional work experience.</p>

<p>Also, in regards to benefits, how do they compare to working in the private sector? I know benefits are different, but what exactly does that mean? As far as I was concerned, people in the private sector also have retirement plans, health care, etc. right?</p>

<p>I actually have 1 last question for salary. I know working in the public sector means your salary is not going to be as high as that in the private sector, but does that mean one would be making $50k-70k for the majority of their career? As in starting salary is $50k and after 10 years of exp. or so, you’re only making $60k? Sorry if it sounds like I’m money hungry or something, but it is naturally something to consider right?</p>

<p>In regards to your statement, “don’t let your debt climb above your annual salary,” I think that might be impossible for me. Like I said, I come from a low income family so my family will not be able to provide me with any money. Also, I have relatives who went to pharmacy school and practically were $300,000 in debt by graduation. Although their starting salary was $100,000+ so their debt was paid off within a decade. I was wondering about the same thing for MPA/MPP. If my starting salary is $50,000, wouldn’t it be okay to be $100,000 in debt?</p>

4

<p>Most top MPA/MPP give a huge preference to people with work experience. It will be very difficult for you to go to a top program straight out of undergrad. That being said, there are certain costs and benefits to consider. If you go to a state school right out of college you can probably get your degree for about $30,000, but you won’t be nearly as in demand for the bigger paying jobs or fast track career paths. If you work first and then apply to a top program, while the degree will cost more you also have more earning potential with your starting salary, assuming you land a big job. You’re right about the internship thing - I’ve never seen a program that doesn’t require an extensive internship for people with no work experience. However, I personally am a firm believer that the people who get the most out of their grad experience are those who have worked a full time job.</p>

<p>As for benefits, working for the government gives you a lot of job security and the same benefits you would see in the private sector (healthcare, retirement, etc.) The big difference is that, unlike private companies, the government is probably never going to go under, so you can rest assured that your benefits will always be safe.</p>

<p>For your salary, it really just depends on what field you go to work in. A lot of MPA people wind up at NPOs or as midlevel government bureaucrats, and they probably will make around $70,000 at the peak of their careers. Other jobs, like working in planning for major cities, can realistically push you into six figures by your forties. There are also career opportunities in the private sector that pay pretty well, but these are rare.</p>

<p>When I commented on the debt amount, I meant your shouldn’t amass more debt than what you will be making as a starting salary when you graduate. There are a lot of strong program out there that cost less than $50,000. If you want to work for the government, these are probably good options for you to look in to. If, however, you think you want to go into a more lucrative area that has stronger salary growth, sure, go for the expensive programs. Picking a grad school for this degree can get very tricky because you really need a good idea of what you want to do with your life. This is another reason I suggest you work first - find out where you’d be happy and pick your program accordingly. I strongly advise that you steer clear of the super expensive programs unless you have built up some money and know you can land a job earning $65,000+ per year.</p>

5

<p>“For your salary, it really just depends on what field you go to work in. A lot of MPA people wind up at NPOs or as midlevel government bureaucrats, and they probably will make around $70,000 at the peak of their careers.”</p>

<p>$70k at the peak of one’s career? No way right? I know high school teachers that have taught for 20 years and are making $80k. Jee, no wonder so many people are turned off by the public sector.</p>

6

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<p>Right. This figure isn’t exactly accurate. At the federal level you’d probably start at a GS-9 ($46,686 – $60,773) level, move up to a GS-11 ($56,487 – $73,607), and eventually to GS-13 ($80,510 – $104,910) provided you play your cards right. Keep in mind these are 2009 figures, by the time you’re done with your MPP they will have probably increased. If you go about it the right way, you can move into lobbying or some other private sector area and make much more than that. There are lots of things you can do with an MPA/MPP and lots of schools offer different foci (everything from urban planning to foreign policy), so there’s no real glass ceiling set at $70k. So you won’t be making Goldman-level bank (though you could go for an MBA afterwards), but it’s not a bad gig and the job security/benefits/etc are great.</p>

7

<p>Of course there’s no absolute cap at $70,000, but those federal level jobs that pay extremely well are very hard to come by and “playing your cards right” is a lot easier said than done. I’ve seen different figures for the average salary for people holding an MPA or MPP, but the range is pretty much set at $55,000 to $62,000. Most of the jobs out there do not pay very well at all. Of course, all of this depends on what field you want to go into. The average pay for a city manager, for example, is $90,000, but the vast majority of jobs might never pay that well.</p>

8

<p>“those federal level jobs that pay extremely well are very hard to come by” - I’d say this depends on several factors, including your network, prior experience, mastery of the application process and (of course) brownie-point multipliers like the PMF. Based on the experiences of my immediate circle, I’d say the toughest part is getting your foot in the door - promotions do occur regularly and there’s no reason a smart, capable GS-9 can’t move up the ranks quickly.</p>

9

<p>I think this is true of many public sector jobs:</p>

<p>The pay is crappy, but usually benefits and job security (not always) make up for it. </p>

<p>Also, getting top jobs is easier said than done. Really. Yes, it is about who you know, and how much you are willing to kiss ass, but everyone is doing that too (networking, brown nosing). Its usually your track record that sets you apart from the pack. For top positions, usually 100+ applications roll in, and almost everyone is highly qualified.</p>