Considering MPA or MPP

<p>Is a(n) MPP or a(n) MPA worth it?</p>

<ol>
<li>
Based on some preliminary research, the most lucrative career option for a(n) MPP or MPA seems to be consultancy at top dogs like Booz Allen or McKinsey.</li>
</ol>

<p>a. What are the other options that may not be lucrative as consultancy but offers "financial comfort"?
b. Are there any in the public sector?
c. I know that firms like Goldman Sachs/Morgan Stanley do hire MPAs but do they hire many?</p>

<ol>
<li><p>In addition, is a PhD in public policy analysis (after getting MPA/MPP) worth the time and effort? What are my career options with that? Are they only marginally higher with a(n) MPP or MPA only?</p></li>
<li><p>a. Finally, is there an obsession with college rankings in the field/discipline as there is with law and business?
b. How relevant is work experience in getting into a good MPA/MPP school like SIPA at Columbia or Wagner at NYU or Harris at U Chicago or Trachtenberg at GW?
c. Is there a huge emphasis in admissions on the standardized test (in this case, GRE) as there is with law and medicine?</p></li>
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<p>Sorry for the many questions (lol). I didn't expect to ask so many, but as I typed they just came.</p>

<p>Thank you in advance for any feedback.</p>

<p>1a. Most MPA/MPP grads end up as midlevel bureaucrats at the state and federal level, overseeing certain programs to ensure efficiency or helping to develop new policies. City management and urban planning are also popular choices. The pay won’t be as great as you’d see in the private sector, or course, but government jobs offer a lot of stability and security.</p>

<p>1b. Most MPA/MPP jobs are public sector. In the private sector, the degree can be desirable for its emphasis on economics and data analysis (a lot of the skills you learn in an MPA/MPP program overlap with MBA skills).</p>

<p>1c. No, not really. Obviously if you want to work in the private sector an MBA will suit you much better.</p>

<ol>
<li>As with any PhD, your biggest career option is in academia. This is a research oriented degree - you won’t learn any actual skills beyond what you pick up at the Master’s level; instead, your emphasis will be on producing independent research. Some PhDs will find themselves working for the government or for think tanks, yes, but most people who pursue the PhD will want to teach.</li>
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<p>3a. The MPA/MPP (especially the MPP) are relatively new degrees and new fields of inquiry. As such, the competition is not as high as in MBA and JD programs. However, as with all graduate programs, competition does exist and it will only get more competitive as time goes on.</p>

<p>3b. Work experience will help a lot at the top programs, but I’ve seen people get in straight out of undergrad. You’ll probably take more away from the experience if you wait a few years. The only people who I know who have jumped right in have wanted to go on to pursue the PhD.</p>

<p>3c. The GRE is a very significant portion of the application, yes.</p>

<p>Thank you! :-)</p>