Does research really matter?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello, all.</p>

<p>Like many of my peers, I am considering grad school after finishing up college in May 2011. Specifically, I am looking into Master of Public Admin/Affairs programs. Does having research experience really matter for this kind of degree?</p>

<p>I ask because for my senior year, I have the option of doing a thesis or an internship to finish up my major (Social/ Cultural Anthropology). I am leaning towards the internship more because I want some actual experience in the "real world" (I have only had 1 internship at this point. Most of my time was taken over by jobs to pay for school and help feed family :P). Depending on local availability, the internship would probably be with a nonprofit. I have a bit of research experience already in 2 faculty-student research courses but nothing on my own outside of papers for classes.</p>

<p>Which path looks best to grad schools? </p>

<p>Thanks for any help you can offer. This forum has been great to me in giving me info on grad schools. No one in my family or social network has gotten a post-secondary school degree, so this is all really unexplored territory.</p>

2

<p>Any ideas?</p>

3

<p>internship…as long as its at a prestigious institution</p>

4

<p>Do an internship, then write a thesis on your experience, applying a theoretical framework to a practical application. That is exactly what a top grad school is looking for.</p>

5

<p>MPA programs, being professional degree programs (v. research/academic degree programs), may lean a bit more towards the internship, though I like the idea of combining the two.</p>