<p>Any info on GMU's MPP Program? I know that Mason has a solid reputation in the DC/MD/VA areas, but what about elsewhere?</p>
<p>I’m wondering about this program too… I heard that it’s a great program, but again, from someone that is in the Beltway</p>
<p>I wound up applying to GMU for the Fall 2009. Still waiting on a decision. I talked with my old college advisor and he had a few things to say about the program: </p>
<p>1) Close to DC, so it has some great resources/connections
2) Pretty well-known faculty within the field
3) Conservative/Libertarian bent</p>
<p>This is coming from a prof based in California, so their rep seems to travel this far west.</p>
<p>I’ve always heard that the faculty at Mason, regardless of the department or discipline, is fairly conservative. I also know that GMU is consistently ranked as one as the top “Up and Coming Colleges” (only been around since 1972) in the United States. As far as the MPP program goes, it says on their website that somewhere over 65% of their students are part-time students who work while pursuing their degree, so I assume that a lot of those people are either young professionals looking to get a leg up or mid-career folks looking to solidify their career. Those are connections right there. I always take what I read on a school’s website with a grain of salt, but apparently they have a solid alumni network in the DC Metro Area. Added bonus- if you’re a VA resident then tuition is dirt cheap, relatively speaking.</p>
<p>I know someone who is attending GMU for their PhD right now, and he tell some great things about the university. We both attended SUNY Albany, which is touted for its great public affairs programs, and I am told that GMU provides much better resources for such studies. Their is a constant flow of recruitment and networking opportunities from inside the beltway.</p>
<p>If I attend I am certainly going to try for in-state tuition for my second year. $500 a unit is a steal. But even their out of state is around a 1000 per unit. Before aid is considered that is a couple of hundred dollars cheaper than most private schools.</p>