Help Choosing Graduate Degree: MPA vs. MHRLR

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi all! Firstly, I have been a long time fan of the forums here. </p>

<p>I am about to start my senior year of undergrad with a double major in PoliSci and International Studies. I have long thought of grad school as the natural next step because a BA in either of these doesn't offer much. I also am under the impression that although I love Political Science, a MA in it also doesn't seem that lucrative considering the investment of time and money. </p>

<p>I would like a career that allows me to help people and get a decent salary. I already have a family and am eager to get out there and start making a good wage. My grad school is already selected (the mid grade one right down the road from me), I have narrowed it down to MPA/ MUP joint degree. With that I could be nonprofit administrator, or work in government (the latter I don't view as helping people so am leaning towards the former) but the job market for those seems tiny and pay isn't that great. </p>

<p>Or the Masters of Human Resources and Labor Relations Joint (MHRLR) degree. The job market seems better with this one, and the degree takes half the time (1yr vs. 2). The problem is I wouldn't be helping people with humanitarian issues. Instead I would be in the corporate world helping workers.</p>

<p>I'd like to know what you all think. Am I wrong about any of my many assumptions? Which option seems best to you? Is there a better option for another MA perhaps? Thanks ahead of time</p>

2

<p>Well, there are other jobs you can do with the MPA. You could be a healthcare administrator for hospitals and clinics; you could administrate other public works that are in your local or state government and not just federal. You could do administration for museums and park systems.</p>

<p>As someone who went into my field (public health) to help people but also experimented with a corporate internship helping businesses (market research) this summer…if your passion is helping and working with people who really need it, you may be frustrated in the corporate world. I realized that I’d rather make less money working in the health field than make more money doing this. It’s boring simply because it’s not where my passion lies, and instead of interacting with people I am staring at a computer screen all day. Of course in HR there may be some more interaction, but I think it all depends.</p>

<p>Honestly, I still think the MPA is the best option - you can still do corporate things with that if you want. My roommate just graduated with her MPA/MPH and she’s working as a health policy consultant with Booz Allen starting this fall. She says that it was mainly the MPA that got her the position.</p>