<p>I'm an international student from China with an interest in public policy. While I have no intention of entering academia, I want to eventually pursue a career as consultant or policy advisor. Harvard Kennedy School is better known than Teachers College (at least in China) but I'm not sure if a masters (MPA) is as well regarded as a Doctor of Education (EdD). Any advice is appreciated.</p>
<p>IMO…IF your interest is NOT in academia, then EdD would not apply. You would be better served pursuing a MPA with your interest in public policy. I understand HKS looks for applicants with at least a couple of years in public sector/business experience.
G’Luck-
~APOL-a Mum</p>
<p>everything being equal (cost and program duration), wouldn’t it be better to get a doctorate than a masters? I already have an MBA from a 2nd tier school and hoping to strengthen my resume.</p>
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<li> Columbia University Teachers College is probably the highest-quality EdD degree in the country, but that isn’t saying much. And EdD would be pretty much useless unless you intended to have a career focused on education policy, etc.</li>
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<p>If you want a bigger name in China, both Harvard and Stanford have ed schools where you could get an EdD.</p>
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<li> The MPA degree is designed pretty much to be the public-sector equivalent of an MBA. They aren’t exactly the same, but there is a lot of overlap, and the MPA doesn’t have a great reputation for rigor (although, yes, the Kennedy School is seen as one of the best of a bad lot). If you are interested in public policy analysis, rather than public sector management, the MPP degree seems much more substantive and demanding.</li>
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