Hello,
I’m 26 year old social worker in CT and I’ve finally made my mind up in regards to my education. For the longest time I’ve considered going back to school for my LCSW or MBA but after some soul searching i’ve decided to go to get my MPA.
I’ve been looking at University of Connecticut’s program, ranked in the top 50 by U.S. News. Fairly tough school to get into, fairly pricey (~ $25,000) but is a well recognized school in the area. It also has a strong alumni association with some notable alum. Also fully accreddited by NASPAA.
However, due to time and budget constraints, I was thinking of going online. I did some research and found out that University of Nebraska Omaha is not only accredited by NASPAA, but is ranked in the top 30 of public affairs schools in the country. I’ve spoken to several representatives of the program and they have told my that while the acceptance rate is high and that they are not too strict on admissions, they are a very thorough program. They did not hesitate at all to emphasize that the coures are extremely demanding as well as the capstone and internship requirements, which made me extremely happy to hear.
Anyway, my questions i this - do you think it would hurt my career or hold my back in the long run if I have UNO on my resume (even if I had a great GPA/internships/capstone project) versus Uconn (a much more respected and “prestigious” school overall)
also, feel free to ask more questions and such because I’m open to discuss this - it’s a big step in my life as I was one who never took education too seriously and now that I have some motivation and purpose in my life, I’m actually motivated and eager to do well.
thanks to anyone for all answers!