<p>Is it possible to apply to the top MPP programs (e.g., Kennedy) without any public sector experience? Especially if one is not a spring chicken in the 20s anymore? (In my 30s already)</p>
<p>@ stratosphere</p>
<p>Are you considering other schools beside Kennedy? Even if you don’t have prior public work experience, if you have ANY work experience, it will count. You can explain in your statement of purpose why you want a career change and what you want to study. You are not at a disadvantage.</p>
<p>Yes, I am considering SAIS at John Hopkins, SIPA at Columbia, Fletcher at Tufts, Woodrow Wilson at Princeton, and Berkeley. All of them seem to have some specific edge, for instance Columbia is more career minded and less academic than, say, Princeton. </p>
<p>I could use my communications background and tie it into the future of public policy. But my questions: </p>
<ol>
<li><p>Would an MBA be a more flexible grad degree? It seems to me that any job I could get from a public policy program I could also get from an MBA. But the vice versa is not true. </p></li>
<li><p>Is it possible for international people to find public policy jobs in the US? I am not sure about this and the career placement websites are carefully evasive of this fact as they want to inflate applications. I am most categorically <em>not</em> interested in pursuing a public policy career in the country whose passport I hold and would much rather work in the US or Canada, for neither of which I have work authorization at the moment. </p></li>
</ol>
<p>Thoughts? Thanks for sharing any ideas or pointers.</p>
<p>Gentle bump</p>