mppgal55

UMass-Amherst has a program in food policy. See: http://www.masspolicy.org/acad_mppa_food.html. I applied to their MPPA program for the FY 2010 cycle (not for food policy specifically, though) and they were very generous with their aid packages. It is a smaller program, but I've seen grads in the DC workforce with solid job placements.

When I was talking to a CIA recruiter earlier this year, they mentioned something similar. Apparently people screw up for two reasons: 1) lying about illegal music downloading, which is a federal crime and 2) the person administrating the test is combative on purpose to see how people react under pressure. For example, the woman I talked to had never done drugs. The administrator's response was to ask pointed, insulting questions like "why not? did you have friends? didn't you ever get invited to parties?" etc.

As the poster above said, a lot of times MPP/MPA admissions cycles are unique from a university's graduate school admissions (That the MA pols would be under). That said, even though admissions deadlines have passed, sometimes schools will make exceptions and still consider you. You can speak with the university I'm assuming you've already accepted, or even branch out and look elsewhere. I know that Heinz was considering one or two people who missed the deadline - they aren't positively going to get a spot, mind you, but they are being considered.

I'm at work, so don't have time to be totally inclusive of details. That said, you should consider the MSHCPM program at Carnegie Mellon's Heinz School. It's a Masters of Science in Health Care Policy and Management. It is a very well-connected program, and has a variety of econ, management, policy, and health care classes. My friends from the program are working at consulting firms, hospitals, gov't agencies, and a few are internationally focused. Or, you can do the MSPPM at CMU and focus in health policy - you still have access to all the HCPM classes. Just my 2 cents. Best of luck!

That job number is a rumor and wrong; I know two Chinese students who just got offers last week (one to PNC Bank and one to BNY Mellon). That said, as much as I LOVE the MSPPM program, you seem to have already made up your mind just in how you framed the original post. I think you just need someone to tell you it is ok, because it isn't as well-known. While reputation matters, if the fit isn't there, it isn't there. If UCSD is your dream school and is a good fit, then don't let anything hold you back.

The gym definitely kind of sucks, it is really small. The best fitness options my friends and I have decided on have been swimming at the CMU pool and hot yoga in Shadyside. CMU's been subsidizing/paying for yoga lately, but before that it wasn't that expensive. There's a gym near my house I almost joined, but it was out of my budget. When it is nice out, the parks are great for walks/hiking/running.

The DC Program Coordinator, Marie, is not our only point of contact - Martin Black, former Director of the Career Center (now he's in external relations?) is our go-to guy in Pittsburgh. Anita, the MSPPM career person in the career center, is always there for us as well. I've gotten great help/advice from all 3. Marie primarily works on helping us secure our apprenticeship. We had a meeting with her on Friday via webcam as well. She comes to DC sometimes to meet us, but that isn't always possible. FYI, internships are NOT required for DC students, but they are recommended and most of us try to find them anyways. Also, the atmosphere between current DC students is anything but competitive. I'm "competing" with another student for apprenticeship positions in the sense that we're seeking exactly the same type of work, but we still exchange job postings, share advice on interviews, hang out and get drinks, etc. It's the same within all industries. Two of my friends are interviewing with USAID friday, competing for one position, yet they're helping each other prepare. This is typical. Heinz gives us lots of free booze - sometimes they just put a keg and pizza in the foyer on friday night for us, other times they arrange off-campus happy hours, and there is a big social/dance thing each semester. We get free pizza a lot too, but you get sick of quickly enough that it loses its allure. There's also a bar across from our building where we go a lot during the week after class. ($5 pitchers!...just got back from there actually). That said, we do study a lot. Grad school is challenging, especially on the DC track. As for faculty...I've had one prof who never answered emails, which sucked, but that was the exception. Most faculty are very easy to approach, and some even give out their phone numbers. I've had some profs offer to meet one on one for coffee, and they always stay after class to answer questions. I hope y'all had a great time visiting!

Sorry, I've been computer-less (not a good plan in grad school). I'm not sure on this. I know a few dual students, but most started at Tepper. I think it is possible, but you'll have to be accepted through Tepper's program independently of all things Heinz. I do know you can take 4 courses from Tepper, no more than 2 in a semester though. You can also take classes at Pitt's GSPIA and in other departments on CMU's campus (I'm a fan of engineering and public policy classes, because it is focused a lot on energy).

CMU offers deferrals for special circumstances, and I believe you are reconsidered for funding with the new applicants (I'd check on that though). I will say that being in Pittsburgh in no way hinders people from going anywhere else. We have a ton of students in DC, Chicago, NYC, Boston, LA, and the Silicon Valley. Our career services hosts networking events in all of those cities, and we get big companies flying in to do recruiting. As for working v. school, it depends on your ultimate goal. Do you want to end up in consulting? If so, the job is a good offer. You could also try to hire in with Deloitte in a US city after graduation; this would be easier if you'd worked there before.

The DC track is limited to 25 students each year. If less than that choose to attend, then they will accept applications from other Heinz students in the first few weeks and make selections at that point to fill spots. They are willing to keep the number lower if they don't think the applicants at that point are a good fit. For example, we started the year with 19 students. They accepted 4 more, 3 of whom were on the 3-semester track (I believe something like 25 students applied to switch into it). They also accepted one girl this spring (she's in the accelerated undergraduate program, which is why it was so late). So, we'll have 24 unless anyone drops out last minute. <-- is all typical for each year the program has been in existence.

I'd suggest emailing David Krackhardt and/or Denise Rousseau at Heinz - both are experts in Social Networks and they may be able to advise you further.

This is a pretty good comparison, and reinforces the image us Heinzers have of the folks over at Harris. Most of the faculty and students will admit that Harris is very well known for theory, and Heinz is more known for practice. They don't hide it nor are they ashamed of it. If you're seeking a PhD immediately following a Masters, Harris may be a better fit. If you're looking to go into business at some point, Heinz may be a better fit. *edited to add that the above doesn't mean Harris is only worth it if you're interested in a PhD, only that it is more likely better preparation than Heinz. One of my favorite professors and I were discussing admissions (which he used to run), and we were talking about how for most Heinz students, their decisions ended up between Ford, Harris, Heinz, and Maxwell. Ford gets most of the IR folk (though ID is getting stronger every year at Heinz), and is the hardest to distinguish from Heinz. Harris is more for theorists, Maxwell is more for public administration, Heinz and Ford are more policy analysis. Heinz puts the largest focus on MBA-type skills and "practical" knowledge, Harris has more political economy, Maxwell has more on bureaucracy, Ford has more electives. That's full of rampant generalizations, but it sums up as comparing fit of each program to what your end-goal is. In general, it helps to pick a program that strengthens your weaknesses.

It really runs the full spectrum. I know a few people working in finance (PNC, Bank of America), some more in economic consulting, a few at IBM (in finance, strategy, risk, and gov't affairs I believe), a bunch in consulting positions. There are some who work in advising/analyst positions in state and local government organizations. Some people go into fundraising or research at nonprofits. Some go into government directly.

The class schedule varies. There are classes 9-10:20, 10:30-11:50, 1:30-2:50, 3:30-4:50, and 5:30-8:20. You have decent flexibility when scheduling your classes, so you can either fill up MWF and have TR empty, or have a whole bunch of night classes, or no night classes, etc. It is typical to take 5 classes each mini; some do 4 or 6. All classes, except for night class, last 1hr and 20 minutes. Night classes usually have breaks in the middle. As for working in Pittsburgh, a lot of people choose to take federal work study jobs or get internships in the city. Heinz has some great community partnerships. I'm doing FWS, working as a research assistant in one of the policy centers on campus. A few weeks after you arrive, a host of jobs get posted, and then you can apply for your favorites. I'd suggest persistently following up with the ones you're most interested in. There is also an internship fair at the beginning of the semester, if you prefer something outside of school. I wouldn't recommend working any more than 10 hrs - I'm committed to that, and it seems like too much sometimes. More would be death for a DC student (Since we have to take 60 units, we're a bit more loaded than some students). Good luck with the funding email! I'm curious if they'll increase offers this year like they did last year. I wish I'd asked for more!

Don't be concerned about job opportunities at Heinz. Everyone I know who has put in some search effort has internship and job interviews lined up. Career services is great, there is a ton of on-campus recruiting, and a great reputation in the private sector on top of the public sector connections. There are people who stay in Pittsburgh, but many go to Chicago, LA, Boston, DC, NYC, Silicon Valley, etc. Also, if you have no technical or quantitative background, it is still very possible to succeed in your classes - the program will give you those skills. That said, SIPA and GPPI are great schools, and I'm sure you'd get a great job after attending either of those programs as well. Is it possible for you to visit and check out the fit in person?