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Unsure What I Should Be Doing, Looking At


jenn_conn

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I am currently a college sophomore at a top 50 liberal arts college in the U.S. and intend on majoring in Mathematics and minors in Urban Studies and Community Action. I am interested in working in government in logistics management and/or transportation planning. I am unsure about what exactly I should be looking at for graduate school and feel that I need to get a sense of my direction before I apply to internships, am more set in my college curriculum, etc. As a potential math major, I get almost no advising on government careers particularly in the fields that I would like to work in - most of the math majors at my school end up becoming actuaries or work in corporate sector finance. I would really love some help on getting a sense on what I should be doing as a student interested in working in government in logistics management and transportation planning. 

 

So here is my background:

Major: Mathematics

Minors: Urban Studies and Community Action

GPA: 3.3 out of 4.0 (I believe is low for graduate school, 3.47 overall undergraduate GPA with summer courses at other institutions)

Other notes: First-generation college student, Pell Grant eligible

 

This summer, I interned at my local Transportation Planning and Zoning Office and was very interested in the work that my city transportation planner and zoning managers did - I was most interested in the Project Coordinator's work, planning and managing assets/money for different transportation projects in the city. I also shadowed at my regional Department of Transportation office and also was most interested in the work that transportation analysts were doing with project management of different transportation projects in the region.

 

During the school year, I work as a tech project coordinator of a non-profit organization with about 50,000 followers. I also have some experience managing non-profit mentoring programs and have worked with UNICEF on a mapping project. 

 

Because of these experiences, I thought of pursuing a Master's in Public Administration, but after reading posts on the GradCafe and other sources, many consider it a worthless degree. Most of the arguments made outlined was that the degree is a total waste of money - one could develop the same skills and learn the same material while working in the government. I was wondering would a Master in Public Administration truly fit my career interests? Would a degree in transportation management be better? Who should I reach out in order to get a better understanding of whether or not the degree is right for me?

 

I was also worried about my GPA and the major I am intending to choose. I have looked at the requirements for both Master in Public Administration and Master in Transportation Management programs and most require at least two years worth of college math (which would be great for me!). But I also feel (especially for an MPA), I would be at a serious disadvantage to other students if I do not major in government, political science, economics, public policy, etc. because I  may not be getting the firm government institution coursework with majoring in Mathematics. Is my reasoning correct? 

 

I am also worried that my GPA may not be as high as students who are not majoring in a STEM field - I believe my main priority first is to increase my GPA, because I should be aiming to attend the best graduate school as possible (which I may not be able to with a low GPA) and as a low-income student, should try to seek as much funding as possible. What do you think about my grades and would my grades be highly considered in a MPA program?

 

Are there any other suggestions and/or advice for me? Any websites/resources I can read in order to get a better sense about graduate MPA or Master in Transportation Management Programs and my career goals in general? Any programs that I should possibly look to apply for either next semester or the summer?

 

Thank you so much!

Edited by jenn_conn
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I think a 3.4 in a STEM field will get you into most masters programs in this field but try to do better.

 

Take a look at some masters of urban planning programs like NYU wagner. However, I think you may be putting to much stock in what some very cynical people are saying about MPAs. MPA's make more money that people with planning masters.

 

Don't worry about not having a gov/ policy background. Many students in MPA programs don't and classes are designed with this audience in mind.

 

If I were you I would try to really establish a coherent career direction prior to application.

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@jenn_conn, I think you are at a great point in your education to look forward to some solid job experience. Simply put, that's the best thing you can do to prepare yourself for the future instead of trying to figure out what grad degree you should be getting. Work experience is the most reliable way to try out the career path that you are interested in, and if graduate school will help with that, you'll find out as time goes on. Work in the public sector/ government doesn't require a graduate degree, not like math or law or even business, so try that out first. Just leafing through some of the SOP threads or other threads will help you see that many people came to grad school later from a variety of different majors (including mathematics) because of the work experience that they had in different areas. 

 

It's great that you've had some exposure to transportation management and working in local government already. I think this is a good point to talk to friends who may have graduated already and worked in such areas. Make use of your network that you got this summer from your internship and talk to other people and what they did/ where they worked early on in their careers. Go to your career services office and ask if they have alumni who worked in local government or transportation and ask to be put in contact with them. 

 

I strongly suggest you get at least 1-2 years work experience in the areas that you're interested in before you apply for a graduate degree. Even more is better and will help inform your career direction as well as put you in a great situation for funding. Good luck!

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Actually, these days having a STEM background can be very beneficial if you're looking for a government career, particularly if you want to do logistics and planning.  So much of government work these days relies on data, the ability to collect, understand, and organize it (one of the reasons so many MPA programs have begun to focus on quant preparation), so in that sense, having a STEM background is really helpful.  Yes, your background would be different than the typical Masters applicant, but that's probably more of a plus than anything.  No school wants a class made of people with exactly the same backgrounds, so having something that helps you stand out from the crowd is great.  

 

Definitely focus on finishing your undergrad career strong (you have lots of time to raise your GPA) and then try to get some work experience after you graduate.  I know in STEM fields it's more common to head straight to grad school, but the variety of available fields and paths in public service work really means that you won't have a clear sense of what kind of grad degree will best for you until you get out into the field and get a better understanding of what kinds of jobs are best for you.   It's extremely difficult to figure that out while you're still in college, but once you get out there and start working you'll have a much better sense of both what kinds of things you want and, maybe more importantly, what things you DON'T want professionally. And that in turn will better shape your graduate experience.   Also, having good work experience can help off set having a lower GPA.   

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