Jump to content

Maxwell MPA vs. SPEA MPA? Please help :(


Recommended Posts

Syracuse Maxwell MPA vs. Indiana Bloomington SPEA MPA.. Not factoring in funding, which has the better program? Which has the better brand name?

I'm an international student and will return to my home country after completing my MPA, so not asking in terms of job offers in the US. I'm asking in terms of a high-quality education, a strong alumni network, and brand name/ prestige.

Thank you for any help. Would be really, really appreciated.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am an alum of the Maxwell School's MPA program.  My experience has been that Maxwell has a wonderful alumni network, and I felt that the teaching was excellent.  I currently work in the Washington, DC region, which is the most common place that alumni go, so that may impact my perception of the alumni network.  There were several international students when I was a student there, and they seem to be doing well (the ones I know of are working at UN/World Bank agencies abroad - some in their home countries).  In terms of brand name/prestige, it's certainly not as well known as Harvard, Columbia or Princeton, unless the organization has Maxwell alums working there already - there are a lot of us out there, so this is not unlikely.  And in my experience, Maxwell alums like to help each other out :-)

I know very little about Indiana's program other than it is ranked highly, so I'm afraid I can't really compare them.

Edited by MaxwellAlum
Link to comment
Share on other sites

You really can't go wrong with either program. Maxwell is the oldest MPA program in the country and is a 12 month program. SPEA is a two year program with an internship during the summer. Both have strong alumni networks, as Maxwell has a ton of loyal alumni throughout the US and SPEA has the most alumni. I've run into a lot of grads from both schools in DC and the skill-sets they carry rival those of other brand name policy programs.

Both programs carry less weight internationally than WWS, SIPA, SAIS, or HKS, particularly SPEA, but it really depends on what you want to focus on. If it is environmental/energy related, I'd recommend SPEA as it is arguably the best there is in environmental policy and their energy/environmental programs overlap heavily with classes from their geology department. Maxwell is stronger in security policy and international relations. Both are pretty even in basic policy analysis, public finance, and public administration. Both tend to be more holistic degrees as well, as they are MPA's but cover MPP theory and skills, whereas other programs may offer separate MPA and MPP degrees.

The thing I like about SPEA over Maxwell is they have less core requirements (18 credits out of 48 required, 5 classes and a capstone) than Maxwell (25 credits out of 40 required), which gives you a little more flexibility and time in focusing on your policy concentration. The downside is the program is longer.

Here are the concentrations of Maxwell (https://www.maxwell.syr.edu/paia/degrees/MPA_Program_of_Study/) and here are the concentrations for SPEA (https://spea.indiana.edu/masters/degrees-certificates/public-affairs/concentrations/).

Since you are looking to return to your home country, after choosing a concentration I'd try to contact both programs and see how much of the curriculum is relevant to the public sector of your native country. SPEA in particularly has a very domestic based curriculum, so I am not sure how relevant their classes on public finance and the law are to what you need to know to succeed after graduation, since you will likely be dealing with different tax systems and government structures in another country.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...
On 3/22/2016 at 6:21 PM, MaxwellAlum said:

I am an alum of the Maxwell School's MPA program.  My experience has been that Maxwell has a wonderful alumni network, and I felt that the teaching was excellent.  I currently work in the Washington, DC region, which is the most common place that alumni go, so that may impact my perception of the alumni network.  There were several international students when I was a student there, and they seem to be doing well (the ones I know of are working at UN/World Bank agencies abroad - some in their home countries).  In terms of brand name/prestige, it's certainly not as well known as Harvard, Columbia or Princeton, unless the organization has Maxwell alums working there already - there are a lot of us out there, so this is not unlikely.  And in my experience, Maxwell alums like to help each other out :-)

I know very little about Indiana's program other than it is ranked highly, so I'm afraid I can't really compare them.

Hello Everyone.

I am an aspirant of MPA and have got an admit from Maxwell School with around 2/3 funding for the total course. I also have admits from Harris and SIPA without any scholarships. I am still awaiting results from Duke- Sanford, Lee Kuan - Singapore and Gerald Ford. 

I have a background of MBA in HR from India and have done skill development work in developing countries for around 2.5 years post which my interest in doing more public service over HR. In total i hold work experience of around 7 years.

It would be grateful if you could guide me to what options to choose.

Thanks so much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use