UW Evans MPA vs CMU Heinz MSPPM

[Fledermaus]

I am trying to decide which school, CMU or UW, is better for me, so I would appreciate your thoughts. (It is a long question though, my apologies).

The cost of each school is not a deciding factor as they will end up about the same for me. Also, I already have a job and will complete the degree while on a sabbatical, so I will not need to seek employment after graduation. I do not currently live in either WA or PA.

I am looking for strong quantitative curricula, information management /cybersecurity emphasis or at least electives, and plenty of other students around me with at least some professional experience. 

Advantage of UW Evans: 1) I have family in the area that I haven't lived near in more than a decade 2) strong CS heritage 3) strong quantitative program with emphasis in policy analysis 4) strong rankings and reputation 5) huge school with tremendous research resources.

Disadvantage of UW Evans 1)far from the hub of federal government 2) no established emphasis track in cybersecurity. 3) higher cost of living than Pittsburgh.

Advantage of CMU Heinz: 1) higher ranked program 2) top tier CS program at CMU 3) cybersecurity concentration is available 4) 16 month track is available 5) excellent quantitative curricula 6) is a master of science degree 7) is endorsed by the NSA.

Disadvantage of CMU: 1) far from family so no built in support system 2) smaller school with fewer research resources 3) not as well known on West Coast should I decide to live there later on.

Honestly, the family support is a real consideration so it makes UW enticing. CMU seems to be more respected though and may offer better CS studies, plus the existing relationship with the federal government is good for career contacts.  

As an added monkeywrench, I am also considering GWU Trachtenberg, but it is second to UW and CMU in my estimation.  It's a tough choice and I would appreciate your thoughts.

Edited January 11, 2017 by Fledermaus

[SarahBethSortino]

I don't know anything about any of your programs, but all things considered if the programs are mostly equal, I would go with the one that offers you family support. I exclusively applied to PhD programs near my family because I'm aware that I will need to lean on them for help with my daughter and any future children I will have during this process. Even if you don't have kids or are not planning on that, there is much to be said for taking a break and going somewhere familiar that has nothing to do with your program to decompress. On top of  that, at this level of academia, research opportunities are key. I'd go with UW. Good luck!!

[Emarouk]

I'm graduating from Evans this year. I would say one of the biggest "perks" of Evans is how adept the school is at networking for graduates of their program. Evans graduates are everywhere--there are plenty in federal government. That type of network may be less important to you if you're planning on returning to your old job, but it never hurts to have plenty of folks you are connected to. Did you look into the executive program at all? If you already have quite a bit of experience that may be a better fit for you--and it's faster. There are quite a few folks who came into this program with some experience and many who are currently working, but that group is smaller than is the less-experienced and younger part of the cohort.
There are some courses around cybersecurity at Evans and you can also take electives in other colleges for that. Big data is a hot topic on campus at the moment and more and more courses are popping up.
I did the MPA program concurrently with the MSW and I also work in social policy research at UW. I added on the MPA because I wanted more quantitative coursework and it has been good for that. My main critique of Evans is that it lacks contextual coursework--it really is a tool based, quantitative, professional program. For me that wasn't ideal on its own, which is why I did the dual degree, but if you are focused on quantitative work, this is a great program. I've made it through while working and raising my daughter here on my own, but my oh my would I have appreciated some family support. If I was in your position, that might be a defining factor for me.
I'm not sure if that helps at all, but feel free to hit me up with any questions!