publicaffairsstudent

I think it would produce good placements within the southeast, though less effective for national placements than if you went to the flagship NC program at chapel hill. Students will benefit from being in an MPA program at a department that houses a PhD program. There will be great opportunities for research so it would be a good program for students who are more interested in policy analysis than management.

I think you should stop worrying and stick with the work you've already done and await the results. It's too late to change anything so its out of your hands now. Rushing to submit to programs with late deadlines is unfair to your recommenders and places you under unnecessary stress. Lots of people go through 2 cycles before they find a place, the first attempt is an important learning experience. Anyways Syracuse social sciences has a march 1 deadline, but fellowship consideration was Feb 1. Some other programs to look at are University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Louisiana State University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, and University of Massachusetts at Boston. They may have rolling admissions.

Hey all, let's try to get some more public policy phd's on here. I recently submitted applications to 7 schools, and am glad to see I'm not alone if having not heard anything back yet. Here's my stats: Undergrad: Top 40 American private research university, had a rough time, 2.87 GPA in an English Major. Graduate: >100 ranked NASPAA Accredited MPA Program with a 4.0 GPA. GRE: 155 Q 170 V 5.0 AW. I also have taken the following supplementary courses with a 3.85 GPA: Calculus 1-3, Discrete Math, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics 1, Intermediate Microeconomics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Econometrics. Courses in Progress: Probability and Statistics 2, Differential Equations and Real Analysis. I also won an $800 research award to support an independent quantitative research project in education policy. I have tutored for 3 semesters, including 1 semester as a math tutor at 10 hours per week. 3.5 years work experience in non-profit sector (urban education) including 1 year Americorps VISTA. I applied to the following programs: Deadline Jan 15: Cornell Policy Analysis and Management, SUNY Albany Public Administration and Policy, UMD College Park Policy Studies. Deadline Feb 1: Syracuse Public Administration, Syracuse Social Sciences, Syracuse Economics, SUNY Buffalo Economics. Will post back when we hear things. Remember, there are many options besides academia!

Hey all, let's try to get some more public policy phd's on here. I recently submitted applications to 7 schools, and am glad to see I'm not alone if having not heard anything back yet. Here's my stats: Undergrad: Top 40 American private research university, had a rough time, 2.87 GPA in an English Major. Graduate: >100 ranked NASPAA Accredited MPA Program with a 4.0 GPA. GRE: 155 Q 170 V 5.0 AW. I also have taken the following supplementary courses with a 3.85 GPA: Calculus 1-3, Discrete Math, Linear Algebra, Probability and Statistics 1, Intermediate Microeconomics, Intermediate Macroeconomics, Econometrics. Courses in Progress: Probability and Statistics 2, Differential Equations and Real Analysis. I also won an $800 research award to support an independent quantitative research project in education policy. I have tutored for 3 semesters, including 1 semester as a math tutor at 10 hours per week. 3.5 years work experience in non-profit sector (urban education) including 1 year Americorps VISTA. I applied to the following programs: Deadline Jan 15: Cornell Policy Analysis and Management, SUNY Albany Public Administration and Policy, UMD College Park Policy Studies. Deadline Feb 1: Syracuse Public Administration, Syracuse Social Sciences, Syracuse Economics, SUNY Buffalo Economics. Will post back when we hear things. Remember, there are many options besides academia!

Don't go over the word limit under any circumstances. People have a lot of experience. But a 200 work essay is probably designed to produce a well-developed explanation of one particular experience. You submit a resume that tells everything you've done. The SOP is not an info dump but an opportunity for you to showcase your ability to write in a coherent and concise way. Pick your strongest connection to the topic and blow them away.

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.

I would strongly recommend finding a phd in your field to supervise your work if you decide to undertake this project. Also go into it knowing that you face long odds of publication. Then again I would never dissuade anyone from researching. What are your research interests? How are you with quantitative methods?

International applicants get a pass on GRE V. Internationals should be shooting for a 155. You actually have pretty exceptional GRE scores. Don't worry. Whether you should do a Masters? I don't know, you could definitely benefit from getting a full time job. However if you are dedicated to social entrepreneurship, a high profile US masters might help you get a foothold in the American job market. WashU (https://brownschool.wustl.edu/Academics/Master-of-Social-Work/Pages/Social-Entrepreneurship-Specialization.aspx) has a "Social Entrepreneurship" specialization which is the only program that combines their school of social work with their school of business. You might find that you have a little more knowledge of what to expect if you mature as a public servant in the workforce. As someone in an MPA program, I can tell you that students with work experience have much more to contribute in class. You also might be better at choosing a program for yourself, there are a lot of programs besides SAIS.

If you are interested in PhD's, and mention it in your SOP it will definitely help. If not, it won't hurt but you would have to make a good connection with it in your SOP. As someone with a BA, I think you will have a hard time creating sophisticated research that is publishable without the guidance of a prof. You might spend a lot of time and effort spinning your wheels. What kind of coursework did you take in undergrad that you think prepares you for this kind of project?

I don't know why b ended up as an emoticon. disregard it, it should be point b.

Never leave a job a) in the first year without having another job lined up. That's just what my parents told me.

I think this is really an mpa/mpp forum, but I know there are some phd threads, so I'd like to seek some input from anyone who can comment. To clarify I am interested in getting a funded offer at a top 20 public policy or public administration phd program. I went to a US News T30 university in undergrad and due to personal challenges and poor decisions graduated with a low gpa and no math. I am now in a mediocre MPA program and killing it. I have a 4.0 and extensive research experience including a paid RA and TA position in the research methods course. My GRE scores are above median for top programs in verbal and at median for quant. I am a part-time student and have a dynamic public service career going, political experience and a really powerful backstory. I've been given every indication by all my professors, and one prof on an adcomm at a top phd program (my profs advisor), that I am competitive anywhere I want to go. Still all have shared concerns about the optics of my application (low UG GPA/ mediocre grad institution). My closest professor (also my research mentor who has all his degrees from top programs) has indicated that I can improve my profile by taking supplementary math courses and for all intents and purposes mirroring the minimum math qualifications for econ programs. (I'm pretty good with statistical techniques, and doing an econometrics IS next semester, but I lack the "math maturity" to really understand what I'm doing right now). Though I plan on applying in feb 2016, that still doesn't give me time to take an econ style math sequence for credit. However I have networked into the math department at my current school (the administrative supervisor for my TA job is also a math prof) and have developed a strategy of self-study and targeted coursework to "signal" quantitative ability by my application deadline. I would like to hear some input on the plan. I've been spending 3 hours a week in the tutoring center working on math prep, and auditing calc 1, but I feel I need to be more aggressive. My plan is to pay a math tutor with a pedagogical background to design an ambitious curriculum of self study and guide me through it on a once per week basis. This summer I will be able to take calc II & III at the local community college, and will finally choose an advanced course such as Real Analysis at my UG in fall 2015 (I'm still in the same city) where I can hopefully be at the top of the class/ get an LOR from the prof. I think this will provide a strong "signal" of quantitative ability to adcomms, but I would like to hear what anyone else thinks of this strategy. I think I can do this, because despite my personal challenges already happening in HS, I was a strong math student (700+ math SAT) before the wheels fell off. At this point in time I am intensely focused and I have a experienced a very high aptitude for everything I've done recently Let me know if anyone has anything constructive to say about this plan.Thanks.

I'm applying for policy phds and masters in econ in fall 2015. Don't get me wrong, math is essential for an applicant in economics, and since the field has gotten increasingly competitive many applicants try to signal their ability by loading up on math classes. Admissions results on some of the other forums demonstrate that this is an advantage. This is what Harvard says about mathematical preparation for their graduate program: The minimum level of mathematical preparation to be considered includes calculus and linear algebra and demonstration of proficiency with mathematics. Increasingly, successful applicants will have taken more mathematics. In particular, most successful applicants now take real analysis, although that is not a requirement. Your background is in development economics, so its silly to be looking into sociology phds. You seem to have good grades from good schools, so if you just take the necessary math classes, you probably have a good shot at an econ program in the top 50. Apply and see what happens. Also, I'm not sure how familiar you are with the American higher ed system, but policy studies is a growing field and many schools have phd's in public policy that you would be competitive for. These programs generally do not have math requirements, but policy research is heavily quantitative and a strong quant gre score is still important. Harvard, Chicago and Michigan all have programs, along with other schools like Maryland. Michigan's program is known for having focuses in the disciplines of poli sci, soc and econ, and while you have to gain admission to both the policy and econ departments, you may have an easier time going that route.

I'm not necessarily looking for personal fulfillment per se. But the idea that studying economics in an affordable master program might be more fulfilling that working in a tough economic climate is a consideration. I do a lot of self study. I'm working on a good RA project for my professor right now, and he's gonna supervise me in an independent study next semester that I get course credit for. I know what you're talking about though, one of the best parts of being enrolled as a student is the online library access. I understand why Aaron Swartz was so passionate about his cause.

You can remedy a quant deficiency in econ. You probably have the required econ courses. Into/Inter Micro and Macro and a strong development econ background. You just need Calc 1-3, and linear algebra. Stats 1-2 and real analysis are also helpful but not necessary and anything else is just window dressing provided you can study up to a GRE score above 163. Guys on econ forums talk a big game because they may be a little insecure and want to weed out competition. Don't let that talk scare you off if you are passionate about econ.

I live in an upstate ny city with a top private research university...ahem... and I meet a lot of people, particularly in psych who have a bachelor's and are in research positions at the university. If Ahoy_Miloy sees the same thing in Bloomington, I would wager a guess that most universities with strong psych programs have a lot of bachelors level researchers working for them. Also, DC has the NIH and probably similar organizations, I would think research hubs like that would have opportunities as well.

Yeah, no biggie, I was just wondering if research opportunities would be possible. After talking with folks on urch, a good rec from a professor at a top school is probably not worth 6,000 to take his course. I research in my own program, but it would be good to get some econ research experience to prep for econ apps. If I do decide to go the econ route rather than policy, its looking like I will probably do a masters. I'm young, I have the money to do it, and the job market is not really that lucrative for me right now, so while I am working I'd feel more fulfilled studying things I love.

You might want to reevaluate your application before you drop $60,000 on MAPSS. Could you boost your GRE scores? Can you get a research position somewhere that will boost your application and actually pay you in the time before admissions. Do you have weaknesses like a weak quant profile that you could remedy with a year of work experience and some part time courses? Could you develop programming, coding or software competencies that would make you an attractive RA for your department? It seems like a big investment, not that MAPSS doesn't provide an excellent, albeit exorbitantly expensive, intellectual opportunity. Also, I don't know if this is the case in psych, but in other disciplines, departments don't want you figuring out your research interests in their program. They want you to have solid research experience and research interests that they can help you build on. Ambiguous research objectives could have been the fatal flaw in your application, which suggests to me that a research experience could be a better and less expensive way to improve your profile. Another option would be an MA program at an instate school where you live. I am doing a part time masters currently in another discipline while I work and build my profile for doctoral applications. Could work for you too.

Why don't you go post a profile on the urch.com econ forum. There are a lot more people there and they are very knowledgeable of international applications. You will probably not get a response from professors in economics departments if you seek to network before your application. I tried to get a course list from a secretary and was stonewalled, and other posters confirm this view. Policy might be different.

That's good to know. I'm not huge on rankings either, but not having a ranking was troubling to me.

I'm an MPA student considering a number of doctoral programs. I currently work in the field of adult education and am very involved in my community, which happens to be Rochester NY. While I am strongly motivated to do a funded phd at a highly ranked school, I also could envision a scenario in which I pursued a part-time phd in educational policy at the Warner School at the University of Rochester while continuing my community work. Rochester is a great place to be involved in education, especially education of disadvantaged people. However, I'm wondering what the reputation of the Warner school is and why is it not ranked on US News?

One of my PI's runs a policy lab in a large public Midwestern university with a strong econ department. Since I probably will take a year between masters and application to supplement my coursework, would landing an RA job at this lab or a similar lab boost my application? Has anyone heard of this strategy to boost an application like mine?

One of my PI's runs a policy lab in a large public Midwestern university with a strong econ department. Since I probably will take a year between masters and application to supplement my coursework, would landing an RA job at this lab or a similar lab boost my application? Has anyone heard of this strategy to boost an application like mine?

Thanks for the advice. I am pretty deep into campaign season right now and with work, research and summer classes that doesn't leave much time for math. But once the campaign ends in November I plan on hiring a weekly math tutor and doing math homework every night. I was a great math student in high school but I really had my issues in college and rejected math in favor of a shall we say "bohemian" lifestyle. I consider my gre result somewhat compromised, and looking at the curriculum, getting the score I need should not be too hard. Mastering the fundamentals of calc and linear will take more effort but I think I can do it. I see this prep as a win win; it will make me a competitive applicant for top pa and pp programs and open the option of econ.

Like I said I am also strongly considering pa or pp phds. I can probably get into a better pp or pa program than econ. I just have a sense that econ adds value in terms of quantitative rigor and research legitimacy. I know I will have to supplement my experience to get into an econ program so I am asking about it to get a better understanding. Additionally I would not be opposed to taking an extra year before applications to complete a math sequence. I probably plan on doing one round the fall after I graduate from my masters and a second round one year later with enhanced quantitative prep. If I end up getting into a pp or pa program in that first round that I can't turn down I may not apply to more econ programs, but would probably complete the math sequence anyways in the year pre-enrollment. Thanks for the suggestion about MBAs but I am pretty serious about research. I work as a manager now and day to day operations is not where I want to do. I am a decent manager but I think I am a better thinker. I just mention finance as an escape hatch in case something goes wrong and I need other employment, so I like that econ has those options in a way other fields do not. I understand top 20 applicants are locked into admissions formulas, so I appreciate you entertaining my unconventional questions. Remember I'm not looking to apply top 20. My ideal school SUNY Albany ranks around 75 so we are in different ballparks here. SUNY Buffalo isn't even ranked on US News. I have enough self-confidence that I believe I can produce influential research regardless of where I go, so ranking is not a huge consideration. There are some top 30 programs in my area that would be nice for me to go to, but I think I am a better fit for other more humble programs.