rheidzan

If you want to make an impact on a SE Asian region that doesn't have any water, why not study civil or mechanical engineering? Not only you will make an impact with you technical skills, you'll also have a tangible skills and knowledge to make a living wherever you are. Not agreeing or disagreeing with OP, but what the hell do you study in environmental science and policy that is not covered by going to a state school and studying BS in ME or Civ E and then a MS in Environmental Engineering? The reverse is actually true that you probably get a lot more with BS in ME/CE and then a MS in environmental engineering.

What interests you in the area of environmental? I did my undergrad in engineering and worked in the environmental sector before as an environmental engineering. Mostly dealing with wastewater and clean water, from public policy, engineering design and project management. Accross dams, reservoirs and oceans. I deal with consultants and policy makers. The best professionals tend to come from civil/chemical engineering background with emphasis in environmental. And then they either get their top MBA, MPA or JD. Side benefits from having engineering undergrad are people take you more seriously and your starting salary is way higher than those with other undergrads+MPA. The downside is engineering salary tends to plateau after 10 years, but then again, all other jobs too, unless you're in a revenue generating role (front office banking or consulting).

Thanks for your reply, Kaneisha! My top 2 preferences are: UPEnn first and UC Berkeley second. They're both a lot more attractive to me since they're only 1 year each (SIPA's Global EMPA is 18 months long). How are UPenn's and Cal's reputation globally? My career goal is consulting within infrastructure sector in Southeast Asian countries (ASEAN), as I have close to a decade of urban development and infrastructure experience. In other words I need a top MPA because of the "brand", more so than because of the pursue of academics/skills itself. Alternatively, I could take a bigger risk and try to go for MC/MPA at HKS, but I just can't justify it (got a wife and kid to support). Thanks for you 2cents

Hi all, I'm considering Berkeley's 1year MPA, Columbia Global MPA and UPenn's EMPA for 2016 (I'm only considering online/hybrid programs due to work and family commitment). A quick background on myself: I'm a civil engineer with 8 years of experience in design, project management, construction management and program management within infrastructure and utilities sector. I have an MBA from UCLA and have a bit of experience within private sector (corporate banking). I'm interested in MPA because there are some subjects that are not covered in MBA programs, mainly things related to public policy analysis. Which of the 3 would be the best fit for me? I mostly care about the reputation, and second the curriculum. Thanks for your inputs...