devin_d

Thank you!

I got my acceptance email for the 2 year on-campus program May 10. Does anyone know how the reputation of this program compares to Fresno's? I got into both and I'm having a hard time deciding...

I wanted to thank everyone for their responses so far, this is incredibly helpful. I'll be looking into GMU and UMD's programs... thanks for the tip, went_away.

I'm 26 year old with a BA in Politics, unemployed, and looking to break into a career related to my field of study. Since graduating in 2011, I've tried applying to anything remotely related to politics (policy analyst, program analyst, etc.), but have been unsuccessful at gaining employment. Many of the jobs I applied for preferred or required a Master's degree. Instead I've worked a variety of crummy jobs both domestically and abroad in the fields of IT and web marketing. Most recently, I worked as an IT analyst at UC Berkeley. I'm getting older now and feel desperate to get on track. I'm considering MPP, Master of International Affairs, and other related MA programs as a way to break into some type of analyst role with the federal government, consulting firms, or NGOs/IOs/nonprofits. I know many on this forum will probably suggest I get work experience before applying to a professional program, but I'm not having any luck finding suitable positions here in the Bay Area. DC seems to be the Mecca for all these policy jobs, so I'm strongly considering applying to programs there. My grades were okay in college (3.33 GPA), but I'm not the strongest test taker and my recommendations would probably be weak, so elite schools are probably out of the question. I've also considered programs abroad in Europe and Asia, mainly because my interests are more international than domestic, and I could save a considerable amount of money. Here are my questions: 1) Will it be next to impossible to get even a modest job in the DC area after completing an MPP (or similar degree) from a non-elite school there? I would definitely take advantage of internships and networking opportunities while in school, and I'm not picky about the job or salary. 2) For my situation, would there be any advantage of picking one degree/program over another? I've heard the MPP is more marketable in places like DC than say an MA in International Relations. Is that true? 3) I would love to save money on a degree and study abroad again (did a year abroad in Thailand during undergrad). There are tuition-free programs in Europe and inexpensive programs in Asia. Assuming I complete one of these programs and attempt to resettle to DC and look for jobs, will there be a huge stigma against a foreign degree, even if degree evaluation companies say it's equal to a US degree? Thanks very much in advance for the help!