Dloverstreet

Thanks Ajak568, I appreciate your advice! I know one of the common criticisms of PPOL PhDs is that they can’t handle the rigor and math of an Econ PhD, but that is absolutely not true, at least in my case (having taken math courses through Real Analysis). So I thought I could demonstrate that by taking some of the core Econ courses. Best of luck in your program starting in the fall!

I will be starting a PhD in Public Policy at Arizona State in the fall. I was wondering if anyone had an opinion on the benefit of taking the core PhD Micro and Econometrics sequence as part of my PPOL curriculum to boost my Econ and math skills comparative to other PPOL PhDs. I’ve read quite a few posts and opinions about PPOL PhDs and their math abilities, so I thought supplementing my core PPOL classes with Econ classes would be a good idea. Do you think this would be beneficial for me on the job market after graduation? Thanks for your help!

I have looked into Berkeley's program, but they actually don't have a lot of information about their program online and they haven't been too responsive when I've tried emailing them for more information. I'll keep looking for more information about it, thanks for the tip!

Would it be fairly easy to transition from Econ and Public Policy over to Political Science for a PhD? Here's my profile if it makes it any easier: Undergrad at Arizona State: BA Economics (3.85 GPA), minor Political Science Economics: Macro Principles (A), Micro Principles (A), Intermediate Micro (A), Immigration & Econ (A+), Intermediate Macro (A), Money & Banking (A+), Labor Economics (A), Game Theory (B), Capstone (A+), International Economics (A) Math: Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (C), Statistics (A), Calc 3 (B), Proofs (A-), Econometrics (A+), Linear Algebra (B+), Real Analysis (B+), Differential Equations (A) Grad at Arizona State (Master of Public Policy): GPA 3.98 Public Service Research I (basically applied econometrics) (A), Microecon of Public Policy I (A+), Public Service Research II (A+), Program Evaluation (A+), Public Policy Analysis (A), Microecon of Public Policy II (B), Applied Econometrics (A-), Public Budgeting and Finance (A), Advanced Policy Analysis (A), Capstone (A) GRE: 165 Q, 160 V, 4 AW My letter of recommendations would come from professors in the School of Public Affairs, not the Econ department (although I could probably get one if I really tried from the Econ department, but it probably wouldn't be as good as my MPP recommenders). I could also get one from a research fellowship I am currently doing at George Mason University in Political Economy. I have a paper published in a lower-tier Public Policy journal of which I am the sole author and will have some experience with research with my fellowship at George Mason. I also have 2 years of work experience, some research experience at a think tank and 1.5 years in state government as an Analyst. From what I've read, work experience can be helpful for Public Policy, but for other fields like Econ and Poly Sci it doesn't really matter unless it's research in the field. Would it be a safer bet for me to stay Public Policy or switch to Poly Sci or back to Econ?

Hey thanks guys for all the advice, you guys have some great suggestions. I have a Bachelors degree in Econ and an MPP, so going on the Public Policy school route for a PhD shouldn't be an issue since I've already got that Masters degree. Obviously fit with the program and faculty is a huge concern, but beyond that, would a degree from a Policy school be less marketable afterwards than a degree from a straight Econ or Poly Sci department? I'm hoping to go into academia, but if that's not possible, I wouldn't mind doing research at a think tank. I've read a lot of opinions both on this forum and Urch that think of Public Policy degrees as "second tier" Econ degrees. I definitely haven't felt that with my MPP, but I'm concerned a PhD could be viewed differently. I would think the multi-disciplined nature of a policy school would work perfectly with what I'd like to study, and that's why the program at UChicago's Harris is so appealing. What are your opinions on Public Policy PhD's?

I am interested in pursuing a PhD in Political Economy, Institutional Analysis, and Political Economy of Development. Originally, I was convinced that Economics schools were the best route to study these fields coming from a Bachelor's degree in Econ, but the more research I've done, the more schools outside of Econ departments I've found that specialize in Political Economy. Several Economics schools like George Mason, Florida State, Clemson, and West Virginia were suggested to me for my research interests, and they certainly do have scholars interested in those fields at each of those schools. But I've come to find that several Public Policy (UChicago) schools and many Political Science (MIT, Duke, Columbia, etc.) schools offer Political Economy as concentrations. If this is what I want to study, which route would offer me the best opportunities after graduation, going into an Econ, Public Policy, or Political Science PhD? Any suggestions would be helpful, thank you!

I am interested in pursuing a PhD in Political Economy, Institutional Analysis, and Political Economy of Development. Originally, I was convinced that Economics schools were the best route to study these fields coming from a Bachelor's degree in Econ, but the more research I've done, the more schools outside of Econ departments I've found that specialize in Political Economy. Several Economics schools like George Mason, Florida State, Clemson, and West Virginia were suggested to me for my research interests, and they certainly do have scholars interested in those fields at each of those schools. But I've come to find that several Public Policy (UChicago) schools and many Political Science (MIT, Duke, Columbia, etc.) schools offer Political Economy as concentrations. If this is what I want to study, which route would offer me the best opportunities after graduation, going into an Econ, Public Policy, or Political Science PhD? Any suggestions would be helpful, thank you!