southernsoul79

I know that for the most part it depends on the particular program and the faculty... BUT is anyone aware of any trends in what research interest areas are most demanded by Public Policy PhD programs when looking for prospective PhD students, or which tend to be overrepresented, underrepresented, etc.? That's just something I was thinking about and was interested to see if anyone out there knew...

Thanks for the response!

I just began my graduate school career (MPA) with the intention of someday becoming a city manager. However, very quickly I am realizing that I have a greater interest in writing, researching, and thinking about urban policy issues rather than working on the administration side. I think I may be better suited to go on to get a PhD in Public Policy. I would love to go to a top 20 school. I'm only a semester into my program. Would changing into a different Master's program (MPP, or M.A. in Urban Policy) make me a better applicant for top PhD programs or is an MPA sufficient when applying for PhD programs in public policy?