TheZarosian Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 Hi All, Just thought I'd share my writeup about some of the MPP/MPPA style programs out in Ontario: About Me: I am a policy analyst that works full-time in an indeterminate (permanent) position for the Federal Government. Started working full-time in Spring 2019 and started my MPPA at Carleton part-time in Fall 2019. Currently finishing the Masters up, expecting to graduate Spring 2021. I graduated from my BA in Political Science in Spring 2019 from Waterloo. Prior to graduating, I did some time in provincial and federal government in various internship roles. This included roles in environment policy, transit policy, infrastructure policy, education infrastructure, and finance policy. By the time I graduated from my Undergraduate, I had about 20 months government experience, plus a couple of full-time offers from the Federal government on the table. Here’s my rundown of the MPP/MPPA style programs out there: Waterloo MPS Waterloo MPS is overall a solid pick for people wanting to enter all levels of government. I sat with these guys during my undergraduate, and the caliber of the teaching plus the Co-op is great. Plenty of these people are with me in Ottawa, many having secured permanent full-time roles. The MPS boasts a Co-op hire rate of 95-100 percent (100 percent for Fall 2020) and has excellent job outcomes both federally and provincially. The format of the program is 8 months full-time school, 8 months paid Co-op, and 4 months a major team project. Almost everyone does the major team project remotely and works full-time during it. So it’s pretty much 8 months of schooling only and you’re off to doing paid work. People usually transition from being a student to a full-timer right after their 8 months Co-op is done. All-around a very solid program. The only downside is that the MPS is not funded, so you’re going to be paying the full $23,000 tuition bill. Queen’s MPA Queen’s is the king (or the Queen I guess?) of provincial government. I would say that Queen’s is the number one place to go if you’re intent on working for the Ontario government. The Ontario government hires from Queens in droves, mainly due to having a long reputation with Queens and a historically strong relationship. The program format is 8 months full-time school, followed by Co-op of 4 months, and then 4 months schooling on weekends. Similar to Waterloo, most people work full-time after they are done the first 8 months. Queen’s is definitely the top choice for provincial, and along with a cheap tuition of less than $20,000 (oftentimes funded generously by scholarships), it’s a great deal. With a strong application, you are likely to pay less than $10,000 total for the tuition. Carleton MPPA Definitely the king of federal government, and my number one choice for anyone who wants to work federal. Carleton has an over 50 years established relationship with the federal government, and the professors here are routinely retired public servants or current public servants who teach part-time here and there. Carleton, by nature of being in Ottawa, feeds their students into the Federal government. Hire rates are absolutely top notch – I would say around 30-40 percent of my floor where I work is from Carleton. The program is 8 months of full-time school, followed by Co-op of 4-8 months, and then people usually finish off their degree during the evenings while working part-time. Again, similar to Queen’s and Waterloo, you really only do 8 months of school. An added benefit of Carleton is the absolutely amazing funding packages. And it’s absolutely amazing. Carleton offered be a whopping $46,000 in funding. Of that, $26,000 was straight up scholarships, while $20,000 was from a TA position. The tuition of the program is only $23,000. So these guys essentially PAID ME to go to their school. For the federal level, Carleton absolutely comes on top here. University of Ottawa MA Public Admin I won’t say much here because it’s Carleton all over again. Whatever I said for Carleton, applies to uOttawa. Funny enough, uOttawa and Carleton have a small rivalry with their Master’s programs. All around another top federal choice. UofT Munk MPP I’m sorry. I know how hyped up UofT is at times, but I mostly have bad things to say about this program. UofT MPP is overall a disappointment and it seems like an outdated program. While all the programs I mentioned above are one-year “job creation” programs that focus on feeding people in Co-ops and having them transition to full-time work quickly, UofT’s MPP reads more like a traditional 2-year academic program, with a strong focus on rigorous courses. The UofT MPP has some of the worst internship options out here, with a 4-month internship between your first and second year. Because you’re expected to go back to school full-time after this, you are unable to be seamlessly transitioned into full-time work like many of the other programs above. Managers love it when they can just promote a student to a full-timer and have them start right away. They love it much less when the student says, “hey sorry, can you wait 8 months for me to finish school?” You’re sinking an additional 8 months in lost wages, plus additional tuition. The UofT MPP tuition is $45,000 in total, double the other programs mentioned above. It’s just not a good deal overall. When people from Carleton, Queens, and Waterloo are being fed into the workplace within 8 months, UofT’s program just lacks “feeder” mentality on getting people on the job quickly. The small upside is that the UofT MPP does have some more diversity in employment. Non-profits, NGOs, private sector consulting, and other positions tend to be more noticeable at UofT’s MPP, compared to the straight up government feeders of other programs. But if your goal really is to get onboarded into a government job quickly, with a cheap degree to boot, UofT is not the place to go in my view. Ryerson MA Public Policy and Administration This program is, in my opinion, a relatively mediocre choice. The problem that I usually see here is that if you got into Ryerson, you might as well go to Queen’s or Carleton because you probably got into those too. The employment prospects here are just not as good, mainly due to the lack of an established relationship between Ryerson and either Provincial or Federal government. The degree itself is the cheapest out of anything mentioned, but it’s just not as good of a deal. This is especially true if Carleton and Queen’s are pumping out huge scholarships Western MPA Admittedly, I know very little about this program, but it seems to be the place to go if you want to be in local government. Western’s MPA specializes specifically in municipal government, and I can’t see Waterloo, Queen’s or Carleton filling this gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FMBY Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 On 9/22/2020 at 10:50 AM, BTF said: Last two years GPA: 91.04% Overall GPA: 84.34% HBASc in Criminology, BA in Psychology, Certificate in Global Entrepreneurship. Accepted sometime in February-March. Applied to UofT, Queens, and Carleton A bit strange to include the 0.4 in your L2 GPA, but do you nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTF Posted February 2, 2021 Author Share Posted February 2, 2021 2 hours ago, FMBY said: A bit strange to include the 0.4 in your L2 GPA, but do you nonetheless. Copy and pasting from a spreadsheet. Excuse the precise answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj23 Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 23 hours ago, TheZarosian said: Hi All, Just thought I'd share my writeup about some of the MPP/MPPA style programs out in Ontario: About Me: I am a policy analyst that works full-time in an indeterminate (permanent) position for the Federal Government. Started working full-time in Spring 2019 and started my MPPA at Carleton part-time in Fall 2019. Currently finishing the Masters up, expecting to graduate Spring 2021. I graduated from my BA in Political Science in Spring 2019 from Waterloo. Prior to graduating, I did some time in provincial and federal government in various internship roles. This included roles in environment policy, transit policy, infrastructure policy, education infrastructure, and finance policy. By the time I graduated from my Undergraduate, I had about 20 months government experience, plus a couple of full-time offers from the Federal government on the table. Here’s my rundown of the MPP/MPPA style programs out there: Waterloo MPS Waterloo MPS is overall a solid pick for people wanting to enter all levels of government. I sat with these guys during my undergraduate, and the caliber of the teaching plus the Co-op is great. Plenty of these people are with me in Ottawa, many having secured permanent full-time roles. The MPS boasts a Co-op hire rate of 95-100 percent (100 percent for Fall 2020) and has excellent job outcomes both federally and provincially. The format of the program is 8 months full-time school, 8 months paid Co-op, and 4 months a major team project. Almost everyone does the major team project remotely and works full-time during it. So it’s pretty much 8 months of schooling only and you’re off to doing paid work. People usually transition from being a student to a full-timer right after their 8 months Co-op is done. All-around a very solid program. The only downside is that the MPS is not funded, so you’re going to be paying the full $23,000 tuition bill. Queen’s MPA Queen’s is the king (or the Queen I guess?) of provincial government. I would say that Queen’s is the number one place to go if you’re intent on working for the Ontario government. The Ontario government hires from Queens in droves, mainly due to having a long reputation with Queens and a historically strong relationship. The program format is 8 months full-time school, followed by Co-op of 4 months, and then 4 months schooling on weekends. Similar to Waterloo, most people work full-time after they are done the first 8 months. Queen’s is definitely the top choice for provincial, and along with a cheap tuition of less than $20,000 (oftentimes funded generously by scholarships), it’s a great deal. With a strong application, you are likely to pay less than $10,000 total for the tuition. Carleton MPPA Definitely the king of federal government, and my number one choice for anyone who wants to work federal. Carleton has an over 50 years established relationship with the federal government, and the professors here are routinely retired public servants or current public servants who teach part-time here and there. Carleton, by nature of being in Ottawa, feeds their students into the Federal government. Hire rates are absolutely top notch – I would say around 30-40 percent of my floor where I work is from Carleton. The program is 8 months of full-time school, followed by Co-op of 4-8 months, and then people usually finish off their degree during the evenings while working part-time. Again, similar to Queen’s and Waterloo, you really only do 8 months of school. An added benefit of Carleton is the absolutely amazing funding packages. And it’s absolutely amazing. Carleton offered be a whopping $46,000 in funding. Of that, $26,000 was straight up scholarships, while $20,000 was from a TA position. The tuition of the program is only $23,000. So these guys essentially PAID ME to go to their school. For the federal level, Carleton absolutely comes on top here. University of Ottawa MA Public Admin I won’t say much here because it’s Carleton all over again. Whatever I said for Carleton, applies to uOttawa. Funny enough, uOttawa and Carleton have a small rivalry with their Master’s programs. All around another top federal choice. UofT Munk MPP I’m sorry. I know how hyped up UofT is at times, but I mostly have bad things to say about this program. UofT MPP is overall a disappointment and it seems like an outdated program. While all the programs I mentioned above are one-year “job creation” programs that focus on feeding people in Co-ops and having them transition to full-time work quickly, UofT’s MPP reads more like a traditional 2-year academic program, with a strong focus on rigorous courses. The UofT MPP has some of the worst internship options out here, with a 4-month internship between your first and second year. Because you’re expected to go back to school full-time after this, you are unable to be seamlessly transitioned into full-time work like many of the other programs above. Managers love it when they can just promote a student to a full-timer and have them start right away. They love it much less when the student says, “hey sorry, can you wait 8 months for me to finish school?” You’re sinking an additional 8 months in lost wages, plus additional tuition. The UofT MPP tuition is $45,000 in total, double the other programs mentioned above. It’s just not a good deal overall. When people from Carleton, Queens, and Waterloo are being fed into the workplace within 8 months, UofT’s program just lacks “feeder” mentality on getting people on the job quickly. The small upside is that the UofT MPP does have some more diversity in employment. Non-profits, NGOs, private sector consulting, and other positions tend to be more noticeable at UofT’s MPP, compared to the straight up government feeders of other programs. But if your goal really is to get onboarded into a government job quickly, with a cheap degree to boot, UofT is not the place to go in my view. Ryerson MA Public Policy and Administration This program is, in my opinion, a relatively mediocre choice. The problem that I usually see here is that if you got into Ryerson, you might as well go to Queen’s or Carleton because you probably got into those too. The employment prospects here are just not as good, mainly due to the lack of an established relationship between Ryerson and either Provincial or Federal government. The degree itself is the cheapest out of anything mentioned, but it’s just not as good of a deal. This is especially true if Carleton and Queen’s are pumping out huge scholarships Western MPA Admittedly, I know very little about this program, but it seems to be the place to go if you want to be in local government. Western’s MPA specializes specifically in municipal government, and I can’t see Waterloo, Queen’s or Carleton filling this gap. This was super helpful! Thank you so much for this breakdown. Would you mind sharing your stats? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMMFB Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 (edited) Hi, I was wondering if it harder to get an offer at Carleton MPPA if I have not yet got my ECON prerequisites? I am a philosophy major and I said in my cover letter that I could complete them this summer. My work experience is strong (legislative assistant and policy/research intern), my over all GPA is B+ L2 is A-/A Edited February 2, 2021 by JMMFB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheZarosian Posted February 2, 2021 Share Posted February 2, 2021 4 hours ago, aj23 said: This was super helpful! Thank you so much for this breakdown. Would you mind sharing your stats? I had something around a 91 percent last 2 years, 88 cumulative. Around 1.5 years experience in various provincial and federal policy Co-op roles at the time I applied. References were quite strong, from profs who knew me very well and I talked with them all the time. Honestly if you have anything in the high 80s or above, you will get in anywhere. At that point, the real question becomes how much money you will get in funding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FMBY Posted February 4, 2021 Share Posted February 4, 2021 Has anyone applied to York's MPPAL? There seems to be minimal information about the program on this thread & threads from the previous years, so was wondering if anyone has any thoughts on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
single_dollar Posted February 8, 2021 Share Posted February 8, 2021 USask: Does anyone have insight into application status? Mine has been marked with only the word 'Completed' since Jan 6. I've seen previous years applicants have had status changes earlier, and I had read since they accept on a rolling basis (MPA Online) a decision is made approx 6 weeks from submission. Any additional info would be helpful for my anxious mind. UVIC: Applied for their MPA Online as well, and am not expecting a response until mid-April. Last year I heard back (rejected) on April 18 as did others. For Fall 2020 they had a 15% acceptance rate, so despite being highly qualified I am not holding my breath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sbibibi Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions of NGOs / NPOs hiring interns who are currently not enrolled. I have been working in the private sector for some time but would love to get some public sector experience before starting school this Fall. Thank you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolek_93 Posted February 9, 2021 Share Posted February 9, 2021 I recently applied for York MPPAL and awaiting decisions. However, my GPA in the last 2 years is not as good ie below 3.0 any recommendations the best way to boost my GPA/profile?. I been out of school for 4 years now and been working with the govt since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BTF Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 16 hours ago, nicolek_93 said: I recently applied for York MPPAL and awaiting decisions. However, my GPA in the last 2 years is not as good ie below 3.0 any recommendations the best way to boost my GPA/profile?. I been out of school for 4 years now and been working with the govt since. Take more classes. The only way to increase your GPA is to take classes and do well in them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
residenttomalito Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 To people who received offers of admission to - Waterloo MPS - Munk School - Carleton SSPA When do admissions usually come out? I know it is different every year but I just want a general sense of when to expect decisions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheZarosian Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 2 hours ago, residenttomalito said: To people who received offers of admission to - Waterloo MPS - Munk School - Carleton SSPA When do admissions usually come out? I know it is different every year but I just want a general sense of when to expect decisions. For MPS and Carleton MPPA -- around mid-March was when I got offers for both. I would encourage you to read my analysis of these three program above, and would be happy to take a call with you to discuss the merits/disadvantages of each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nervous_ Posted February 15, 2021 Share Posted February 15, 2021 Hi, Does anyone have any advice re. programs in BC? I received an offer from SFU's MPP program ($3500 funding) a couple of days ago, but am trying to hold out on responding until I hear back from UVic's MPA program. SFU's course offerings interest me a lot more than UVic's (and SFU does require a co-op term), but I wonder if UVic is more employable given its 2-3 co-ops and management focus? Some background- I graduated 2 years ago with a Poli Sci degree from UVic (7.9 GPA, so just below an A average); no good work exp. during school but have been working at a law firm since graduating. If anyone has any thoughts in case I have to choose between the MPP and MPA it would be very much appreciated!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bwnt Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 On 2/15/2021 at 12:42 PM, nervous_ said: Hi, Does anyone have any advice re. programs in BC? I received an offer from SFU's MPP program ($3500 funding) a couple of days ago, but am trying to hold out on responding until I hear back from UVic's MPA program. SFU's course offerings interest me a lot more than UVic's (and SFU does require a co-op term), but I wonder if UVic is more employable given its 2-3 co-ops and management focus? Some background- I graduated 2 years ago with a Poli Sci degree from UVic (7.9 GPA, so just below an A average); no good work exp. during school but have been working at a law firm since graduating. If anyone has any thoughts in case I have to choose between the MPP and MPA it would be very much appreciated!! Congrats on your acceptance to SFU! May I ask when you completed your application (i.e. uploaded all documents required) and how many days/weeks is SFU giving you to accept/reject your offer? They are one of my top choices and I completed my application in early Feb, so I was wondering if there's a "timeline" of some sort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nervous_ Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 9 hours ago, bwnt said: Congrats on your acceptance to SFU! May I ask when you completed your application (i.e. uploaded all documents required) and how many days/weeks is SFU giving you to accept/reject your offer? They are one of my top choices and I completed my application in early Feb, so I was wondering if there's a "timeline" of some sort. Thanks bwmt! I submitted my application in early November and had all docs in by end of the month. They didn’t give any strict timeline for acceptance. Good luck with your application!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholarloading Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 On 2/10/2021 at 1:18 PM, residenttomalito said: To people who received offers of admission to - Waterloo MPS - Munk School - Carleton SSPA When do admissions usually come out? I know it is different every year but I just want a general sense of when to expect decisions. Hi! Just got my acceptance to Munk! Surprised at how early they've released decisions this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
residenttomalito Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 1 minute ago, scholarloading said: Hi! Just got my acceptance to Munk! Surprised at how early they've released decisions this year. Wow that is amazing, congrats ! Did you receive an email and was it updated on the application portal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scholarloading Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 2 minutes ago, residenttomalito said: Wow that is amazing, congrats ! Did you receive an email and was it updated on the application portal? I got an email with my acceptance + scholarship letter! My portal was updated to 'decision made'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
residenttomalito Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 Just now, scholarloading said: I got an email with my acceptance + scholarship letter! My portal was updated to 'decision made'. If you don't mind me asking, what were your stats ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IM26C4U Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 42 minutes ago, scholarloading said: Hi! Just got my acceptance to Munk! Surprised at how early they've released decisions this year. congratulations!! this is getting me very anxious about my own application now lol. best of luck to all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
residenttomalito Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 6 minutes ago, 1m26c4u said: congratulations!! this is getting me very anxious about my own application now lol. best of luck to all! Me 2 !!! Did you apply to Munk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IM26C4U Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 1 minute ago, residenttomalito said: Me 2 !!! Did you apply to Munk? yes i did! My application has been under review for a coupe of weeks now. What about you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
residenttomalito Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 Just now, 1m26c4u said: yes i did! My application has been under review for a coupe of weeks now. What about you? Mine says the same ! What other schools did you apply to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IM26C4U Posted February 17, 2021 Share Posted February 17, 2021 1 minute ago, residenttomalito said: Mine says the same ! What other schools did you apply to? tbh i was really last minute about grad school so this is the only mpp(a) program I've applied to this round. What about you? any good news yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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