International MPA at NYU Wagner

[beejbrigade]

Last March, I was accepted into NYU's Wagner Graduate School for Public Service. I intend to do a Masters of Public Administration with a specialization in international public policy. I have two months before the program begins, yet I'm starting to have serious questions and concerns with their international public/non-profit (PNP) program. I know Wagner itself is recognized primarily for its non-profit management curriculum, its faculty, and its affiliation with an array of institutes (Wagner is the largest school of public policy in the United States).

On the other hand, as I keep reading about the program itself, I'm starting to doubt whether their international approach is as developed and structured for a career in international public policy as the regular PNP program in Policy and Management or Public Finance (compared to, say, schools like Goldman at Berkeley, SIPA at Columbia or John Hopkins). So far, I've met a couple of Wagner Alumni outside of campus by coincidence. Everything they're doing, however, is domestically-based, which is great if one wants to focus on pressing social policy issues in the U.S. But so far I haven't met anyone doing international-based work or having opportunities to work overseas.

At the bottom-line I'm not sure if it's worth indebting myself for such a large amount if I'm having all these uncertainties. Unlike most people entering the program, I have only been out of college for a year and a half (I'm 23, yet most admitted students, overwhelmingly women, range between 25-32). I can't say I have the experience necessary to take a decision like this yet. The international program doesn't seem to have any institute or network affiliated with it, and the "careers" section in their Global section of the website aren't as extensive as the regular for PNP Alumni.

Any advice or whether I should go into such a program? I'm confused whether taking huge loans is even worth it when i'm not fully convinced is the right step for me.