undergrad courses *needed* for an MPP applicant?

[pwnt]

hey guys, I'm a noob here so I apologize if this is something everyone already knows!

i graduated in 2009 as an English major, and spent the last academic year (2009-2010) as a 1L in law school. for a number of reasons (that's for another thread, maybe) I want to apply for MPP programs. I know econ and other quantitative courses are pretty much expected from MPP applicants, so I was wondering what "the list" was. i know there's not an official list.... or IS there?.... but what are the postbacc courses that I should take in order to be a competitive applicant? thank you

is this right? (please feel free to add, subtract, edit, criticize, etc)

-Macroecon

-Microecon

-Statistics

-Calculus (is this Calculus I and II, or just one?)

Edited August 17, 2010 by pwnt

[Dreams]

hey guys, I'm a noob here so I apologize if this is something everyone already knows!

i graduated in 2009 as an English major, and spent the last academic year (2009-2010) as a 1L in law school. for a number of reasons (that's for another thread, maybe) I want to apply for MPP programs. I know econ and other quantitative courses are pretty much expected from MPP applicants, so I was wondering what "the list" was. i know there's not an official list.... or IS there?.... but what are the postbacc courses that I should take in order to be a competitive applicant? thank you

is this right? (please feel free to add, subtract, edit, criticize, etc)

-Macroecon

-Microecon

-Statistics

-Calculus (is this Calculus I and II, or just one?)

I think that should do it. The only other skills I suggest honing are writing and analysis. But, since you are a 1L and an English grad, I am assuming you are already have those skills (based on the lawyers I have hired in the past for program analysis).

Are you looking at joint degree programs, which would shave off time for both degrees? If so, where are you considering?

Edited August 17, 2010 by FSIA

[tskinner]

Definitely take Calculus II. Integrals are integral to any mathematics education. However, I would also highly urge Calculus III, unless you only plan at looking at two dimensional research topics (I don't mean two dimensional like boring, I mean like only two variables). Multivariate Calculus is really impressive to have on your transcript is is HIGHLY recommended.

[MaxwellAlum]

hey guys, I'm a noob here so I apologize if this is something everyone already knows!

i graduated in 2009 as an English major, and spent the last academic year (2009-2010) as a 1L in law school. for a number of reasons (that's for another thread, maybe) I want to apply for MPP programs. I know econ and other quantitative courses are pretty much expected from MPP applicants, so I was wondering what "the list" was. i know there's not an official list.... or IS there?.... but what are the postbacc courses that I should take in order to be a competitive applicant? thank you

is this right? (please feel free to add, subtract, edit, criticize, etc)

-Macroecon

-Microecon

-Statistics

-Calculus (is this Calculus I and II, or just one?)

For most MPP programs it's not absolutely necessary to have taken these courses in order to get admitted. If you did take them and did well it definitely makes your application stronger. If you look through the HKS and SIPA websites (for the MPP, MIA and MPA), you're likely to find that they recommend these courses but it's not required. Usually the benefit is that if you have already taken intermediate micoeconomics and/or stats, you can waive out of some of the core courses required for the degree and take more electives. You'll also just come in a step ahead of many of your classmates. If you want to take advanced economics classes as part of your degree or if you're interested in the MPA-ID at Harvard, having advanced math and econ skills (including multivariable calculus, stats, linear algebra) is pretty important. However, the MPP generally aims to train people who did not have a terribly strong quantitative background beforehand. The core econ classes for the degree often do not use a lot of calculus (I know that at Michigan they give you calculus as part of the curriculum so it's probably different there) and they usually have two semesters of stats, the first of which is basic stats.

I have found that having taken the courses listed above before starting my MPA is helping me get more out of the degree (I have just started the MPA at Syracuse which is very similar to an MPP). I'm really glad I did it, but I don't think I needed them to get in.

[pwnt]

For most MPP programs it's not absolutely necessary to have taken these courses in order to get admitted. If you did take them and did well it definitely makes your application stronger. If you look through the HKS and SIPA websites (for the MPP, MIA and MPA), you're likely to find that they recommend these courses but it's not required. Usually the benefit is that if you have already taken intermediate micoeconomics and/or stats, you can waive out of some of the core courses required for the degree and take more electives. You'll also just come in a step ahead of many of your classmates. If you want to take advanced economics classes as part of your degree or if you're interested in the MPA-ID at Harvard, having advanced math and econ skills (including multivariable calculus, stats, linear algebra) is pretty important. However, the MPP generally aims to train people who did not have a terribly strong quantitative background beforehand. The core econ classes for the degree often do not use a lot of calculus (I know that at Michigan they give you calculus as part of the curriculum so it's probably different there) and they usually have two semesters of stats, the first of which is basic stats.

I have found that having taken the courses listed above before starting my MPA is helping me get more out of the degree (I have just started the MPA at Syracuse which is very similar to an MPP). I'm really glad I did it, but I don't think I needed them to get in.

hey Syracuse,

thanks for your reply. i definitely want to make my application as competitive as possible. also, i didn't take these courses in college (i majored in English), so i want to be sure i have *some* understanding. not to mention that i feel my undergraduate degree probably puts me at some sort of disadvantage, right?

[MaxwellAlum]

hey Syracuse,

thanks for your reply. i definitely want to make my application as competitive as possible. also, i didn't take these courses in college (i majored in English), so i want to be sure i have *some* understanding. not to mention that i feel my undergraduate degree probably puts me at some sort of disadvantage, right?

I was actually an English major in college and I don't think it hurt me. I don't think your major matters that much, unless you majored in economics in which case you'd definitely have an advantage. What matters more is your work experience and the quality of your personal statements. It's really important to be able to tell a compelling story about why you want to do the degree. A large part of me didn't believe this when I applied, but it made a huge difference for me. When I came on these boards and compared where I got in / with what funding with other people, it's clear that I probably could have gotten into SIPA (Columbia). However, my personal statements were terrible for that application (fortunately, this had a lot to do with the fact that I really wasn't that excited about going to SIPA), so I got rejected.