GMU MPP vs. Pitt GPSIA?

[afae39]

I've been wrestling with this decision for a few weeks and constantly reading these forums, so I figured I would just ask for advice.

I was accepted to UK's MPA program, which I immediately decided was not a good fit for me. That left it between George Mason's MPP (major in international governance) and Pitt's MPIA (Security & Intelligence).

Comparison:

Mason - job offer ($1k per month, free class per 100 hours worked), commuting between Fairfax and Arlington campuses, many friends in the area, high cost of living, great cities and DC connection

Pitt - no money during first wave of offers but I plan on exhausting external and school-based options + finding a job, great educational opportunities (Latin American studies certificate, International Organizations MBA @ Geneva), DC internship/semester, great city with affordable living, closer to home

I have to let Mason know by April 15th, Pitt by May 1st, so essentially I need to make a decision this week.

Any advice or experiences you'd like to share? Thanks!

[jph5125]

I don't have anything substantial to say about the content of either program. I looked into Pitt myself when I was applying to MPA programs (I am from Pittsburgh), but their offering seemed so-so and Public Finance was not one of their stronger focuses. However, I do present the following financial analysis.

Are you getting those classes marked off as free in addition to the $1k a month or are you saying the $1k a month will pay for a class? If you're getting money in addition to tuition remission that seems pretty solid.

The tuition difference will be steep if you qualify for in-state at either one.

GMU: http://policy.gmu.ed...24/Default.aspx

In-State Graduate Tuition (Per Credit Hour): $631.50

Out-of-State Graduate Tuition (Per Credit Hour): $1,146.50

Pitt: http://www.gspia.pit...78/Default.aspx

In-State Per credit hour: $701

Out-of-State Per credit hour: $1210

Pittsburgh will have a lower cost of living, but if you're qualifying for in-state GMU I do not think your living expenses (in VA/DC) will kill the savings you get from instate tuition (plus the free classes).

It just comes down to your career prospects. You already know about Pitt's semester in DC, but this is only a semester. GMU seems more poised to help you develop a better network, but on the other hand it seems like you already have connections in DC so you have to weigh how much this is going to benefit you in the end.

At the end of the day I think you would be happy at either program, which is why I present a cost analysis.

Congrats and good luck

Edited April 10, 2011 by jph5125

[afae39]

I'm not sure I'd qualify for in-state tuition at either school, at least until being there for a year (I currently live in Ohio).

Also, the free classes are in addition to the monthly income.

I've heard a bit about each program and the basic theme I keep getting is "both programs are strong", which is nice to hear but not very specific. I was unable to make it to the GSPIA open house, so I was unable to talk with current students and faculty from there.

And I have to let Mason know by Friday. How fun.

[ep1181]

I'm not sure I'd qualify for in-state tuition at either school, at least until being there for a year (I currently live in Ohio).

Also, the free classes are in addition to the monthly income.

I've heard a bit about each program and the basic theme I keep getting is "both programs are strong", which is nice to hear but not very specific. I was unable to make it to the GSPIA open house, so I was unable to talk with current students and faculty from there.

And I have to let Mason know by Friday. How fun.

I'm looking at Pitt's GSPIA too, but not for Security so I don't know how much help I will be. What I gathered from visiting is that if you're interested in Security Studies than Pitt seems to be a great place for it. They have two research centers specifically for this and it seemed like it would be pretty easy to get involved with them in some capacity. (Most likely unpaid research) . The Security program was definitely the most popular program within GSPIA and the students that I talked to in the program seemed to really like it. I also heard that you can take some classes at CMU which is huge for research and right next door to Pitt. They do have a DC semester in the fall of your 2nd year and they share a building with the Maxwell and Korbel schools.

I think this decision really just depends on what you want to be doing after you graduate. If you have any questions about the campus or anything I might be able to help you more.

[afae39]

I sent my acceptance in to GSPIA today. I ended up finding out that I'd have to work 500 part-time hours at Mason in order to get one free class, which was a lot less impressive than I'd originally thought. It came down to me liking Pittsburgh a lot more than the Arlington area, the opportunities to expand on my degree (Latin American studies certificate, MBA dual degrees), and a full-time student oriented program. I'm pretty excited with my decision.

Thanks for the input!

Edited April 14, 2011 by afae39

[Ahab]

I sent my acceptance in to GSPIA today. I ended up finding out that I'd have to work 500 part-time hours at Mason in order to get one free class, which was a lot less impressive than I'd originally thought. It came down to me liking Pittsburgh a lot more than the Arlington area, the opportunities to expand on my degree (Latin American studies certificate, MBA dual degrees), and a full-time student oriented program. I'm pretty excited with my decision.

Thanks for the input!

Congrats. That seems like a great decision!