CMU Heinz MSPPM or Syracuse Maxwell MPA?

[fso2k11]

Hi!

I've narrowed it down to Syracuse and Carnegie Mellon, and I would like to "crowd source" and ask for your opinion on my school choices. Here are some of the things I'm weighing:

Carnegie Mellon offered me a pretty big scholarship, and Syracuse's Maxwell School offered me a smaller amount but they both even out to being about the same total cost of attendance, being that Syracuse is a 1 year program compared to 18 months at CMU. At Syracuse, I have a decent chance of getting more funding once I arrive via assistantship opportunities, but that is not guaranteed.

Both are great programs, Syracuse is ranked #1 in Public Administration, and CMU is ranked #4 in Public Policy Analysis. I also think I would be happy at either school and at either city. CMU is known for its quantitative training, and has heavier "core" requirements in economics, stats, dealing with large data sets, which would all be helpful for my career interests in program management, federal employment or federal management consulting. Syracuse, on the other hand, is more focused on management, has less flexibility in its program and gives me fewer opportunities to take electives in courses that would support my career interests. While Carnegie Mellon has a very strong name worldwide, Syracuse's MPA program is better regarded in public affairs circles and its core curriculum seems comprehensive & well-rounded. One of Syracuse's biggest assets, though, is the Maxwell School's alumni network which is very strong and institutionalized. Having talked with a few alums and current students from both programs, I have a feeling that Syracuse's alumni network is a much bigger help in the job search than would be CMU's. Syracuse's professors also seem more accessible for academic and networking purposes. However, what about reputation for international work and with consulting firms? The vibe I'm getting is that CMU would be better for either...better name recognition among the ivory tower crowd who seem to dominate those fields....

Employers of interest - federal consulting firms, certain federal agencies, NGOs - seem to recruit & hire students from both programs well, however CMUs numbers are a little better for consulting. Carnegie Mellon's program would be 18 months long, and this is a longer program but it leaves me with an open summer for an internship to build more career experience.

Right now I'm leaning towards Syracuse. Besides the Maxwell School's strong, active alumni network, it seems more like the professional school versus an academic school. But I have a tough decision to make, given that both programs cost roughly the same, are each 12-18 months long, and have very similar employment prospects. Please let me know what you think, or if you think I'm missing some big point, especially considering my desired career field in public/federal management, consulting and NGO work.

[bitter]

If you are analytically well prepared to take advantage of the vast Heinz curriculum you can fashion a course of study so solid that you will surpass most graduates on sheer technical expertise alone when you are looking for a job. That is powerful (although nothing works like a net-work), yet often rarely mentioned in discussions. You seem to be a step ahead of most by your analysis here and obvious understanding of CMU's strengths in this area. No school in this field can really match Heinz on that score, in my opinion, but, you have to come prepared to waive out of a few core requirements and know what you are doing with the curriculum. Which means working closely with an advisor. There are plenty available. I have a family member just finishing their first year. The biggest disservice you can do yourself is make a decision based on rankings. And when people just vote without providing backup, my gut is telling me that they are just leaning toward the higher ranked school. This isn't law school where you could really argue that relative ranking matters in getting prestige jobs (like the ones you are mentioning). Congratulations on earning admission to two great programs. You can't go wrong with either one! Good Luck!

Hi!

I've narrowed it down to Syracuse and Carnegie Mellon, and I would like to "crowd source" and ask for your opinion on my school choices. Here are some of the things I'm weighing:

Carnegie Mellon offered me a pretty big scholarship, and Syracuse's Maxwell School offered me a smaller amount but they both even out to being about the same total cost of attendance, being that Syracuse is a 1 year program compared to 18 months at CMU. At Syracuse, I have a decent chance of getting more funding once I arrive via assistantship opportunities, but that is not guaranteed.

Both are great programs, Syracuse is ranked #1 in Public Administration, and CMU is ranked #4 in Public Policy Analysis. I also think I would be happy at either school and at either city. CMU is known for its quantitative training, and has heavier "core" requirements in economics, stats, dealing with large data sets, which would all be helpful for my career interests in program management, federal employment or federal management consulting. Syracuse, on the other hand, is more focused on management, has less flexibility in its program and gives me fewer opportunities to take electives in courses that would support my career interests. While Carnegie Mellon has a very strong name worldwide, Syracuse's MPA program is better regarded in public affairs circles and its core curriculum seems comprehensive & well-rounded. One of Syracuse's biggest assets, though, is the Maxwell School's alumni network which is very strong and institutionalized. Having talked with a few alums and current students from both programs, I have a feeling that Syracuse's alumni network is a much bigger help in the job search than would be CMU's. Syracuse's professors also seem more accessible for academic and networking purposes. However, what about reputation for international work and with consulting firms? The vibe I'm getting is that CMU would be better for either...better name recognition among the ivory tower crowd who seem to dominate those fields....

Employers of interest - federal consulting firms, certain federal agencies, NGOs - seem to recruit & hire students from both programs well, however CMUs numbers are a little better for consulting. Carnegie Mellon's program would be 18 months long, and this is a longer program but it leaves me with an open summer for an internship to build more career experience.

Right now I'm leaning towards Syracuse. Besides the Maxwell School's strong, active alumni network, it seems more like the professional school versus an academic school. But I have a tough decision to make, given that both programs cost roughly the same, are each 12-18 months long, and have very similar employment prospects. Please let me know what you think, or if you think I'm missing some big point, especially considering my desired career field in public/federal management, consulting and NGO work.