MPP or JD for political career?

[joethemole]

Hey everyone,

So here is my situation, I earned a business undergraduate degree in 2010, and then an ID masters degree in 2011. I've now had one year of work experience in the private sector, and am looking to continue my journey in pursuing a political career. I've been debating about whether to get an MBA/MPP or a JD, or possibly a JD/MBA.

I've heard from some peers that an MPP is the least respected of MBA/MPP/JD, and I can see some truth in this, as I earned my ID masters from a top-tier university, and yet in the private sector, no one even seems to care. But that said, given that my ultimate goal is to get into politics, I don't really care too much what people in the private sector think about the MPP, if this degree is useful for me to reach my goal. However, I do see myself spending some period of time in the private sector before making the switch to public sector/politics, so I would at least also need an MBA or JD.

After looking through the prospectuses of some MPP programs, I think the courses are very interesting (more so than law school courses). However, I'm not sure if this is a better option for my long-term goals than a JD.

Given my goal of politics, which degree or combination of degrees should I aim for? MBA/MPP, MBA/JD, or JD?

Sincere thanks

[Imhotep]

For whatever it's worth, my ambitious friends getting into politics are getting JDs.

[CalSeeker]

I would be hesitant to get a JD for a political career. Based on what I have read, most people feel you should only really get a JD if you actually want to be a lawyer. Also, I have read several articles indicating that there is a huge glut of JDs out there without jobs. Unless you go to a very top-tier law school, my understanding is that the investment is unlikely to pay off. I can't speak from personal experience, though.

I actually wonder if you really need another degree to get into politics. To me, it seems to be more of a factor of being in the right place (i.e., DC for federal politics) and networking. Working on campaigns/getting your foot in the door as a professional staffer might be a better way to get into the right circles. There are a lot of young people in DC doing this kind of work, and Hill experience seems to be valued fairly highly in the private sector as well, if you still want to spend some time there.

I will note that the GW has a Graduate School of Political Management, which might be more focused on what you want to do. I am not really familiar with the various programs or where their graduates end up. There may be other similar programs in other schools.

[joethemole]

Thanks CalSeeker. Does anyone know if MPP provides better preparation for politics than the JD?

My friends have said that the MPP is less prestigious than the JD. After being in the real world for the past year, I do realize that prestige of degree and where you go to school does matter, at least in the early stages of one's career, when one is trying to get into the right doors.

[lost_0101]

Working on campaigns/getting your foot in the door as a professional staffer might be a better way to get into the right circles. There are a lot of young people in DC doing this kind of work, and Hill experience seems to be valued fairly highly in the private sector as well, if you still want to spend some time there.

I would agree with this sentiment - becoming a staffer on the hill is generally the only straightforward way of doing it....however attaching yourself to a rising star politician @ the state, local level is by far the most effective route if you play the long game. On the hill, having a JD that does give you more job options. Quick reality check however: is $80k+ debt worth those extra options? (It's not, especially since a fresh face with a JD will make no money on the hill).

An MBA with no directly useful work experience = nonsensical. (However an MBA focused on Marketing could provide a good skillset)

I would argue a communications degree would provide the most ideal skillset, but the degree itself won't be worth it.

A policy degree for politics = ill advised

*Best piece of advice I could provide anyone looking to get into "politics" as a staffer: go Republican. There will be infinitely more opportunities for a young, intelligent republican staffer on the hill than a democratic counterpart. (Fewer people, lower caliber = less competition)