GPPI vs. Heinz for outside-DC employment

[MTJ]

I'm still waiting on a funding notification from GPPI, so this might end up being moot, but at the moment it looks like my decision is going to come down to GPPI vs. Heinz. One factor that I didn't really consider as I was applying, but that I've increasingly been thinking about now that I'm faced with having to make an actual decision, is geographic versatility. While I'm right now fairly certain that I want to work in DC immediately after completing my MPP/MSPPM, I do think that, all other things being equal, it would be good to keep my options open in case I don't feel the same way in two years, or in case I want to move somewhere else after a few years in DC. 

 

Based on what I can glean from the schools' websites, GPPI's recruiting, alumni network, and placement seem to be very DC-centric, and while the Georgetown name is certainly well-recognized everywhere, the curriculum seems very federal-focused. By contrast, CMU's graduates seem to be more widely dispersed, and I've seen posts on this forum indicating that their alumni network is very strong in Chicago, Silicon Valley, etc. (without seeing comparable indications about GPPI). In addition, CMU's curriculum, with its focus on skills (particularly really advanced quantitative skills that aren't touched in other MPP programs) rather than topical areas, seems like it would be much more versatile across sectors, which of course is correlated at least to some degree with geographic versatility. 

 

In the end, then, my question is this: does anyone have any information or insight, beyond what's available on the site, as to whether a degree from GPPI would limit my options for employment outside DC, at least enough to be a consideration in my decision-making? In other words, is GPPI primarily a pipeline into the DC job market (which means, basically, the federal government and the contractors and nonprofits that deal with federal policy), or would the Georgetown name and the strength of its core curriculum (more quantitative than the other DC schools, but much less so than Heinz) be sufficient to open up similar opportunities in the non-federal sector outside DC?

 

Thanks! Congrats to everyone who's gotten in so far and good luck to those who are still waiting. 

[MPPgal]

I can only say from an international perspective, but hey we are outside of DC too! Georgeown is definetly much better known than CMU!