Usefullness of an MPP

[knag91]

Hello, I am a graduate who finished my bachelors in Economics and GIS, and have been accepted into the University of Maryland College Park school of Public policy (for an mpp).

 

I wanted to ask more experienced/knowledgeable people on this forum on whether it is worth it to do an mpp, is their proper return on investment, or should I just enter the working force right not?

My prefered area of work would be more towards economic policy and working as an employee for the federal government (not really interested in non profit or the private sector)

 

Also should I have work experience before I obtain an mpp?  I am a recent graduate (2013) and only have a few summer internships worth of experience, so would it be better for me to work a few years and then get an mpp or would it not matter for job prospects.

 

Also how do users feel about the Maryland school of public policy (in particular those who have attended UMD), I know it is well respected and one of the best ranked in the washington area, but it is not one of the ones which are very well heard of or esteemed.  Would it be better for me to reapply to an even better program next year or after a few years of work?

 

Any answers would be appreciated, thanks.

[ridofme]

I can't speak to the relative strength of UMD's program, but I would say that in almost any scenario, I would recommend working for a bit before going to graduate school. There's nothing like working full-time to help crystallize what you want/don't want out of a career and life in general. Plus if you can get into UMD now without full-time work experience, then you could probably get into an even better program - possibly with funding - in a couple of years. Good luck.

[knag91]

yeah I also have seen that people usually have work experience, but when looking at the age profile for UMD it shows many recent graduates are also enrolled, this also being the case for some other programs.  My main priority was to find an entry level job, however trying to find those have been brutal, and so I might enroll in this, while doing a part time internship to fortify experience, because this will provide better job prospects.

[Damis]

yeah I also have seen that people usually have work experience, but when looking at the age profile for UMD it shows many recent graduates are also enrolled, this also being the case for some other programs.  My main priority was to find an entry level job, however trying to find those have been brutal, and so I might enroll in this, while doing a part time internship to fortify experience, because this will provide better job prospects.

 

What experience gives you, however, is a stronger idea of what you want to pursue as a career, not just a job. Do you have a strong understanding of what it is you want to commit yourself to for the next 10-15 years?

 

Essentially, graduate education is such a huge investment from so many facets. Just ensure you make it worth your while.

[CalSeeker]

I am an MA (not MPP) student, but I would definitely agree with the previous posters regarding the importance of work experience in making sure you are getting into the right field.

 

I should also note that it is extremely hard to get a federal job right now, so be aware that you may need to work elsewhere for some period of time.  However, there are lots of non-profits, trade associations, companies, etc. that work closely with the government on economic policy issues.