Why are you getting a MPA?

[rd290]

I got into GMU's MPA program and this is my 1st semester in the program.  The only reason why I'm getting a MPA is to try to get a federal government job (i.e., job security).  

 

Why are you getting a MPA (or MPP)?

 

 

[Gov2School]

Hmm, seems like there are cheaper ways to get a federal job if that's your sole aim.   

 

I already work for the government, and while I've had a lot of cool/interesting jobs that I'm grateful for, I'm finding it hard to transition out of jobs with "assistant" in the title and into the more substantive roles that I want.  As I started looking to advance, I found more and more that the jobs I was being considered for were too similar to what I had already done, and the jobs that I wanted, I wasn't being considered for, in part because I didn't have a master's degree.  So for me, grad school is an opportunity to hit the reset button, and I hope to come back to DC in a few years better equipped to compete for mid- and, eventually, senior-level positions.  Law school or business school could have been options for me as well, but I knew I didn't want to be a lawyer and business school didn't really interest me.  Though I am focusing on MPA programs at schools with strong business schools, in the hope that I can cross register in a few management courses. 

 

It's also a great chance to build knowledge in skill areas that I've discovered, over the course of my career, I'm not as strong as I'd like to be.  You can compensate for this somewhat by learning on the job, but in a fast-paced work environment, it's hard to drill down on anything.  I'm excited to get back to the classroom and have a chance to really think and learn about things that I'm interested in, but up until now have had to put in the "set aside until time permits" pile. Amazing how big that pile becomes.  And I want to expand my professional network by learning from my fellow students. It's really important to me for that reason to go to a school where a large percentage of the incoming class have several years of work experience under their belts. 

[helme009]

I am not in a program yet but I am wrapping up my undergrad in public administration this april.

 

The reason why I want to get an MPA is because of my longing interest in the public service. Political science upsets me because it talks about this I have a deep interest in but it rarely provides solutions. So the biggest reason why I want to do an MPA is learn how to solve societal issues rather than just talk about them. 

 

I have pretty much done a degree in public admin and want to do another one because I am still starving for knowledge. I took some time off school to work and I was not impressed with what I saw. Mind you I worked sales jobs but nonetheless, the people I encountered were not the type of people I want to spend every day of my life with. They were low lives who were totally oblivious to the world around them and were so content with so little. They are happy to make their 45 to 50k a year while getting shat on and disrespected by upper management. I went back to school and started to really entrench myself in the vast world of public admin and I fell in love. Leading me to want to pursue a masters. 

 

Comparing a masters in public admin to a masters in political science, with public admin I feel like I can give my future employer a level of analysis that i would not be able to have studying politics. I have experience working as a policy analyst for the Canadian government and I fell in love with the work. THIS IS TYPE OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE TYPE OF CAREER I WANT.