Offered admission to NYU Wagner EMPA instead of MPA

[DavidWDC]

I have been a practicing lawyer for some time and came to a decision to change careers and work in health policy.

I applied to NYU Wagner, my top choice, and was rejected for the MPA in Health Policy and Management. Instead they admitted me into an EMPA program.

How are EMPAs viewed, versus MPAs, especially by potential employers? Is it a waste of time? Is it a consolation prize of less academic and professional value and rigor, or is it merely more applicable to someone who has been working for a long time? (By the way -- I am leaving law practice, so there is no full-time job I would be going to, and no company sponsoring me.) Is this merely a degree, as I suspect, that makes money for Wagner and serves to burnish credentials for persons who are already on a track in their chosen career, as opposed to changing direction, as I am?

I'm at a loss here as to what to do. Any feedback on a so-called "Executive" MPA (EMPA), how it is perceived and valued, would be appreciated.

[i originally posted this in another forum and realized this forum is more appropriate.]