Advice for someone who is completely lost (MPP & MSW)

[artsy16]

So recently I've been thrown for a loop and would appreciate advice from those applying now or already in grad school!

 

I'm thinking of MPP programs, but this is a new thing for me because until two days ago, I was dead set on a clinical MSW. Lots of things have been happening recently (including the ending of my junior spring) that have thrown me for a loop. MPP's are attractive to me because I feel like I will actually be contributing to change on a more macro scale (as opposed to clinical MSW where my change is on an individual level). All of my coursework and experience has been practical though, geared toward a clinical MSW, and I'm at a loss for what I could do to get experience in the kinds of things I would be doing as an MPP grad. I prefer to go to grad school right after graduating next spring, but would also be open to a job. With a job though, I'm worried that I don't have the skills/knowledge to get a job that could be an accurate representation of what an MPP position would be like.

 

I will have a psych degree, and my quant coursework is from freshman year and not great grades because I also suffered a concussion that year (2 weeks into the school year!). I can *do* quant stuff, but I didn't particularly enjoy it because I didn't see a bigger picture of how I could apply that to helping people. I never really knew that MPPs existed, or what policy proposal/making entailed outside of being an actual politician. 

 

I'm just looking for advice on what I could do to get some experience (what kinds of agencies/jobs would you recommend?). I'm interested in health policy, namely racial/socioeconomic inequality affecting health. My GRE scores are 159V/155M/5W. So far I like the programs at GWU, American, and Georgia State.

 

Thanks so much!

[duran0]

If you're for sure going to commit to grad school, take a look at Americorps VISTA programs. The stipend is pitiful, but you get a completion education grant and the opportunity for on-the-ground experience. I know people who had good experiences with Americorps programs like New Sector Alliance (http://newsector.org) or City Year.

Especially for MPP programs, I really think it'll be in your favor to try to get a couple years of work experience under your belt. Good luck!

[hopeful88]

As someone who has a pyschology degree, considered getting an MSW, and am about to graduate with an MPP, I can relate! A few thoughts:

 

1) There are dual MPP/MSW programs out there that you may want to look into (U Chicago, Columbia, UCLA, UC Berkeley all have that option...I'm sure there are others)

 

2) I completely agree with the advice to look into AmeriCorps VISTA. I worked in a VISTA research position with an education nonprofit that allowed me to beef up my quant skills and get a feel for analytic work that has been very relevant to my MPP experience. 

 

3) I seriously cannot emphasize enough how important it is to have work experience--both to clarify what type of policy work you want to engage in, and also to be competitive in terms of admissions. Keep in mind that if you want to make change at a macro level, having "on the ground" experience is invaluable. It's hard to change systems that you don't really understand. Especially if you're interested in getting a dual degree or doing interdisciplinary work, it's important to have a compelling story that really ties your interests together.

 

Feel free to message me if you want to discuss further!

[RCtheSS]

Thirding the work experience advice! Most MPA/MPP programs will state that although they do take straight-from-undergrad applicants, it's encouraged to gain work experience beforehand (even better if there's direct relevance to the policy work you're interested in). 

 

I've also been looking to the dual MPP/MSW degree options. Along with hopeful88's recommendations I'll add U Michigan, U Minnesota, U Texas, U Washington and University of Southern California. 

[artsy16]

Thanks everyone! I was worried that AmeriCorps and similar programs wouldn't have the research aspect - the ones I've found so far are more direct interaction with populations. I have PLENTY of that through my job and extracurriculars, so I'm really looking for a job that would allow me to do quant/policy stuff, at least to get a window into what it's like. I want to take a break from direct interaction with populations stuff and get into more MPP oriented things. I'll look more into AmeriCorps VISTA, hopefully I just missed the more research ones you're talking about (or maybe the descriptions of AmeriCorps workers isn't very clear?)

 

Thanks again!

 

hopeful88 - I definitely will message you over the weekend.

 

PS - i just found that the AmeriCorps stipend is based on federal poverty level & is ~$12,000 before taxes (varying with region). I think that's ridiculous to give for someone to live on while doing FT work! My university has public service fellowships with different organizations, and those orgs are required to offer at least $30,000 in order to participate in the agreement with my school. I will definitely be looking into those over AmeriCorps or similar programs that pay similar amounts. I think it's ironic that AmeriCorps offers near poverty level wages when they have service members working on poverty reduction programs.

Edited April 29, 2015 by artsy16

[hopeful88]

@artsy16 You have to look specifically for Vista positions, they are intended to be capacity building and are actually forbidden from being direct interaction with clients. Other types of AmeriCorps position are generally more service oriented. It is true that the pay is shit, but the experience may be worth it. Only you can decide. I will say that a graduate degree is not a silver bullet--myself and other classmates with work experience are having way more success on the job market than my classmates without as much experience. Worth keeping in mind...yes, do feel free to reach out.