s/o Masters in Public Policy
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Anonymous
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Is it generally considered a worthwhile degree in the area, or do people view it as a "nice" extra but not something they'd pay you extra to have -- unlike say a JD or something.
I feel like many of my classmates from undergrad are pursuing this degree at American, GW, Georgetown etc. and I'm starting to wonder if I'm missing something or if this is just a masters that may or may not garner you more money depending on what jobs come along. |
Anonymous
| Not worth it unless someone else is paying for it. |
Anonymous
| Waste of money |
Anonymous
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I think it is almost what a BA was 50 years ago in DC -- required to get a job at a lot of places. This is sad because I'm not sure it really adds much value yet people expect it.
I am far from sold on the value. You get the loan burden and lost income just like with a JD or MBA but with fewer skills. Most everything you can learn at an MPP or MaLD or whatever you can learn pursuing a JD or MBA. Agree with PP that it might only be worth it if someone else is paying or will pay in the future with major loan forgiveness. |
Anonymous
| Fine, helpful for some jobs, but you pay a lot for it. MA in economics or a JD will have higher payoff. |
Anonymous
| Not a good idea unless you have funding. I have a public policy degree and I did it in a year and had a full scholarship plus stipend, so I think it was an ok investment of my time. I don't think I learned much but in DC it's useful to have a masters degree. I'd say if you have s decent job, don't bother with the public policy degree. Most of my classmates did the program to get their foot in the door during a difficult labor market. |
Anonymous
| I have an MPP that was almost entirely funded (stipends / grants / work studies) and still question its value. It helped me get a job I really wanted, but now I've left the area I junk a business degree would have been more versatile. I only had about $3,000 in dept and about $40,000 in lost income. I got hired about $20,000 above my prior (pre degree salary) so I felt a few years of working paid for it. But...I would have had more options by going in a different direction. |
Anonymous
| Pp here... Think, not junk. Also, by left the area I don't mean I left the field...I moved away from DC. |
Anonymous
| fucking worthless except for in DC where many fake jobs are created. |
Anonymous
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Honestly, I know a lot of people with JDs that do nothing related to their degree. They basically went to law school b/c they didn't know what kind of advanced degree they should get but thought they should get one.
Maybe go to a conference: http://www.appam.org/membership/student/ Tour a school local program: https://mccourt.georgetown.edu It might give you a clearer perspective. |
Anonymous
| @PP, yes but at least they can practice law even if they don't want to and hate it. MPP holders don't have any clear fallback |
Anonymous
starbucks is always a fall back |
Anonymous
+1 If you move elsewhere in the US, it will be difficult to get a job with this degree. |
Anonymous
| It really is a degree for people with a sugar daddy of some type. So if you don't have rich parents or a sponsoring federal agency it is not worth it. Those are about the only two institutions that would pay for such nonsense. |
Anonymous
I don't have a sugar daddy now, nor did I 20 years ago when I went to Georgetown for my MPP. So I kind of resent your post. Nonetheless I do agree with the PPs that it's really not a valuable degree outside of DC. Personally I regret not going for a MPA or a masters in health care administration. But at the age of 45, that is not happening. I certainly would not go for an MPP if I was going to grad school today. |