I’m 25 and want to apply for the PhD in public administration and focus on public management, but I’m not sure if I have a shot. I have 2 years of experience as a data analyst for a state agency where I uncovered a multi million dollar public benefits fraud scheme and lead the design of a bunch of reports used regularly for policy decisions. I have 4 pubs in the implementation science/organizational side of public health and 333/340 on GRE.

I want to end up closer to the east coast because my partner lives there, but I’m scared that I’d spend a bunch of money on a masters and then not be able to find a job. And I can write practically any amount of code and people where I work are ridiculously pleased with it. So I wouldn’t want to leave this job to just get an MPA somewhere without clear job prospects given how good I have it where I am. And I do want to end up at a university or in a research unit for a state agency focusing on improving organizational management of and working conditions of social services workers and pother public servants. I started MPA classes at highly ranked university in the Midwest and dropped out because they felt like a joke and colleagues suggested this was true. I am already involved in a lot of high stakes and fast moving policy implementation with some of the executive staff at my agency. Does it seem reasonable that I would apply for the PhD program or do I really need a masters first?

Someone posted recently about pursuing a Master of Public Policy or any related masters and recommended:

“Once you earn your bachelor’s degree, start building your resume and gaining real-world experience!”

If I could up-vote this comment 100 times, I would. I have seen too many pitfalls or challenges that students with little to no policy work experience face during the MPP program and after the program.

1. Work for a couple of years (you might also realize that an MPP is not needed to go up the ladder). Work you bring that real life work experience to the classroom, for yourself and your peers, it enriches the quality of the material being taught, imo.

2. If you have trouble finding something, stop looking at the big agencies or Capitol Hill for an opportunity. State and local municipalities are also great resume builders

3. Join a campaign or political clubs. Networking is the best way to learn about positions

4. Save money. Grad school is expensive and continues to become more expensive. Going into significant debt is not worth it imo.

5. Really vet the schools, professors and curriculum. I am on the west coast. I have friends who attended Cal, UCLA, USC, San Diego, Riverside, etc. I hear the same thing: “focus on classes that can teach you practical skills; not just theoretical”. Take classes with professors with years in the professional field in addition to the academics.

6. Reach out to alumni from the school you are applying to on LinkedIn. You can definitely ask the schools coordinator to get you in contact but they’ll likely connect you with above and performing students. Or at least that was my experience and what I’ve heard from my Alma mater. It doesn’t reflect the whole story.

7. Building off 5, focus on the big picture when taking classes. A lot of my peers were more worried about getting specific issue area classes (e.g education, health care) that had mediocre curriculum and not-so polished professors. I always kept an eye out for the professor, regardless of issue area, and asked: who do they know, what have they done, and what was their impact.

About me:

I worked in a policy setting for about 6 years, mostly in non-profit and state government, before pursuing an MPP. I decided to attend an MPP because 1) the fellowship and TA position would cover 80% of my tuition and 2) I wanted to transition into local government and the school I attended had really good connections with an agency I wanted to get in.

IF I would’ve never gotten a good financial offer, I would have never attended. I would just network and find a way to transition to local government. The degree isn’t necessary, it just streamlines the process. Fortunately, I accomplished what I wanted to do and I am where I wanted to be when I first attended the MPP program.

Concluding thoughts:

Now, I understand that not all things are a one size, fit all. You may want to go straight from undergrad to an MPP. It definitely has its pros. You’re locked in your studies and can continue your momentum. But it also has its cons. A masters can lock you out of getting your foot in the door. Overqualified for the entry point, under qualified for roles needing 5 years experience, documented successes, and management experience. I have friends who graduated with me over a year ago that are still looking and it sucks to see.

Really think about what you are pursuing, how you will do it and, mostly importantly, why this degree matters or is essential.

Hi everyone! I am a current high school senior with extreme academic anxiety haha. I want to pursue a career in politics and one day want to work for House Leadership. For context, I have a 3.9 GPA and will graduate high school with an Associates degree (AA). I will most likely/hopefully be attending my state school (University of Washington Seattle) with a major in public policy. I would graduate @ 20 years old and apply to an MPP program. I REALLY want to get into a great MPP program (McCourt? but open to others) and am looking for advice on a pathway/strategies to get there? Please help, I'm totally desperate and have horrible anxiety about college admissions lol. I know it's prob annoying when kids post in this thread, but any advice you can offer me is very valued. Thanks for your time/advice!

:)

Does anyone know anything about Bama’s MPP program that is admitting its first cohort in Fall 2027? I am contemplating applying to their program but I am a bit concerned given that it is a new program. My goals are to study IR and health policy, and to get into strategy consulting.

Hello! I’m currently a licensed counselor and clinical supervisor/program manager in community mental health. I knew since starting my masters that I didn’t want to do therapy forever, but I’m passionate about behavioral health and criminal justice reform so I don’t want to leave entirely. I’ve found that I really enjoy the program evaluation and development parts of my role, so I was thinking public policy could be a route I pursue.
I do NOT want to get another masters, so I was looking into a graduate certificate in public policy analysis. Has anyone completed a grad certificate when trying to make a career change and been successful? Should I really just accept my fate and consider an MPP or MPH? I also recognize job potential depends on federal and state funding, so I would imagine the market is pretty dry at the moment.
TIA!!

Hi everyone!

I'm planning to pursue a master's in public policy and would love insight from current MPP students, graduates, and people working in the policy field.

My primary interest is social policy, particularly understanding how systems of inequity operate and using that knowledge to inform policy development, implementation, and evaluation. My specific interests lie at the intersection of disability, education, and public health. Professionally, I'd ideally like to begin my career in community-based policy research.

For additional context, if finances, ROI, and career flexibility weren't considerations, my ideal degree path would actually be a dual MSW/MSP (Master of Social Work and Master of Social Policy). However, I'm leaning toward an MPP with a social policy concentration because I believe the broader training and transferable skills may provide greater career flexibility.

What I'm looking for in a program:

• Strong quantitative and qualitative training: I want to develop rigorous quantitative analytical skills, but I equally value qualitative research and its ability to capture the experiences of communities affected by policy.
• Decolonial and critical research methodologies: I'm especially interested in programs that examine how positionality, power, and systems of inequity influence the production, interpretation, and application of research. I recognize this may not be integrated throughout an entire curriculum, but I'd love to know whether any programs offer courses specifically exploring decolonial methodologies or other critical approaches to research and data analysis.
• Interdisciplinary flexibility: Given the intersections of my policy interests, I'm particularly interested in programs that allow students to take courses across departments or at other institutions.
• Applied, community-engaged learning: I'm interested in programs that offer opportunities to collaborate with communities, conduct applied research, and engage in policy development and evaluation.

Schools I'm currently considering:

• Duke Sanford: I'm drawn to its interdisciplinary opportunities, particularly the possibility of taking courses at other institutions in the Research Triangle.
• Georgetown McCourt: There is faculty research closely aligned with my interests, and Georgetown's Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies is particularly appealing. However, I've heard that McCourt tends to emphasize federal government career pathways. While I'm not opposed to government work, my immediate interests lean more toward community-based policy research.

I've also seen UCLA Luskin recommended for its social justice orientation, but I haven't been able to determine how that translates into the MPP curriculum or student experience.

I'd love to hear your perspectives:

1. Are there MPP programs I'm overlooking that might align particularly well with these interests?
2. For those familiar with Duke, Georgetown, or UCLA, how well do their programs support interdisciplinary study, community-based research, and critical approaches to policy?
3. Do you know of any MPP programs offering coursework in decolonial research methodologies or related frameworks?
4. Based on my goals, does an MPP sound like the appropriate degree, or would you recommend exploring an MSP, MSW/MPP, or another pathway?

Ultimately, I'm less concerned with prestige for its own sake and more interested in finding a program that combines rigorous methodological training with opportunities to critically examine the systems and structures that policies operate within.

Thanks in advance for any insights or recommendations!

Hey reddit! If not NLSIU, IIT-D/B, etc., what's the best private alternative for policy, law, or interdisciplinary studies?

How do OP Jindal and Kautilya compare in terms of exposure, crowd, and career opportunities? Would love some real feedback!

Every time I scroll through these threads, there’s one piece of advice I wish I could scream through the screen: Once you earn your bachelor’s degree, start building your resume and gaining real-world experience!
Get involved in a campaign, build relationships with candidates and their staff, and look for opportunities to work in their offices. Be the person who always shows up, smiles, offers to help, and treats everyone with respect. Trust me, people notice, and those relationships can open doors you never expected.
My advice? Work for five years before pursuing your master’s degree. A graduate degree can absolutely increase your earning potential and opportunities for advancement, but it isn’t necessarily what gets your foot in the door. Experience and connections will often take you further early in your career.
I’m getting ready to pursue my own master’s degree, but I’ve already held positions in legislative affairs, policy analysis, and constituent services across both the legislative and executive branches of state government.
I cannot emphasize this enough: Start building your career before pursuing another degree. Your education matters, but the experience you gain and the relationships you build along the way are invaluable.

Hey everyone, I got an MPA three years ago and i currently hold a job in the Federal government. I’m trying to find policy analyst jobs, but I have absolutely no experience besides grad school.
I have the good old question of how can I get experience but these jobs won’t hire me because I don’t have experience? Even junior analysts require a lot.
Any hints on where I can step into and get the needed experience?

Hey everyone! I just wanted to come on to see if anyone could share any information they might have on the dual masters in education policy and masters in public policy Stanford offers. I’ve been reading more on it, and I am highly interested in applying. Currently HGSE has been at the top of my list for their Ed Policy, but they do not have a dual degree with Kennedy unlike Stanford. Any information would be helpful regarding the subject and if possible, I’d love to hear about the experiences and stats some of the current or former students have had! Please let me know!

I just started a job as a Policy Analyst at a state agency about 2 months ago. I was formerly a Project Manager (in the same field of work as this agency). I am used to managing concrete projects that have schedules, deadlines and tangible work products. In my new role I feel like I'm not "producing" anything. So far I've been in a lot of meetings, had a lot of conversations, documented the dozens of internal policy initiatives, and begun work on one report. I know I have good ideas to contribute and some of my suggestions have already gone into practice. But I still feel like I'm not doing anything.

So I'm curious, if you're a Policy Analyst, what does your day to day look like and how do you define being productive?

Hi all! I have been on my org.'s government affairs team for the past two years and we always used PolicyEngage/TrackBill but as you may probably know, they shut down suddenly (literally took our money and ran). While looking for new options, I'm wondering if anyone has good experience with other trackers? I saw a post a year ago, but now I'm also wondering if anyone is in the same situation and what they did instead.

In addition, we're hoping to track not only state and federal, but local (city) and county if possible. Is there a magic website/software that can do all?? We did a demo with Quorum but I didn't feel too positive about it/I heard they're very expensive.

Does anyone work or have worked with this firm? I see on LinkedIn that they have an Entry-level Staff Consultant position posted but it has been there for over a month and I am wondering if they are actually hiring? I am wondering this firm a good place to start a consulting career pathway?

Hey all,

I am applying for masters programs for the first time and am currently filling out the application for the MPP program at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Public Policy.

I’m at the “academic interest” portion where it’s asking me to fill out a couple short essay questions, but the application itself and the application guidelines provided by GraSPP do not give any details for how these essay questions are supposed to be answered.

In particular there’s one section labeled “Study Plan” (limited to 200 words) and I have no idea what is supposed to go there. Am I supposed to actually go through the course catalogue and name all the individual electives I’m interested in, or am I just giving an overhead view of what I would like to focus my research on?

Maybe I’m reading too much into this because I’m an American and have some notions about the rigidness of academic admissions in Japan, but I feel like I’m not supposed to just free write my answers to any of these questions and should be following a format, but I can’t actually find where said format is located.

Any advise or insight is appreciated.

Hi everyone! I’m from India and considering applying for the Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the Hertie School. I’d love to hear from alumni about their admissions experience and any advice they might have for prospective applicants.

A little about my background: I hold a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations, a master’s degree in International Journalism, and a postgraduate diploma in Human Rights Law. Professionally, I’ve worked in the social sector, primarily around research, advocacy, gender, human rights, and the development of marginalised communities. My experience includes leading and contributing to field-based research projects, working on national-level studies, supporting programme implementation, and contributing to fundraising and institutional partnerships.

The MPP would be my second master’s degree, so I’m trying to understand how the admissions committee views applicants who already have a postgraduate degree, particularly those looking to build on their existing experience and transition towards public policy, governance, and evidence-based policymaking.

I’d especially appreciate insights on:
How Hertie evaluates applicants with prior master’s degrees and professional experience.
What makes an application stand out beyond academic credentials and work experience.
How important quantitative skills and prior economics or statistics coursework are for admission.
Scholarships and financial aid: How realistic is it for international applicants from India to secure substantial funding? Are there particular scholarships worth applying for, and how competitive are they?
Whether scholarships can cover a significant portion of tuition or living expenses, and whether alumni have advice on financing the overall cost of attendance.
Whether the programme has been valuable for alumni working in research, development, gender policy, and the broader social impact sector.
Any advice on positioning my profile and explaining why I want to pursue another master’s degree.
I’d be grateful for any candid advice, application tips, or perspectives from people who have been through the process, particularly Indian students or those who received scholarships.
Thank you!

Hey everyone!

I created TAXpedia.eu, a website that helps people explore how public money is spent across the 27 EU countries.

The idea is to make public finance data more accessible and easier to understand.

I'd love to hear what you think about it, especially from people interested in public policy. Any feedback is welcome!