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?