If you want to be president, you run for office. But what if you want to work FOR the president\u2014or elsewhere in the government or nonprofit worlds? Increasingly, having a master\u2019s level public policy degree can make a difference. Usually, that means either an MPP (Master of Public Policy) or MPA (Master of Public Administration).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An MPP trains students in policy analysis and program evaluation. In other words, students learn to think about how public policy is designed and implemented, whether it\u2019s working, and how it might be changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is messy stuff, and it requires familiarity with a wide range of disciplines. Economics is particularly important\u2014especially microeconomics, macroeconomics, cost-benefit analysis, and statistics. MPP programs also draw on political science, sociology, and other social sciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MPA programs are similar to MPP programs in many ways; the primary difference is that they focus less on the policy process and more on training students to administer programs or lead organizations\u2014everything from United Nations agencies to advocacy groups and nonprofits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Given the degree of overlap between MPP and MPA programs, you probably can\u2019t go too far wrong in either direction. Some schools even offer combined MPAP (Master of Public Administration and Policy) or MPPA (Master of Public Policy and Administration) degrees! Regardless of which program you choose, you\u2019ll learn a great deal about economics, political analysis, data and statistics, ethics, and management and leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That said, it can be helpful to ask yourself where your own inclinations lie: do you prefer thinking about policy itself or about leading people\/organizations toward specific policy goals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MPP students can also concentrate in particular areas, such as urban planning, social policy, business and government, health, energy and environmental issues, international affairs, and many more. In fact, some schools require you to choose a concentration. Don\u2019t worry, though\u2014there\u2019s plenty of time to take courses in other areas as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MPP and MPA degrees are offered around the world. In the United States, there are prominent programs at Berkeley, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, Michigan, Duke, Chicago, Syracuse, Carnegie Mellon, Indiana-Bloomington, Wisconsin-Madison, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n