What is better for work in politics, a Master’s Degree in Public Policy or in Policy Administration?

I realize politics is mainly about who you know, but education doesn’t hurt. I am considering doing a joint-degree program in which I get a masters and JD in 4 years. Which masters would be best for working in the political realm? I am not talking about writing papers and being an “expert in the field”. I am talking about staffing big names, or being a big one. I’d like to either staff or become a candidate someday.
oops i did mean Public Administration. Master of Public Affairs sounds interesting too. Which of the three is best?

an MPP, masters in public policy or MPA, masters in public affairs are both better than a masters in public administration i believe. However, remember that you would be limited to local government with this job. if you want to work with the feds, try getting an MA in international relations. CIPA at cornell has a great program in public affairs, as does NYU and Northwestern. however, the admissions requirements for these schools will be much higher than the requirements for getting an MA in public administration, which i believe is what you meant when you wrote about policy administration.

I think public affairs and public policy are virtually the same, just different names. I am in an International Relations program and some schools call it International Affairs, but it is the same thing. I suggest you narrow down your schools and look at their requirements and the reputation. Also, I’m sure you already know this, but you have to pay for an MA out of pocket, unlike a PhD. Perhaps an employer can help with the funding though. Remember, this is local American politics you will be studying, not international. big difference. You can get a job working for local city gov’ts or with the feds on some levels. Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh also has a great public policy program. I suggest you really brush up on your statistics though because political analysis is used often in many of these programs. Many times it is a blend of economics and politics also. i could go on or days, but i’ll just leave it at that. good luck.

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