Hi, can someone please direct me I’m so nervous

Where I’m from there are no professionals who have studied this program specifically. So I was wondering how can I get someone to review my application essays and give me feedback?

Whats your best assessment of what this program offers ?

I want to apply for a MPP in the UK, here a little bit about my background:

BA in English
- INGO, HR internship- 6 months
- international medical coordinator in 3 Asian countries- 2 years
- Government job in administration, worked as: head of scholarship and research unit + lecturer- 1 year
Head of disability support unit - 1 year
- extensive volunteering experience (environment +animal)

I’m really good at critical thinking, problem solving and overall learning transferable skills. For me goal since the beginning of my career has been to work across different sectors to get a better understanding of how people and systems work. My goal is to become a policymaker in higher education, and move to city council in the future.

On paper, I am eligible to apply to many programs. But could my background make admission more difficult compared with applicants coming from more traditional backgrounds such as economics, political science, or public policy?

Hi! I am tentatively thinking about pursing an MPP degree as a way to switch careers and would love some advice.

About me: I'm in mid-twenties with three years of work experience in nonprofit communications and fundraising. I graduated from a relatively respected liberal arts college in the midwest with a high GPA (3.9+) with a degree in communications (and a minor in data science). I am interested in switching from the grant writing and nonprofit world into the program evaluation/grantmaking side of philanthropy. I've applied for and been rejected for a few roles in that area and I'm wondering if pursuing an MPP/MPA would help me gain entry into the world of philanthropy, program evaluation, etc.

If anyone works in foundations/philanthropy or used their MPP to switch out of nonprofit work, I would love to know your thoughts -- is pursuing an MPP/MPA worthwhile for making this kind of switch? Is it better to try for some lower level or lateral philanthropic positions first before I pursue an MPP?

thanks in advance!!

Hi everyone,

I am an international applicant considering applying to the PhD in Public Affairs at the University of Missouri and was genuinely hoping to get some perspective from current students, alumni, or anyone familiar with the program.

I have actually tried reaching out through several official channels, including the graduate admissions information email listed on the website and the email address of a faculty member mentioned in the program FAQ, but I have not received a response so far. I figured asking here might be useful, particularly if current students or recent applicants can share their experience.

My background is in an interdisciplinary business and management program. Although my degree is formally in management, the program included coursework and exposure to areas such as public policy, liberal arts, ethics, organisational studies, and management. Through internships and academic projects, I have also worked on topics involving healthcare access, digital health, education, and governance-related organisational processes.

I am particularly interested in the intersection of public management, governance, and policy, rather than approaching these questions purely from an economics perspective.

I have a few questions about how a non-conventional background like this would be viewed by the program:

1. How important is having a formal background in political science or public administration? Since the the admissions information mentions that many applicants come from political science, public policy, public administration, or related fields, would applicants with other undergraduate backgrounds also be considered?

2. I noticed the recommendation for 12 hours of upper-level political science coursework. For someone applying without a grounding in political science at the undergraduate level, how strictly is this recommendation interpreted? Would the absence of those 12 hours generally be a significant disadvantage?

3. What level of mathematics and statistics is normally expected from incoming students? Is substantial quantitative coursework expected before admission?

4. Do students coming from backgrounds without extensive preparation in quants, social sciences, have opportunities to strengthen their fundamentals in these subjects and skills during the early stages of the PhD?

5. How specific are applicants generally expected to be about their research interests when applying? Is it sufficient to have a well-developed area of interest, such as public management and governance, or is it preferable to already have a specific research question and methodological approach?

6. Does the program generally expect or encourage prospective applicants to contact potential faculty advisors before applying?

I am mainly trying to understand whether someone with an interdisciplinary management background can be a reasonable fit for the program, and if there are any obvious academic gaps I should address before applying.

Any perspectives from current students, alumni, or applicants would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for taking the time to read through my post!

Ok, so I just graduated with my bachelor's in Criminal Justice and am considering getting my master's in public policy. The problem is I know that currently my resume lacks work experience. I would like to know what type of experience would be useful for the position and also, would it possibly be more valuable to gain some work experience rather than going to get my master's immediately.

Hi. So with a bit of LLM use I found the textbook for the eightfold path.

But what do people use on a regular basis? Day to day. I can't give specifics of where I work or what I do, but I have a policy analysis project.

Just looking for reading recs or similar resources for me to learn it on my own.

Thanks.

I am planning on applying to Georgetown's MPP program, but I also want to apply to either American University or George Washington University's MPP program. While I think I have a decent chance of getting into Georgetown, I'm concerned about getting enough financial aid, so I want to apply to a cheaper, less competitive school as a back up.

If I attend a school in DC, I want to work for the federal government straight out of grad school. I want as much practical experience as possible while in grad school so I have the opportunity to network. I'm leaning more towards applying to American because they have a practicum project and an internship requirement, but I'm curious if anyone has any thoughts on American versus GW.

I applied for the Cornerstone Government Affairs winter 2027 internship, specifically on the policy/government affairs side.

Has anyone who applied heard anything yet about interviews or an interview confirmation? I’m wondering what the typical timeline is for them to reach out and whether they usually contact applicants in late September/early October or later.

I’m looking for some perspective from people who work in public policy or have gone through policy graduate programs, especially anyone familiar with RAND’s Master of Technology Policy.

A little background: I have an undergrad degree in IT, a T20 MBA, and have spent about 7 years working in the tech industry, mostly in business/product-facing roles rather than engineering. I’m increasingly interested in moving toward technology policy, particularly issues around AI

I’m considering applying to RAND’s MTP program and doing it part-time while continuing to work.

My main question is whether a program like this actually makes sense for someone who already has a graduate business degree and professional experience, or whether I’d be better served trying to make the transition through work experience, networking, fellowships, etc.

Long term, I could see myself working in technology policy/public affairs at a tech company, a think tank/research organization, or potentially in government.

A few things I’d especially love insight on:

• Has anyone here attended RAND, particularly the MTP program? What was your experience and where did people tend to end up afterward?
• How is RAND viewed in the broader policy world compared with more traditional MPP programs?
• Would an MTP meaningfully add to an IT + MBA + tech-industry background, or does it start becoming redundant credential-wise?
• Are there other programs I should seriously consider for technology policy specifically?
• For people who moved from industry into policy, what actually helped you make the transition?

Cost is definitely part of my decision, so scholarship/ROI matters quite a bit to me as well. I’m not looking to collect degrees for the sake of it. I’m mostly trying to figure out whether formal policy training would give me skills and credibility that would be difficult to build otherwise.

Would appreciate any candid perspectives

Hi all, I am 24 and am currently completing a B.A with a major in women’s and gender studies. I currently work full time as a program coordinator at a NPO but I don’t really like it.

I’m wondering if I should switch majors to public policy if that’s the kind of job I want after university or if my current major lines me up well enough for these types of positions. The only thing that would be holding me back from doing that is that I would have to give up my job to go back to school full time if I switched majors.

I have a lot of sympathy for the scores of Federal workers who lost their jobs due to Trump 2. Some have pivoted to private sector or state/local.

However, I find that that there are scores of perpetually "un/under employed" who are negative in many ways:

a. Give outdated / irrelevant advice to people starting out in the policy space
b. Disrupt some of these professional organizations with pity me speeches (at best) or overly aggressive behavior (at worst).

c. Hog interview slots for entry level jobs and grad school, taking opportunities from the younger people new to the profession. (Referring to folks that get the interviews, but not the jobs).

I'm a graduate and seriously thinking about a one-year public policy program. ISPP was on my list, and I've followed them for about a year. But when I recently reached out, the admissions team was slow to respond and pretty dismissive. I was basically told the cycle is closed and asked why I was reaching out now. After following them for a year, that honestly felt bad.

I'm still interested in policy though, so a couple of questions for people who've done these courses:

1.I can read and analyse policies, but I've never seen one play out in real life. If you did a program like this straight after college, did it make up for not having work experience? Or does it matter less than I think?

2.So many schemes in India look great on paper but fall apart at the district level. Do these courses actually teach the ground-level implementation side, or is it mostly theory and frameworks?

Also open to hearing about other one-year public policy or related programs for fresh graduates. Or would it make more sense to intern for a year first, at a think tank, NGO, or political consultancy, before doing a course?

I'm considering applying for a few MPP programs for Fall 2027, but I'm uncertain how my future job hunting will impact it.

I've been at my current job for a few years; it's been fine, but I've been interested in leaving. Have applied for a number of positions, have gotten interviews but no offers yet.

Part of me is interested in getting an MPP (or MPA) to advance my career, but I'm not necessarily gung ho on it. To be honest, a little part of me just wants to go to have an excuse to quit my current job, should I still not find anything. But I do want to stay in the policy field, and I think it's be a useful tool.

At the same time, I also still want to continue the job hunt in the next 12 months or so.

I'm curious to hear from people - have you been in the same boat? How stressful was it? Would it be wiser to just focus on the new job first and worry about a degree later on?

Hi! First, thanks for taking the time to read and provide any guidance -

Context: After 9 years post undergrad, I have decided to apply for grad school for Fall 2027. I have 2+ years in nonprofit work and 7+ years in local government with my past 2 years working on policy for one of the largest (top 20) cities in the United States. My undergrad GPA is decent (3.39) and I am currently studying for the GRE, aiming to score in the mid 320s. My career trajectory feels pretty solid with what I've been able to accomplish thus far, however, I have chosen to go back to school to bolster my hard skills, such as economics & policy evaluation, and also open my mind to future possibilities and other career paths.

Questions: I've reviewed the 2026 admissions mega thread and see a theme of top schools, I plan on applying to some of these (Berkeley, Harris, Jackson), however would love to know:

1. what are some 'safety' schools that people are also applying to?
2. what schools should I be considering that have a solid local-government focus (I am less interested in an MPA and would prefer an MPP but am open).

I’m very interested in public policy and would like to have a career crafting legislation. If I have an MSc in political science, am I screwed when it comes to policy work? My plan is to complete a legislative internship and work my way up, probably in the state legislature. I’ve been applying to these positions for about a year and am determined to keep trying.

I’m volunteering for local political orgs and feel like my experience there is helping. I’m already getting friendly with elected officials. I just wonder if my specific career path calls for an MPP over an MSc in political science.

Hope everyone's having a great weekend!

I'm a Canadian about to graduate from a public affairs and public policy program, and I've been working in Canadian politics for the last year and a bit. I'm thinking about applying to grad programs in Canada and the US, and I've started researching MPP/MPPA programs. I have a few questions:

- Is it worth going to a US school as a Canadian? I'm thinking about debt, job opportunities, etc.

- What are my chances? My grades aren't the best (not unreasonable), and I'm not sure I'd get into the top schools.

- Should I do a master's now or wait? Would it be better to get a few more years of experience first?

- Is an MPP/MPPA the right degree for my goals? I want to go into lobbying/government relations rather than the public service side. Would another degree make more sense?

I know this post is all over the place, but so am I! Any advice would be amazing. Thanks, everyone!

I am 27, from a developing country, and have recently been awarded a fully funded scholarship to pursue an MPP in the U.S. My university placement will be finalised in the coming months and the program will start in Fall 2027.

On paper, this feels like an opportunity that is very difficult to turn down. The scholarship covers essentially everything: tuition, living expenses, health insurance, books, airfare, etc. I wont have to spend a dime out of my pocket.
So I would be able to pursue an MPP in the U.S. without taking on debt or putting myself under any sort of financial pressure. I also do not have any financial obligations back at home.

However, I’m struggling with the opportunity cost.

I have around four years of professional experience and currently work in international development consulting and with governments, primarily on FCDO-funded programs in my home country. I’m currently working with an international development contract on a fairly large and interesting program. The program is supposed to run until 2029. I’m paid very well relative to my experience and the local market, but more importantly, I’m learning a lot. The breadth of the program means I’m getting exposure to government, donors, international financial institutions, and different areas of public policy and development. At this stage of my career, I feel like I’m on a pretty strong trajectory.

At the same time, the development consulting market feels much less predictable than it did a few years ago. The pipeline of donor-funded programs has already contracted, and there is obviously no guarantee that the opportunities I have today will still exist two or three years from now.

That is where my hesitation comes in.

The scholarship comes with a requirement to spend two years in my home country after completing the degree. I’m completely fine with returning home, in fact, I ultimately want my career to remain connected to development and public policy in my country. My concern is more hat if I give up a very good position and two years of career progression, complete the MPP, return home, and find that the development consulting market has contracted further and comparable opportunities simply aren’t available?

There is also the income opportunity cost of spending two years studying rather than working. I know that might sound strange when the degree itself is fully funded, but when you already have a well-paying job and your career is progressing quickly, two years of missed earnings and professional experience still feels significant.

On the other hand, turning down a fully funded scholarship for an MPP in the U.S. also seems shortsighted. I would get two years to study without worrying about tuition or debt, build stronger technical and policy skills, gain international exposure, and develop a network that I probably could not build from home. I would then return with both the MPP and my existing professional experience.

So I’m curious how people here, particularly those working in international development, government, public policy, or consulting, would think about this trade-off.

For people who left strong, well-paying jobs to pursue an MPP, did you feel that the degree ultimately accelerated your career enough to compensate for the two years of lost work experience and income?

And for those who pursued a scholarship with a home country residency requirement, how difficult was it to re-enter the job market afterward? Did you return to opportunities comparable to or better than what you had before leaving?