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I have a BA in Poli Sci and will have my MBA in 3 weeks. I am looking into another Masters programs, an MPA/MPP or Political Science. From what I gather reading elsewhere, the MPA/MPP is more practical/applicable and the Poli Sci is more theory/academic. I plan on working in government at the federal or state level and have 9 years so far in the US Army. I think both would suit me but I like the classes better in a Poli Sci Masters than MPA/MPP. What has more opportunities, why is one better than the other? What is viewed by employers as better? Any help would be great!
I'm not so sure you need another degree to reach your career goals. You might try working in the public sector in your field of interest for a while, and then see if you feel another grad degree would help you advance. I generally agree that a Ph.D. in poli sci would be more respected than a masters degree in that field, since it's the terminal degree. But I wouldn't apply for it unless you were sure it matches with your goals. Everyone I know with a Ph.D. in poli sci is now a professor (their goal all along).
I have an MPP and my husband has an MBA. A number of our classes (at different institutions) were fairly similar -- micro and macroeconomics, statistics and econometrics, and even some of the electives (e.g., nonprofit management). We were both on more "quant heavy" tracks in our respective programs. An MPP/MPA is certainly more geared to students who want to work in government or nonprofits, but I think an MBA could be just as valuable. I just wouldn't want to see you spend money on an MPP/MPA unless you were sure it would really make a difference later on.
There are also some mid-career 1 year MPA/MPP programs specifically for applicants who are a bit older and more established than the typical grad student. We had several students from the military in those programs. They mostly went on to work for the DoD or State Dept. after they earned their degrees.
I'm seeing that some MPA programs have additional accreditation, like an MBA has. Are these additional accreditations in an MPA important or not? Most I've found don't have any additional accreditation, only a few I've found do.
Don't get an MPA. It doesn't serve you any purpose unless its in route to a PhD.
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