Top Graduate Programs to Excel in the Public Sector

Climbing the ladder in today’s job market almost always requires a Master’s degree. The public sector is run by individuals who have some sort of an M or P behind their name. Whether it is an MD, MPH, MPA or Ph.D, going back to school can expand your role and increase your contribution within the public sector. The public sector has a place for every type of professional from a doctor to a writer. Wondering what to go back to school for to excel in the public sector? Look no further. Some of the most advantageous degrees to advance your career are listed below.

1. Masters of Public Administration (MPA): The MPA degree is the public sector equivalent to the private sector’s MBA. It prepares individuals for managerial positions for local, state, federal and non-profit organizations. The curriculum combines courses on microeconomics, public finance, policy analysis, program evaluation and many more. MPA students can choose to focus on issues such as urban planning, transportation, public health and community development.
2. Masters of Public Policy (MPP): The MPP degree focuses on the systematic analysis of public policy issues and the decision-making process associated with solving them. MPP graduates can serve in the public sector at an international and or local level. Courses focus on preparing students to problem-solve in areas including resource allocation, cost/benefit analysis and microeconomic analysis of policy issues. MPA and MPP degrees tend to overlap. However, MPP programs tend to focus on policy analysis while MPA programs focus on the implementation of public policies.
3. Masters of Public Health (MPH): The MPH degree focuses on public health practice in a non-clinical setting. However, many professionals choose to combine the MPH degree with their degree from another vocation. Common combinations include MD/MPH, Public Health Nurses, MPH/MBA and JD/MPH. Public Health can be combined with clinical degrees such as nursing and medicine as well as business and law.
4. Masters of Arts in Strategic Communication: Communications involves filtering news through various outlets to inform the public on a specific topic. Researchers study the relationship between media and society. Journalists and news anchors deliver the media to the public. Strategic communications involves filtering the best message through the best possible outlet to meet a specific goal.

Priyanka Oza is part of the GovLoop Featured Blogger program, where we feature blog posts by government voices from all across the country (and world!). To see more Featured Blogger posts, click here.