What can I do with a Masters in Public Administration

What can I do with a Masters in Public Administration?
I have a B.A. in Political Science and History and am considering Graduate school. I like the idea of an MPA but I'm not sure how applicable it would be in the job market. What I'm wondering is whether the degree can reliably get me a job after I complete it or whether I would be better of going to law school or getting an MBA.
Higher Education (University +) - 2 Answers

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1
At the moment, MBA's and law degrees aren't guarantees of anything either. It's impossible to say whether a degree can "reliably" get you a job, since much will depend on a variety of factors, some under your control (how well you perform) and some not. An MPA would be flexible, in that it could open the door to both governmental and other positions. Yale used to offer the MPPA -- Master of Public and Private Administration -- instead of an MBA, which gives you a sense of how close the degrees can sometimes be. Some programs may place more or less emphasis on regular management courses, so you'll have to research them.


2
It depends on whether you prefer public administration or management in business. No degree can guarantee you a job, but either one can open many doors. By the time you graduate the economy may be better or worse than it is today. Consult the Official MBA Guide. It's a comprehensive free public service with more than 2,000 MBA programs listed worldwide. It allows you to search for programs by location (US, Europe, Far East, etc.), by concentration (finance, marketing, aviation management, health management, accounting, etc.), by type of program (full-time, distance learning, part-time, executive, and accelerated), and by listing your own criteria and preferences to get a list of universities that satisfy your needs. Schools report their accreditation status, tuition cost, number of students, class sizes, program length, and a lot of other data. Schools provide data on entrance requirements, program costs, program characteristics, joint degrees, and much more. You can use the Guide to contact schools of your choice, examine their data, visit their web site, and send them pre applications. You can see lists of top 40 schools ranked by starting salaries of graduates, GMAT scores, and other criteria.