Hello all! I'm hoping to get some advice ahead of a potential job offer soon -

I'm currently a state legislative employee (policy analysis) making ~$67k. I have a Bachelor's in public administration and law, a Master's in public policy, and a second Master's in environmental studies with a certificate in GIS.

I have interviewed for a policy-focused research support specialist job at the Cornell University (I know, I know) Climate Jobs Institute in NYC. Right now, I'm at the reference check step of the process. While the job's salary is pre-negotiated at a little over $67k, I have been told to ask for an increase anyway, as they will accept a figure above the base if the candidate makes a specific ask first.

The problem is, in my research, I've found WILDLY conflicting information on what an appropriate ask would be - some sources say the median range for a similar position in NYC is around $55k, others give estimates in the $80k-$90k range, and I've even seen a couple around $115k (which I would never ask for, just mentioning to show how inconsistent the info is). I know the rule of thumb is 10-20% above base, which would put me at about $74k, but I also know that's not always the case. I don't want to counter with something ridiculous, but I also worry about not getting what I can. If you can't tell, I've never had to negotiate before, I've been in the same government office since I finished undergrad, lol.

Thank you in advance for any insight!

Hello:

Has anyone been waitlisted for the MC/MPA program and then reapplied and was accepted? Do you mind sharing what changed in your application materials or what you believe made a difference? Would love to reapply but I don’t want to go through the lengthy application process again and make the same mistake. Any advice would be incredibly helpful!

I genuinely don’t know what to do. I graduated with my masters in public policy last November. However, since then I’ve yet to get a job in my field. I’m a progressive who is from a rural, conservative community. It seems impossible to get a job in the field that both pays a living wage and doesn’t compromise my political views. It’s to the point where I waited tables up until June and now work in sales because I have bills to pay. I love policy studies and the research I have done. I want to get into the field so badly but my professional, paid experience doesn’t have anything other than an internship in a state capitol in 2023. I’ve applied to so many jobs across the country in the field, yet I’ve not gotten so much as an internship. I don’t know what to do. I feel hopeless. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks.

Genuine question for people who know NEPA better than me.

Categorical exclusions are meant for projects that “normally” don’t have significant environmental effects. That means no environmental assessment, no impact statement, and no public draft or comment period.

there a Amtrak’s new maintenance facility that is being planned as part of chicago hub improvement program (chip), they got one in May 2026 with up to $659M in federal funding. About 15,500 people live within 0.25 miles. Amtrak did do studies, but the public only got a summary, and the community meetings came after the approval. Their own noise study found impacts at four groups of homes, and the fix is something they’ll “evaluate.”

There’s also a bill in Congress (BUILD America 250 Act) that would make rail facilities inside existing rail property eligible for this kind of exclusion.

What are you'll thoughts about this?

Personally, if this counts as “normally no significant effects,” it’s hard to see what wouldn’t, and the next neighborhood gets the same treatment. the thing that interest me is that agencies would be allowed to use categorical exclusions by pointing to similar projects they’ve already cleared, so once a this goes through this close to homes it becomes the example for the next one.

My starter for 10, the low pay commission

I'm asking as someone who has an MPP, works in government as a data analyst, and is considering back for a JD in 2028 to work in impact litigation, administrative law, or direct services. I'm struggling with how to frame how the MPP would make me a stronger attorney in my application, so it would be helpful to hear any concrete stories about a time the skills/knowledge from the master's have served your work.

I’m a current student in UVA’s MPP program at Batten, and honestly, I’m struggling with the experience. Between leadership changes, funding concerns, and unclear communication about where the school is headed, it’s been hard to feel confident in the program.

Most students I’ve spoken with feel underprepared and unsupported in the job search, which is especially frustrating in a professional degree program. We’re making a significant investment of time and money, and I expected to feel more prepared for what comes next.

I don’t expect a degree to guarantee anyone a job. But I do expect useful career guidance, help connecting what we learn to actual opportunities, and a clearer understanding of how the program is preparing us for the workforce. It’s discouraging to be working toward a degree while questioning whether you’ll leave with the skills and support you need.

Student leadership also hasn’t seemed effective at getting clear answers from the school. It’s hard to tell whether student concerns are being addressed or whether anything is actually going to change. I don’t know where that communication is breaking down, but from a student’s perspective, it’s frustrating.

I understand that some restrictions and decisions come from UVA rather than Batten, and that leadership transitions can be difficult. But students only have so much time here. Even when something can’t be fixed immediately, clear explanations about what’s happening and what we can realistically expect would go a long way.

There are good professors and people here who care, and I don’t want to dismiss their efforts. But overall, the experience hasn’t been what I hoped for. I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I’m not alone in feeling disappointed, and at this point, I would have a hard time recommending the program.

I’m posting partly as a heads-up for prospective students, but also because I genuinely want things to improve. For anyone considering Batten, I’d encourage you to talk privately with several current students before committing. Ask about their actual experiences with career support, communication, and whether they would choose the program again—not just what they like about it.

Are students at other MPP or MPA programs facing similar issues? For anyone whose program went through a difficult period, what helped students get a meaningful response? I’m trying to understand whether this is a broader problem or something more specific to our experience, and what we can realistically do to make it better.

Hi everyone,
I'm 23 years old, and I'm currently going through a difficult phase in my academic and career journey. I'm posting here because I could really use some honest advice from people who have faced similar situations or are working in the fields I'm interested in.
I completed my BA (Hons.) in Political Science from Delhi University in 2024. I later joined an MA in International Relations However, due to personal circumstances, health issues, financial constraints and uncertainty about my career direction, I've started questioning whether I'm on the right path.
Over time, I've realised that my interests go far beyond traditional Political Science or International Relations. I'm deeply interested in **Economics, Development Economics, Political Economy, Public Policy, International Development, and economic policymaking**.
My long-term dream is to work as an economist or policy specialist at institutions such as the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, or other international development organisations. Another ambition of mine is to contribute to state development and eventually work in a senior policy advisory role with the stateGovernment.
I'd love to work on issues such as poverty reduction, inequality, employment, public finance, education, human development and economic development. Eventually, I want to become someone who can conduct research, analyse economic problems, evaluate policies and contribute to decisions that improve people's lives.
But right now, I'm confused about how to get there.
I studied Humanities in higher secondary school and haven't studied mathematics seriously since Class 10. Despite having a Political Science background, I'm genuinely interested in learning Economics from the fundamentals, including mathematics, statistics and econometrics.
I'm considering preparing for an MA in Economics, potentially followed by further studies in International Relations or International Political Economy through a reputable foreign university. I have also considered the CFA qualification if I move towards development finance, and perhaps an Executive MBA from an IIM later in my career.
However, I don't want to keep collecting degrees without a clear purpose. Given my financial circumstances, I need a realistic plan that leads to employment, financial independence and long-term career growth.
I also have interests in entrepreneurship, strategy and social development. Ultimately, I want to build a career that combines analytical skills, economic understanding and public impact.
**I'd particularly love to hear from people who:**
Switched from Political Science or Humanities to Economics.
Pursued an MA in Economics without Mathematics in Class 12.
Built careers in Development Economics, public policy, economic research or development finance.
Work at the World Bank, ADB, think tanks, government institutions or development consultancies.
Have experience moving from academia into international development or government advisory roles.
Is this transition realistic at 23? What should I study first? Which master's programmes should I consider, and what skills or experience would make me employable?
If you have made a similar transition, I'd genuinely appreciate hearing about your journey, including the mistakes you made and what you would recommend to someone starting now.
I'm not looking for shortcuts. I'm willing to work hard and rebuild my mathematical foundation from scratch. I just want to make an informed decision before committing more time and money to another degree.
**If you were in my position, what would you do over the next three to five years?**
Any honest advice, personal experiences, resources or suggestions would mean a lot. Thank you for reading.

Please help me guysss …..

Hi there! I’m a mid-career public servant with a BA in Urban Planning and Sustainable Development. Recently I’ve been considering going back to school for my Master’s degree and one program that has hit the top of my list is Oregon State’s MPP. The big pro for me is that it’s offered online, and since I live in WA state and a good distance from Corvallis, it seems like a good option.

Another couple of schools I’m considering are The Evergreen State College’s MPA and Eastern WA University’s MPA. Pros for these are proximity and connections in-state, also the potential for tuition waivers through my employer. OSU wins out for me from a reputation standpoint (larger school, more networking opportunities) and flexibility of online classes.

Anyone gone through OSU’s program or know someone who has?

I was especially worried when I talked to my friend at the regional FED in my city. He told me hours are good and ~40, but he didn't work in policy. Apparently, the RAs and the PAs become very busy working 60 or 80+ hours a week sometimes when the FOMC meetings come around - which kind of scares me because policy *surprise surprise* is kind of my thing.

Should I apply for an HKS GRE waiver? I got a 157Q but I got an A in intro stats and micro in college and my current job is quant heavy, using Stata and SQL for data cleaning and research

So I’m seriously considering applying to the Hertie School MIA either next year or in 2028. My main goal for attending this school is that I want to change fields (I’m a lawyer in my country) and have access to the European job market in the IR field.

So my questions are:

1. How difficult is it to get a partial scholarship directly from Hertie? I graduated Law School with a GPA of 8.4 (in my country we’re rated from 0 - 10), but I failed some classes and that’s on my transcript. Will that completely exclude any chance of a scholarship? I also have a pretty significant background in research and had 2 academic articles published while still an undergrad.
2. What is the job market like for a MIA alumni? What are the opportunities? Is it too concentrated in the German public sector? I’m willing to leave Germany for any other country where I can get an opportunity, so I guess my question is more what is the job market like for MIA alumni in the entirety of Europe.
3. I saw you are required to do a summer internship in order to graduate. How does that work? Are there any summer internships that don’t require perfect German? I just started learning the language.
4. And finally, this is not my priority or my top choice, but are there any chances of a foreigner getting a position at the German public sector?
5. Finally, which of the areas of concentration are better in terms of employability prospects?

Thank you in advance for anyone who has the patience. I know it’s a lot.

Hi, Reddit!

I’m currently applying for an Oxford MPP, and would love to know if anyone would be willing to share samples of reflective essays that helped them structure theirs?

I’m kinda struggling as to where to start. Thank you!

Hello.

I am someone who has always had an interest in public policy. At the smaller bank regulator I work at, I worked my way from a Bank Examiner role to a Policy Analyst role. While I enjoy the role in theory (and the pay), I am in a very niche world of capital rules and regulatory compliance. I am still in my late 20s, so I want to progress my career and work on cool stuff. I also lean Blue vs Red.

1. What's it like working at the larger bank/financial regulators? Do the Fed and OCC take non-economists?
2. For people who have experience at bank regulators, what non-governmental organizations/companies/consultancies are looking for people? Do they work on cool stuff?
3. It's a personal goal of mine to get a graduate degree, but I'm not sure what an MPP would do for me in the world of government hiring requirements. What value would an MPP add for me? Would it open more doors for me?
4. Are all jobs DC-focused? Can I live anywhere else, like NYC or California?

Hey everyone,

I know for a fact that I want to do an MPP. Ideally, I would’ve come to this conclusion a few months ago and would’ve started working on my applications then. Now, it’s a bit late in the cycle. I don’t think I have enough time to properly apply and get the results I want if I start now, so I’m thinking I may have to wait until 2027 to apply. Or am I wrong?

I was a PPIA fellow, I have a year of work experience as a policy analyst, and my goal schools are UMich Ford and Berkeley Goldman. I have not taken the GRE yet unfortunately.

Also, I wait till next year to apply, I’m honestly considering getting a new job so I have some exposure to different policy areas. Is that a bad idea?

Hi friends,

Looking for some general advice from the community. I felt like I was building momentum while in undergrad doing a range of public service/policy focused internships. I was also working about 20-25 hrs a week on top of full time course work, trying to socialize and being relatively healthy. My career goal was to work in climate/energy/public lands policy and tried to ride the wave of BIL, ARPA, IRA investments. I thought one way to standout was to gain experience at the local, state and federal levels - become a well rounded candidate with an understanding of how each level interacts with the others.

One area I'm seeing now that I should have invested in was time on the Hill. Even just to get my name in the bubble, I see many open roles preferring candidates with Hill experience. Additionally, I am at a disadvantage not currently living in D.C. I've done the whole utilizing my network, reaching out to people on LinkedIn for chats/open roles, and reworking my resume and cover letter. No dice. I'm grateful to be employed currently but feel like the more time I spend out of any public service/policy focused role - the harder it will be to get back "in". I don't view D.C. as the be all end all, I'm just aware that's the hot bed for starting/growing a career in this field.

I'm interested in hearing what has worked for others who may have been in a similar situation. I have a few ideas below but I'm completely open to suggestions from the community.

Next step ideas:

• Growing Quantitative Skills
  • R, Python, etc?
  • Is Datacamp a decent resource for this or have you had luck with other sites (e.g. Coursera, MIT Learn, free Harvard courses, etc.) I already have completed the Google Data Analytics certification but haven't seen that help much in my job search
• Building a Portfolio
  • Have you found success in building out a personal portfolio of white papers, original research etc?
• Unique Programs/Certifications
  • Any (preferably free or reasonable cost) programs you've completed that you found beneficial to your career?
• Study for the GRE/LSAT?
  • Is a grad degree, MPA/MPP or JD just the next logical step to re-enter a policy focused career?
• Other
  • In what ways have you taken steps to grow in this field that may not be as obvious?

Thank you to everyone in advance who has anything to share!

is the erasmus mundus mapp worth it?

they offer 4 different kinds of tracks: global public policy, european public policy, political economy and development, governance and development.

hosted by central european university, erasmus university Rotterdam, university of York, IBEI.

of course it's incredibly competitive, and getting a scholarship on top of the admission is a herculean task, but the worth of any erasmus degree is decided by the universities offering it, and I'm not too sure about the reputation of those involved, especially as an international student.

anyone who was a part of the recent cohort, or has the knowledge, please let me know.

I've heard of public policy as a career option but it was never very clear if this is actually worth it? Like I'm a student of commerce and I don't want to go in accounting and finance. Can I try this? Also what jobs or opportunities does this offer? Please help.

Curious how graduates are putting their Degrees to use!