Some of the MPPs at the top policy schools in Australia also offer specializations in non-quantitative aspects of public policy. However, they still have core topics in economics and statistics, which I believe may drag down my GPA relative to what I could achieve in law. I’m also a bit worried about the idea of studying an MPP and applying for policy roles with my weak aptitude for quantitative reasoning. Might it be better for people who are more quantitatively talented to take those positions? I am trying to think of my comparative advantage in this sense, though it’s possible I’m missing something.
I get the sense that even if policy work which focuses on economics is a higher priority within the EA community, such work is probably beyond my reach. It may be better for me to try and excel at lower priority policy work which primarily involves verbal reasoning, and I do wonder whether much of that policy work involves law, or at least would be enhanced by studying law (more so than an MPP).
Finally, I’m so early in my career that I’m not completely certain whether policy work would be a good personal fit for me. From what I’ve heard, a law degree offers one more options overall than an MPP.
I recently heard of an MPA at Columbia that has a non-quantitative economics stream:
http://bulletin.columbia.edu/search/?P=SIPA%20U6300
http://bulletin.columbia.edu/search/?P=SIPA%20U6400
Thanks Hauke,
Some of the MPPs at the top policy schools in Australia also offer specializations in non-quantitative aspects of public policy. However, they still have core topics in economics and statistics, which I believe may drag down my GPA relative to what I could achieve in law. I’m also a bit worried about the idea of studying an MPP and applying for policy roles with my weak aptitude for quantitative reasoning. Might it be better for people who are more quantitatively talented to take those positions? I am trying to think of my comparative advantage in this sense, though it’s possible I’m missing something.
I get the sense that even if policy work which focuses on economics is a higher priority within the EA community, such work is probably beyond my reach. It may be better for me to try and excel at lower priority policy work which primarily involves verbal reasoning, and I do wonder whether much of that policy work involves law, or at least would be enhanced by studying law (more so than an MPP).
Finally, I’m so early in my career that I’m not completely certain whether policy work would be a good personal fit for me. From what I’ve heard, a law degree offers one more options overall than an MPP.