Deciding on concentration
Hello fellow public servants, I was recently accepted into an MPA program and am excited to start this fall! I would love some community guidance on choosing a concentration. My options are:
- Nonprofit Management
- Local Government
- Public Management (which is tailored generally to all areas of government)
To give you some context, over the last decade plus, I’ve worked my way pretty high up the advocacy and community organizing ladder. Part of the reason I decided to pursue an MPA is that I’m tired of trying to palliate deep, systemic social issues on tight nonprofit budgets. On the flip side, the bulk of my professional network is in this sector, and I know an MPA could help me transition into a executive role at a much larger organization where I could make a real structural difference.
I have never worked directly in local government, but I see a lot of potential there. I feel like I could easily translate my years of experience into developing participatory, grassroots municipal programming. Plus, landing a role in a larger municipality means handling substantial budgets that aren't nearly as constrained as what I'm used to.
The last option, Public Management, sounds like a great way to keep my options open for both nonprofits and all levels of government. However, I worry that being too broad means missing out on the detailed, specialized knowledge—which is the whole reason I'm going back to school in the first place.
For those who have been through these tracks or work in these fields, what are your thoughts? I look forward to hearing your perspective.
Best,