The Best Career Paths For MPA Graduates

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The masters degree in public administration is one of the most versatile degrees that students today can study. The MPA opens the door to a number of potential career pathways and employment opportunities, many of which are uniquely rewarding.

Much of the work carried out by public administration officials is work that is necessary to raise the standards of living for large numbers of people simultaneously. Many students who choose to study for a masters in public administration cite the career opportunities is presents, which are quite unlike most degrees, as one of the main reasons for their decision.

There is an almost endless range of jobs that a graduate holding an MPA degree would do. In this article, we take a look at some of the career paths and job options which combine rewarding and interesting work with a decent salary.

Urban Planner

As an urban planner, you would be responsible for helping to plan the layout of urban environments. You will have to make decisions on how to appropriately disperse public services throughout the area so that they are accessible to everyone. The work of urban planners is absolutely essential to ensure that new development projects and population influxes don’t destabilize the area.

As well as aiding in the design process, urban planners must also learn how to gather and interpret data that is relevant to their functions. This is important, both to identify areas that need focus and also as a means of measuring the success of any initiatives undertaken.

To work effectively, urban planners need to have a good understanding of local communities and how resources can best be deployed to encourage communities to grow and revitalize.

Budget Analyst

Budget analysts work alongside the other people and departments involved in ensuring that public services are maintained and the needs of local populations are being met. The role of the budget analyst is to look at how we can best try and predict the cost of any proposed projects and to periodically review where and how money is being spent so that waste can be kept to a minimum.

The budget analyst isn’t just responsible for looking at the numbers in an abstract sense; they also play an active role in identifying alternative sources of revenue and funding for projects. By constantly evaluating decisions and reviewing the status of projects, budget analysts are also responsible for identifying whether projects have succeeded in, exceeded, or failed to meet financial expectations.

Political Scientist

Political science encompasses a great many different roles. Usually, however, those entering into political science with an MPA degree under their belts already are involved in consulting with politicians on policy and advising them on how they can most effectively achieve their goals.

If you are interested in political science and the MPA degree sounds attractive to you, then consider studying for an online MPA degree, such as that offered by Rutgers Online. Completing an online masters in public administration program allows students to work at their own pace and comes with significantly lower tuition fees.

The masters in public administration degree is one of the most versatile degrees available today and allows graduates to seek out work in a variety of different fields.

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Melissa Thompson

Melissa is a mother of 2, lives in Utah, and writes for a multitude of sites. She is currently the EIC of HarcourtHealth.com and writes about health, wellness, and business topics.