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Grad/Law students & graduates come in....
Hey ladies! I wanted to get some imput from all of you....I finished my Masters in 2009 and have slowly been finding my niche in a career field that I really really enjoy and feel that I want to continue. I am super interested in public policy, and am currently working part time as a public policy and community outreach specialist for a non-profit. I am also looking into other full time opportunities in public policy or related areas.
Here is my question; I am one of those crazies that really likes school a lot, and I knew that eventually I would go back. BUT I am trying to decide if it would be better to go back for my doctorate in public administration/public policy or something similar OR go to law school. There are things that I like and dislike about each option, so if you have done one or the other, or are thinking about one or the other, give me your feedback.
What would you do, and why? What else should I think about in making this decision? Any words of wisdom are appreciated!
2.3.11: Started TTC
2.8.12:Initial b/w - Normal
3.7.12:HSG - Normal
3.8.12:S/A - Normal
Cycle #12/Month #15 - 50mg.Clomid CD5-CD9 - BFN
4.24.12: RE appointment - DX Unexplained IF
7.12 - 9.12: TTA
10.12 - 1.13: TTC Naturally
February 2013 - IUI #1 w/100 mg Clomid - 5 mil.post-wash: BFFN
March 2013 - IUI #2 w/100 mg Clomid & Trigger - ?? MY BLOG
Re: Grad/Law students & graduates come in....
This is true, but the dual degree program is for a Masters degree in public policy which it sounds like she already has. There is not an option for a PhD in Public Policy/Admin at Humphrey. The closest you could get is a PhD in Political Science. I know several people who have entered that program and not finished it. They were both highly interested in public policy and working in the not-for profit world, community organizing, etc. The PhD in Political Science was way too theoretical and not applied at all. Both people I know didn't finish the program.
I am a PhD student at the U of MN in the School of Public Health. My program is Health Services Research and Policy, I study Health Policy. If you are specifically interested in Health Policy this may be something to explore.
Before you make any decisions, I think the main thing to REALLY consider is what you hope to gain in your field with a PhD. Most policy doctoral programs (health or otherwise) are grooming you to go into Academia NOT into the private sector or not-for-profits. The focus is being trained as a policy researcher so that you can inform policy makers with the facts, etc. If you aren't interested in Academia, a PhD might not be the best fit for you. Or you will need to search out a program that truly focuses on giving its students a variety of skills that will allow them to work in their chosen field.
Hope that helps!
Carlson School and Humphrey Institute at UMN do have a dual degree program, but for me, it's a little too long and a little too expensive. Given today's economy, I would definitely weigh the PP or PA degree over a law degree. The field of law is a tough one right now - so many lawyers are laid off and even more are working jobs less than half what they're worth just to pay law school debt down.
I love school, too. But I would really take the time to weight the options as far as student loans and cost. If you can afford to pay for it outright, great. But for me, if the $100,000 in loans isn't going to increase my bottom line by the same amount over time, I wouldn't do it.
Do you actually want to be an attorney, or do you want to work in public policy? I guess I would say that if you wanted to be an attorney, I'd tell you definitely not to go to law school, because there's an overabundance of attorneys, salaries aren't at all what people think lawyers make (think jobs making $35k when you graduate, if you get a job at all), and the loans are outrageous unless you have a free ride or significant scholarship.
Because it sounds like you DON'T want to be an attorney, perhaps it isn't a terrible idea. But, what do you want to do? What is your earning potential with a terminal degree instead of the masters? If you don't have a free ride, will the costs of law school or a PhD, which is less than law school I think, be covered by the increase in earning potential? Law school is expensive. There's very little in the way of money for TAing or anything. No stipends. You are forbidden by the ABA and law school from working at all your first year. I would think that to justify the cost (again, unless you get a free ride), you'd have to have to potential to significantly increase your salary. And for that to be a pretty certain proposition. Very few graduates make over $100k getting out of law school. Is there a good chance you would with what you want to do? If not, I'd seriously consider a different track.
I guess the thing I would wonder in your situation overall is whether the increased education would lead to huge career payoffs or not. I love school too, a lot, but there is a point of diminishing returns unless you want to be a professor, and you may have reached that point.
I agree with Dutchgirl. Figure out what you want to do and talk to people in that area to see which degree will help you, if any. If you spend x amount on tuition, what are the chances that you're going to see that in increased pay?
And if you want to be an attorney, please rethink. I graduated in 2008 with over $100k in student loans, and that was working full time for most of my first year. (There aren't restrictions for part time students, just full time students). That first year after graduation and passing the bar was so defeating because I couldn't find a job. The few rejection letters I got always said they had over 80, 100, 300 applications for 1 position. I finally started my own practice but I'm not earning enough to make my student loan payments, which are actually larger than our mortgage payment. So now I'm back to looking for jobs again - either as an attorney or in my previous career. And my story is pretty typical of recent grads. I'm on a local attorney listserv and there are emails every day about the law schools padding income and employment rates and prospective students not doing their research. There are 4 law schools in the Twin Cities graduating people every year into a field where there aren't enough jobs. There was an article in the American Bar Association magazine a couple months ago talking about how this is a nationwide problem.
Tired after a long morning of hiking and swimming.
Wow, thank you all SO much for the feedback...I am going to have to go back and re-read everything as I continue to think about my options.
As dutchgirl mentioned, I don't want to practice law, but I would love to be a lobbyist in the future, or potentially start an organization that assists nonprofits in navigating public policy and the legislative process and the impact of policy on their organizations. I would also not be opposed to working in academia. I guess that I have a lot to sort through and decide, but I was hoping to get some initial thoughts from people, and this is really really helpful, so THANK YOU so much!
2.3.11: Started TTC
2.8.12:Initial b/w - Normal
3.7.12:HSG - Normal
3.8.12:S/A - Normal
Cycle #12/Month #15 - 50mg.Clomid CD5-CD9 - BFN
4.24.12: RE appointment - DX Unexplained IF
7.12 - 9.12: TTA
10.12 - 1.13: TTC Naturally
February 2013 - IUI #1 w/100 mg Clomid - 5 mil.post-wash: BFFN
March 2013 - IUI #2 w/100 mg Clomid & Trigger - ?? MY BLOG
I'm chiming in late but I wanted to say that I also agree with everything dutchgirl and jennyk said, esp. the part about the high cost of school vs. the low salary and high unemployment rate of attorneys. I don't think law school is the wrong choice for everyone, but I do think it is for most people right now unless they're in a position to either pay cash or have a ton of scholarships.
I like school, too, and I really like my job, but if I had to do it over again, I can't say I'd go to law school. On top of the financial aspects, it's really draining from a mental standpoint. I know a lot of people who found it difficult to maintain relationships during school, too (I knew three people who divorced during school, and I didn't know a ton of my classmates). It takes up a LOT of your time, especially during the first year.