Both a Master of Public Policy (MPP) degree and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree allow students to pursue careers in the fields of local, state, or federal government. Most MPP and MPA programs include some overlapping content, but MPP programs tend to focus more on quantitative aspects of public policy while MPA programs tend to focus more on qualitative side.

Choosing between an MPP and MPA typically comes down to your career aspirations in the public policy field. An MPP is a better fit for a student comfortable compiling and analyzing data in an effort to create solutions to complex problems. MPP-holders are sought after for their abilities to combine financial, economic, and statistical information to both analyze and design public policy.

An MPA is a strong match for students that are more interested in the management and implementation of public programs than designing them from the ground up. While some understanding of statistical analysis and financial systems is still required, MPA programs are geared more toward preparing students for positions focused on institutional management and human resources.

Completing a government degree, such as an MPP or MPA degree, takes about the same amount of time and includes much of the same introductory coursework. However, as students progress deeper into their respective programs, the differences in specialization and, ultimately, career preparedness begin to surface.

Both require approximately 1-2 years of full-time study. Part-time degree programs exist as well, but take longer to complete.

MPP students are groomed for public policy positions that are heavily reliant upon economics, research, data analysis, and quantitative reasoning. As such, the curriculum of an MPP program tends to include mathematically rigorous coursework in areas such as:

These types of courses help foster skills needed in MPP-related professions – most of which rely upon finding, compiling, and analyzing data to create effective and ethical public policy.

A student pursuing an MPP degree should have a strong mathematical background as well as a keen interest in economics. This pathway produces professionals that are expected to construct policies and plans that are quantifiably feasible to execute.

While carrying out these plans tends to fall under the management jurisdiction of those with MPA degrees, an MPP-holder could quite feasibly be called upon to help with the implementation of a plan he or she has created. For this reason, both MPP and MPA programs often include overlapping introductory coursework pertaining to larger public policy concepts, procedures, themes, and historical precedents.

MPA students require experience in the implementation side of public policies. They must be equipped with the ability to comprehend the nuances of public policy plans (plans that are often created by MPP-holders) to the extent that they can carry them out. This includes understanding data and statistical analysis, creating and managing teams, managing budgets and costs, as well as a host of other essential leadership skills.

Most MPA programs have coursework that reflects these professional demands. An MPA curriculum would generally include such courses as:

MPA degrees can also include fieldwork requirements and/or capstone projects designed to help students gain both practical experience and professional connections. This hands-on learning is often the key to securing employment after graduation.

MPP degrees are the ideal training for a number of different types of careers. Below are some of the most common:

It should be noted that while most of these career paths are in the public sector, there are a fair number of private sector opportunities for MPP-holders as well – particularly working with businesses that are directly impacted by public policy.

An MPA degree may open up several different career paths, all with their own scopes and work environments.

It is worth mentioning that given the qualitative nature of the work, it can often be more challenging to find work as a fresh MPA graduate without relevant experience in and references from the public policy field. Thus, when searching for an MPA program, be sure to look for those that include internship or practicum experiences that can add to both your first-hand knowledge and your resume.

If the work of an MPA or MPP sounds interesting, but you are not interested in working either in the public sector or for a nonprofit, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree is a strong alternative.

MBA students must take many of the same courses and must gain many of the same skills as MPA students and MPP students must. However, MBA programs are tailored for students pursuing business careers in the private sector as accountants, business administrators, human resource managers, or in other upper-level management positions. There is nothing to say that an MPA or MPP can’t open the same doors to lucrative private sector employment, but an MBA may also be worthwhile to explore before you make a decision.

For more on the differences between MBA and MPA programs, check out our guide, Masters in Business Administration (MBA) vs Masters of Public Administration (MPA).