I’m planning on getting an MPA/MPP, but I am trying to figure out the best timing. My husband is also applying to graduate school, and we are considering staggering our degrees so we don’t have to compromise the programs we consider based on what overlaps. However, we are hopeful some programs will line up and hopefully some acceptances so we don’t have to decide who put off the degree.
If I do plan on going to graduate school at the same time as my husband (which we’d prefer), his program is 3 years and mine is 2 or less. If I entered my program at the same time as him, we would have a year in the university location before job prospects open up more, especially those public policy jobs in government that would be mostly in DC.
Would waiting a year to enter the field after a professional degree hinder my job prospects? Would it be better to time it so we are ready to move whenever my program is done?
I can see how you might want to finish at the same time. I can also see how you could work somewhere full time for a year with your MPP and wait for your spouse to finish. This is assuming the husband goes to school in a metro area (ideally bigger city or state capital) where MPP jobs are more likely to be found. There is a lot of mobility in the early careers of MPPs so working somewhere for a year before moving somewhere together would not look bad.
It depends on the city you’re doing the MPP in, and what you plan to do in the intervening year.
Having a year’s gap between the finish of your degree and ANY professional activities is not going to look great. However, if you were pursuing your degree nearby somewhere you could do an internship or a professional position for a year or so - that would be better. So if you wanted to start at the same time, I would suggest finding a city where you both think you could settle down for a few years post-grad school (you don’t HAVE to, but having the option is good). It might be that you both end up working in this city for 2-3 years before moving on, but at least you can work there for a year or do some kind of internship while your husband finishes up.