Sound Advice Needed

[Habanero]

I'm going to be looking into grad school soon and I'm not sure if I should go back full time or stay working and go half time. Also...
The degree plans I have my eye on are the dual degrees, one for Law and Master's of Economics or Master's of Environment Planning and Master's of Architecture.
Any advice on the above would be great-

 

[Mary]

What's your undergrad degree in? And is it from the same school your planning to attend now?

What you shoulc go into really needs to reflect your interests although you might take a look at the job market where you want to live to see what kind of jobs whould be available and if they are things you want to get into. I do know when I got my masters they were saying that planning and law made a really good combination but the market could have changed a great deal since then.

Good luck.

 

[Tranplanner]

I don't think I could ever go back to school full-time - too many what ifs, and while I'm still young enough to do it, I've become somewhat attached to lifestyle I have now, and would not look forward to 2 years of Mr. Noodles or Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.

I'm looking at doing a Master's in Public Administration, part-time or by distance learning... I guess the degree you should go for depends on what you want to do, and what opportunities you have. I'd probably take law and economics over architecture, but that's just because I don't look good in black.

 

[Andy Dobson]

I got my masters in Public Administration from Indiana University, after bachelors degrees in science and planning from Ball State. The combination of the diciplines has turned out very well. Although, it all depends on what your interests are. Don't get an MPA if your passions lie with urban design, and vice versa if you are a policy-wonk.

I can say that having a strong understanding of how government, administrative law, and bureaucracies work is invaluable in planning. It cuts down on banging your head against a wall when politicians do nutty stuff.

I've been out of grad school and the public sector too long. I had to look up the spelling of "bureaucracies" !

Good luck!