Did you major in political science as an undergraduate? Did you find that like most policy majors, you ended up getting a job in business? It is well-known that those who are really interested in working for government and improving public policy can't find good jobs right out of college. The majority of higher level think tanks and government agencies look for people with graduate degrees in public policy or law. If you are currently working in the business world but are still passionate about helping your neighbors through public policy, you may want to consider going back to school.
As a public policy graduate student, you could walk down a number of different educational paths. Some public administration jobs, like managing hospitals or large public organizations, require a lot of business training. Some people ultimately get business degrees that are focused on public administration. If you prefer to actually work for the government and help design public policy, you'll want to focus more on earning a public administration and policy degree. This type of degree is usually offered through a graduate school of government.
If you don't think you can afford to go back to school full time, you might want to consider getting an online public administration and policy degree. There are a number of very reputable schools that offer distance learning programs for working professionals. These programs are offered online, and allow a lot more academic flexibility than traditional classes. There are a number of schools that offer online business degrees with concentrations in public policy, and/or general public administration degrees. Earning an online degree will enable you to keep making money while in school, and continue to nurture your professional network.
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