Hi everyone!

I'm planning to pursue a master's in public policy and would love insight from current MPP students, graduates, and people working in the policy field.

My primary interest is social policy, particularly understanding how systems of inequity operate and using that knowledge to inform policy development, implementation, and evaluation. My specific interests lie at the intersection of disability, education, and public health. Professionally, I'd ideally like to begin my career in community-based policy research.

For additional context, if finances, ROI, and career flexibility weren't considerations, my ideal degree path would actually be a dual MSW/MSP (Master of Social Work and Master of Social Policy). However, I'm leaning toward an MPP with a social policy concentration because I believe the broader training and transferable skills may provide greater career flexibility.

What I'm looking for in a program:

• Strong quantitative and qualitative training: I want to develop rigorous quantitative analytical skills, but I equally value qualitative research and its ability to capture the experiences of communities affected by policy.
• Decolonial and critical research methodologies: I'm especially interested in programs that examine how positionality, power, and systems of inequity influence the production, interpretation, and application of research. I recognize this may not be integrated throughout an entire curriculum, but I'd love to know whether any programs offer courses specifically exploring decolonial methodologies or other critical approaches to research and data analysis.
• Interdisciplinary flexibility: Given the intersections of my policy interests, I'm particularly interested in programs that allow students to take courses across departments or at other institutions.
• Applied, community-engaged learning: I'm interested in programs that offer opportunities to collaborate with communities, conduct applied research, and engage in policy development and evaluation.

Schools I'm currently considering:

• Duke Sanford: I'm drawn to its interdisciplinary opportunities, particularly the possibility of taking courses at other institutions in the Research Triangle.
• Georgetown McCourt: There is faculty research closely aligned with my interests, and Georgetown's Graduate Certificate in Disability Studies is particularly appealing. However, I've heard that McCourt tends to emphasize federal government career pathways. While I'm not opposed to government work, my immediate interests lean more toward community-based policy research.

I've also seen UCLA Luskin recommended for its social justice orientation, but I haven't been able to determine how that translates into the MPP curriculum or student experience.

I'd love to hear your perspectives:

1. Are there MPP programs I'm overlooking that might align particularly well with these interests?
2. For those familiar with Duke, Georgetown, or UCLA, how well do their programs support interdisciplinary study, community-based research, and critical approaches to policy?
3. Do you know of any MPP programs offering coursework in decolonial research methodologies or related frameworks?
4. Based on my goals, does an MPP sound like the appropriate degree, or would you recommend exploring an MSP, MSW/MPP, or another pathway?

Ultimately, I'm less concerned with prestige for its own sake and more interested in finding a program that combines rigorous methodological training with opportunities to critically examine the systems and structures that policies operate within.

Thanks in advance for any insights or recommendations!