Graduate school for policy
This page features in-depth guides on graduate school options for people interested in policy work, including general advice on graduate school and specific advice on policy master’s programs and law school.
General advice on graduate school
Most policy professionals benefit from eventually getting a graduate degree. The following articles provide general advice on graduate school choice, complementing our in-depth, degree-specific guides to policy master’s and law school.
Why get a graduate degree if you want to work in policy?
This guide discusses whether you need a graduate degree to work in policy, the benefits that graduate school provides, and some considerations against.
What are the best graduate degrees for policy work?
This guide describes and compares the most common types of graduate degrees for policy professionals—policy master’s, law school, and PhDs.
When should you go to graduate school?
This guide explains why we recommend that most people work for 1-3 years before going to graduate school and the situations when this advice doesn’t apply.
Policy master’s degrees
Getting a policy master’s degree (e.g. MPP) can help you pivot into or accelerate your policy career. This guide explains what policy master’s programs are, where and how to apply, and how to fund your degree. It consists of four articles, discussing:
1. What are policy master’s degrees?
A policy master’s degree often provides the best balance of benefits over costs for policy professionals. This guide explains what makes these degrees distinctive.
2. Which policy master’s programs should you apply to?
Some policy master’s degrees prepare you much better for a DC policy career than others. This guide explains criteria for where to apply and recommends particular schools.
3. How to apply? Getting into top policy master’s degrees
This guide outlines the application process for policy master’s degrees and provides tips to strengthen the different components of your application.
4. How to fund a policy master’s degree?
The cost of policy master’s degrees can be high. This guide explains these costs and how to make them more manageable through careful planning and research.
Law school
It’s common for US policymakers to have law degrees. This guide describes the law school experience and gives advice to help you decide whether a law degree might help your career goals. It consists of six articles, discussing:
1. What is law school and how to test your fit?
This guide explains how law school works (e.g. curriculum, time commitment) and outlines steps you could take to assess your personal fit for a law degree.
2. Why (not) go to law school?
This guide outlines the benefits of attending law school (e.g. learning, skill development, networking, and credentials) and potential downsides (e.g. opportunity cost, mental health).
3. What are career paths after law school?
This guide outlines some promising career paths after law school, focusing on government and policy work. It also explains the difference between practicing law versus shaping policy.
4. How to choose which schools to apply to?
Not all law degrees are created equal—some JDs advance your professional development more than others. This guide gives advice on where to apply, considering different career paths and program options.
5. How to apply and get into law school?
The law school admission process is highly competitive and time-intensive. This guide explains the process and how to strengthen your application.
6. How to fund law school?
The most expensive law schools charge nearly $70,000 per year in tuition. This guide provides advice on how to fund your law degree, such as through scholarships, federal financial aid, and loans.
PhDs
For most people pursuing US policy careers, we’d advise against pursuing a traditional PhD. This guide helps you determine whether a PhD makes sense for you and, if so, how to structure your PhD for policy impact.
PhD advice for policy careers
We generally advise against pursuing a PhD for policy work. This guide explains why, gives exceptions to this advice, and offers strategies for optimizing a PhD program for policy work.