Graduate Study for Careers in Government and Public Service

In the introduction entitled “Working in the Public Sector,” the fact that careers in government closely mirror opportunities in both the not-for-profit and private sectors was discussed. Given that the government employs people with a wide variety of specialties, including doctors, computer programmers, scientists, and construction workers, it is difficult to highlight all of the types of graduate study that can translate to increased career opportunities in the public sector. For example, if you want to develop expertise that will launch you into a successful career in the Environmental Protection Agency, you might seek a master’s degree or a doctorate in biochemistry as opposed to public policy. If you want to work on security issues, you might pursue graduate study in a foreign language or in computer science. The combination of advanced degrees and career paths is almost limitless. Consult the Graduate Study section of the CWS site for more detailed information to help you decide whether and what type of graduate study might work for you. Professor Schechter commented that, in his experience, he finds specialized degrees (such as law) to provide more opportunities than generalized degrees (such as public policy).

These are examples of typical graduate degrees that people who want to focus on the public service sector might pursue to further their education:

• Accounting
• Economics
• International Affairs
• Languages
• Law
• Linguistics
• Masters in Business Administration
• Public Administration
• Public Policy