How to choose the best grad degree for you

From MBAs and MPAs to MAs and MPPs and beyond, picking the right graduate degree to further your global development career can be daunting. As part of Grad School Week, we brought together experts from three different programs in a special webinar to explore some of the options available and discuss how each can prepare you for the kinds of roles you seek.

Lindsay North, an alumna of George Washington University’s M.A. in International Development Studies program shared her experience pursuing what recruiters called in a Devex survey, the most in-demand degree. An M.A. program helps you to develop a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to complex problems, says North, when explaining why she chose this program. When selecting which school to attend, she sought out practical versus theoretically focused curriculum and flexible schedules that would allow her to continue working while pursuing her studies.

David Green, director of admissions at the American University Kogod School of Business, which touts a special program in sustainability management, discussed what is quickly becoming another top degree for global development professionals: the MBA. Ranked two years in a row as the second most in-demand degree by development employers, MBA’s provide great training for public and nonprofit sector management in addition to private sector careers, explained Green.