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Career Development and Alumni Relations

Maxwell alumni are very loyal to their school – and to other graduates of the MPA program. It is a strong network – and one that is very active. The intensity of the full year program forges strong bonds between students. The program is set up with all students entering and exiting together to help establish a sense of community among students – and it is this sense of community that sustains the MPA students during their studies and throughout their professional careers. >>Read more about Career Development and Alumni Relations at Maxwell

“To us, the intermingling of academic and professional programs holds obvious benefits, and employers confirm as much, consistently remarking on the conceptual breadth of our alumni.”

-John Palmer
Dean, The Maxwell School, 1988-2003

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Kate Clark Coordinates new Public Arts Commission Click here for article.

MPA Employment Statistics

Placement statistics for MPA students have remained fairly consistent over the past 5-6 years. Since our students arrive at Maxwell with such varied professional and academic backgrounds and interests, it is not surprising that they also leave Maxwell, pursing such a variety of positions serving the public around the world. In recent years almost all (96-99%) MPA graduates are working in a position of their choice within 3-6 months of graduation. Additionally, a significant number are hired well before June graduation each year.

In recent years the breakdown of sector placement has been:

20-25% federal government (US or home countries of our international students)
20-25% state and local government (US or abroad, city management, community and economic development offices, state level budget offices, housing and urban planning positions)
20-25% related private sector (mostly government consulting branches of consulting companies, municipal finance and bond rating agencies, offices of government affairs)
15-20% non-profit sector (local and national nonprofit organizations)
10-15% positions dealing specifically on international interests (immigration and refugee services, international NGO's or working in a country other than a person's home country)
5-10% continuing graduate study in other master's programs, doctoral programs, or law school.
Up to 5% traditional law firm/legal practice (about half of our graduates who complete a joint JD/MPA degree with SU's College of Law)

Where Our MPA Graduates Go

Partial listing or positions taken by recent MPA graduates:

FEDERAL GOVERNMENT:

PMI, Department of Health and Human Services, Seattle, WA
Tax Administration and Justice Group, General Accounting Office, Washington, DC
Deputy Director, Financial Service Agency, Government of Japan, Tokyo, Japan
PMI, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Department of Defense, Washington, DC
Analyst, General Accounting Office, Boston, MA
Program Associate, Community Planning Division, Office of Block Grants, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Washington, DC
Ministry of Labor and Employment Promotion, Lima, Peru

STATE/LOCAL GOVERNMENT:

Manager, School State Funds, State of Delaware, Department of Education, Dover, DE
Assistant to the City Manager, City of Claremont, CA
Indian Administrative Service, Government of Maharashtra, India
Deputy Director, SouthFair Community Development Corporation, Dallas, TX
Commissioner for Lower Manhattan, Department of Transportation, New York NY
Chief Financial Officer, Kern County Children and Family Commission, Bakersfield, CA
Research Tech on Bioterrorism, Department of Health, Onondaga County, Syracuse, NY

NON-PROFIT:

Director of National Recruitment, Teach For America, New York, NY
Executive Director, Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Program, Washington, DC
Director, Environmental Policy, SEMARNAT, Mexico
Education Policy Research Analyst, Mathematica, Washington, DC
Public Policy Coordinator, Vermont Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations, Burlington, VT
Director of Government Grants and Research, YWCA of Metropolitan Chicago, Chicago, IL
Project Director, Partners in Prosperity, An Northwest Area Foundation Community Ventures Poverty Grant, Pocatello, ID

INTERNATIONAL:

Program Officer, The American Councils, Washington, DC
Catholic Relief Services, Islamabad
Learning Consultant, World Bank, Social Development Department, Washington, DC
Program Analyst, US Department of Labor, International Labor Affairs Department, Washington, DC
Investment Banking Analyst, JP Morgan Chase & Company, Global Investment Banking, New York, NY
Consultant, New York State Bureau of Refugee & Immigration Affairs, Albany, NY
Program Officer, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
Awarded Fulbright Scholarships for work in Taiwan and Moldova.

PRIVATE:

Analyst, Fitch Ratings, New York, NY
Consultant, Booz, Allen & Hamilton, Washington, DC
Investment Banking Associate, PaineWebber, Municipal Securities Division, Philadelphia, PA
Program Officer, Bank of Indonesia, Legal and Secretariat Division, Jakarta, Indonesia
Consultant, Deloitte Consulting, Sacramento, CA
Public Affairs Specialist, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Atlanta, GA
Senior Planner, CTE Engineers, Inc., Chicago, IL

JD/MPA PLACEMENTS:

Assistant District Attorney, State of New Mexico, First Judicial District, Sante Fe, NM
Honor Attorney, Central Intelligence Agency, Office of General Counsel, Washington, DC
Law Clerk, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, Office of Administrative Law Judges, Washington, DC
Attorney, White and Case, New York, NY
Protection Specialist, Environmental Protection Agency, Wetlands Regulatory Division, Washington, DC
Litigation Associate, Brown, Rudnick, Freed & Gesmer, Providence, RI
US Army, Judge Advocate’s General Corp.

OTHER GRADUATE STUDY:

PhD Student, RAND Graduate School, Policy Analysis, CA Medical Student, University of Rochester, now serving Residency at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA
PhD Student, SUNY Albany, Criminal Justice Program, NY
Law Student, University of Michigan, MI
MA Student, Maxwell School, Department of Economics, NY
PhD Student, University of Kentucky, Public Administration, KY
Law Student, Brigham Young University, Alternative Dispute Resolution Program, Provo, UT