Best degrees for govt/policy? (1 Viewer)

[timeslowsdown]

I'm not sure if this is the right section to post in but here's my dilemma: I'm doing science(geography)/law (2nd year), passionate about the environment but really interested in public policy in general. I'm not really enjoying the science (just doesn't seem practical), and I'm considering changing to economics. Do you think this is a good choice to match my interests? I know this is broad - any opinions would be much appreciated.

 

[Omnipotence]

Yep either arts or economics. Can you do social research and policy?

 

[timeslowsdown]

Yep either arts or economics. Can you do social research and policy?

Thanks - yeah I've heard of that - do you know if it's any good?

 

[seremify007]

I'm no expert in this field by any stretch but I'd imagine those who end up in policy/etc are people who have experience in the respective fields themselves.

 

[enoilgam]

Yep either arts or economics. Can you do social research and policy?

Economics or certain Arts majors are probably best. OzKo currently works in a policy role with the government, so he is probably the best person to ask (I think he has an applied economics degree).

I'm no expert in this field by any stretch but I'd imagine those who end up in policy/etc are people who have experience in the respective fields themselves.

I'd imagine this would be true as well - to have the necessary skills to move into a policy role, you would need some experience in your field which you cant gain through a degree. Like, with HR for instance, most Graduate Programs start out with you working in a shared services call centre so you can learn the companies policies before moving into a role with strategic input on policy.