5 Reasons Why I Chose to Pursue an MPA over an MBA
May 17, 2010
USC's 2009-2010 Officers of the Graduate Policy and Administration Committee with Associate Dean, Carol Rush
MPAs and MBAs have a lot in common: they are both professional degrees that provide management training by way of economics, policy, statistics, and finance. What made me pick an MPA (Master of Public Administration) over an MBA (Master of Business Administration), you might ask? The MBA is surely a beaten path with many, well known benefits…but considering my interest and passion for museums and nonprofits, an MBA just wasn’t for me. I liked the idea of a professional degree, but an MBA overlooked the defining features in my field of interest. Here’s why I decided to pursue an MPA over an MBA:
1) Museums and nonprofits have harder-to-measure outcomes
A defining characteristic of the nonprofit and public sectors is unmeasurable outcomes because the point of most nonprofits is to fulfill a social mission (nonprofit organizations cannot distribute profits). A powerful business is one that can make the most money (measurable). A powerful nonprofit is one that helps more people, most effectively (not-so-measurable). This does not mean that impact assessments are not critical in the nonprofit world and that they are strongest when they include quantitative data. However, to get an MBA would mean overlooking an opportunity to really think about solving problems of nonprofit outcome measurement and would mean focusing heavily on a monetary bottom-line, which is just not a characteristic of the sector. The MPA focuses on social missions while also emphasizing the skills required to obtain funding for an organization, which is much more relevant to my continuing work with nonprofit organizations.
2) It’s a problem-solving degree- ideal for an evolving sector
If MBA programs study the market, then MPAs try to solve market failures– and there’s an obvious difference between studying and solving. In the former, it’s been figured out, you’re just learning how to do it. In the latter, there’s a large-scale problem to be solved. MBAs are hired to make an individual company more profitable and there are books on this (lots of them!) with clear rules (“buy low, sell high,” “always be closing”). In contrast, MPAs are hired to take action to lead their organizations in making the world a better place… and our literature is not nearly as abundant and the tone is less certain. Our academic journals are filled with what’s happening right now or what’s happened in the past. This is ideal for the nonprofit sector because need and the way people communicate and connect (securing funding, donors, etc) is always evolving. There is certainly no better degree in this case, it’s just based on your goals and interests. Considering my interests, an MPA was the way to go.
3) My utility function includes public service
This is not to say that my utility function– and those of my MPA peers– doesn’t include income at all (or that the utility function of MBA grads never includes public service), but it is to say that public service drives my behavior more than money, and most likely drives the behavior of my classmates as well. It shouldn’t be surprising that nonprofit CEOs don’t make as much money as for-profit CEOs. On top of that, nonprofits are often understaffed and leaders may suffer from serious burnout. So why would us MPAs put ourselves through that? Because we want to make a difference. For some of us (and I’ll blame my background at The University of Chicago for the sincerity of this statement), we want to solve big problems and aren’t afraid of hard things. Some people might hate to look back and say, “I wish I made more money.” I respect that– and to each, his own. But for me, the most heartbreaking thing that I can imagine saying is, “I wish I made a difference for someone,” or “I wish I spent my life doing something I deeply cared about.” The MPA degree helps me build the skills to accomplish the things that I care about.
4) MPAs want to change the world… but we’re not impractical about it
I spend every day with folks who are determined to change the world. Are we starry-eyed and optimistic? Maybe. Too impractical to be effective? Definitely not. These professionals come from top tier institutions, much like the professionals that enter top MBA programs. Moreover, as an MPA, our speakers, mentors, and professors are professionals in policy and the nonprofit sector– rather than bankers and for-profit professionals. If I were to have pursued an MBA, our speakers and mentors would be those who best understand investment banking recruiting and achieving measurable outcomes– which would be much less relevant to me and my interests. Instead, I am surrounded by future foundation CEOs, grant writers, program producers, and nonprofit directors. A frequent happy hour topic for us: how not warm-and-fuzzy it is to work tirelessly for a mission.
5) The future: society’s priorities are placing higher importance on social good.
Signs are pointing toward the need for corporate environments to take on social missions– or at least some corporate social responsibility. Does this mean we might see some MPAs in corporate environments changing up the system in the near future? Perhaps. Consider this: Generation Y, the incoming professional leaders, are said to run on public service motivation. Unlike Generation X, these folks would much rather work for the government than a corporate giant. They want to give back to communities. Moreover, customers are more likely to consume goods that align themselves with some sort of social mission– and communication, transparency, and connection (nonprofit focuses) are beginning to lead corporate environments. In sum, the days of caring primarily about income and individual companies may be coming to a close. In fact, that’s what The Economist predicted for 2010 when they discussed the oncoming decline of the MBA.
When young nonprofit and museum professionals spout their desire to get an MBA because that’s what they think they “should” do, I cringe. There are many incredible reasons to get an MBA and great reasons to get an MPA as well; but I think it’s the responsibility of professional-degree-advocates to know why they are choosing one degree over the other.
I work with zoos, aquariums, and museums in the realm of audience engagement using social technology. I specialize in creative community involvement, new media, nonprofit sector evolution, and the role of Generation Y in the workplace. Learn more about me 
May 17, 2010 at 12:02 pm
Great post! My husband chose his MPA for the reasons you stated above and hasn’t regretted it once.
May 19, 2010 at 8:51 am
Adrianne, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for the comment!
May 19, 2010 at 3:30 am
this is such a good post. it is so informative. its true that MPA programs are not touted by universities as much as they should be. Coleen , it really helps that you’ve explained the difference b/w the 2 programs. Also public administration is the preliminary for public policy, and if u look closely at leading B-schools , most of them are now either collaborating with public policy graduate programs or / and offering dual degrees.
(BTW u shud check out Brazen careerist – ur post got alot of comments there)
May 19, 2010 at 8:54 am
Thanks for the comment, Sadya! I’m glad that you found the post informative and I also hope that MPA programs become more touted by schools and universities. It is true that many of the leading B-schools are collaborating with policy programs or at least incorporating more policy into their program!
Thanks for your comment on brazen as well!
May 29, 2010 at 8:20 am
I liked reading your comparisons, and I am a ’92 MBA grad. While I continue to experience enormous value and application with my degree, I was noticing the prevalence of the MPA choice in recent years among my younger museum colleagues, and you have shed light. Kudos to you all. PS – I was thrilled to find your blog, and this is my first time commenting.
June 4, 2010 at 12:47 pm
I’m thrilled that you’re noticing more MPAs in museum environments in recent years and I’m glad to hear that you liked the MPA/MBA comparisons! Thanks so much for the comment. I hope that you’ll continue to share your input in the future!
June 11, 2010 at 3:34 pm
Interesting comments. I came about your blog because I am considering an MPA and already have an MBA. I am unsure about the practical value it would bring at that cost. I agree (and disagree) with many of your comments. Nonetheless, you know what they say about opinions… Best of luck with your future endeavors.
June 12, 2010 at 4:37 pm
Thank you for the comment, T. Very best of luck to you in your endeavors as well!
June 22, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Colleen,
Thanks for the post. I’d like to argue the right fit, MPA or MBA, depends on the student and the program. I earned an MBA from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland because they valued nonprofit students and offered over lapping course work with MNO program. Not all MBA Programs are only market driven, or only focus in measurable outcomes. The MPA Programs I looked at leaned more toward the policy and government solutions, rather than management. I’m glad you found the right fit for you, but be careful not to paint all MBA Programs as the same. There are some really good ones that understand and value the public sector.
John
June 22, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Hi John,
Thanks for the comment. Congratualtions on your MBA and it sounds like you’ve pursued a program that was a good fit for you as well!
You are spot-on that many programs offer different specialties– with some schools creating more nonprofit-friendly MBA programs, and I agree that the best decision depends upon the student and the program. I think this is an especially relevant comment because in this article, I intend to express the general reasons why I chose an MPA over an MBA.
Quite simply, I went for the professional degree with qualities that I felt were most innate to the nonprofit sector. Your message is an important one, though: it can depend on the person and the program.
Thanks again for your comment– and for providing the MBA perspective!
June 22, 2010 at 5:42 pm
As an almost middle-aged chick who has been in the non profit sector for way too many years and is also the Executive Director of a small agency, I like what you wrote. But I have to respectfully disagree with your statement about non profits npt having unmeasurable outcomes. I think in the past there was a bit of truth in that but running an agency that receives a fair share of United Way funding, I am required to have measurable outcomes…my funding and future funding depends on it.
Since my agency is small, I am almost the chief grantwriter and by and large most of my funders and potential funders expect measurable outcomes. I will say though that many of the tools that one uses to measure success in the for profit sector are vastly different than what exists in the non-profit sector.
My Masters is actually in Organizational Management with a focus on non profits, which I chose pretty much for the reasons that you chose the MPA. I will say though the older that I get, there are times I wish I would have gone the MBA route as it is more versatile in some ways. Anyway good post!
June 26, 2010 at 12:55 pm
[...] On the flip side, Colleen Dilenschneider tells us why she chose an MPA over an MBA. [...]
June 27, 2010 at 1:44 pm
I am a non-profit professional and I would disagree with this assessment about the differences between MPAs and MBAs. In fact, what non-profit organizations need most right now is to find effective ways to measure their work in the community, and evaluate how well they are helping the people they come into contact with. The philosophy described here has been a serious weakness in the non-profit sector for many years; that is, drawing a line in the sand between the business/measuring people (so beaten path!) and people who work for the common good. (“We’re not interested in the numbers!”) If we could find a place where these two philosophies meet, I think we could do wonders in creating even more effective philanthropic projects.
It is very difficult to compare MPAs and MBAs because there is so much diversity within these programs at different universities, and there are no common or universal standards. This post speaks only of generalizations, and I think this is a risky way to analyze the differences. What kind of coursework are we looking for, and what kinds of education objectives, when looking for a masters program?
To say that MBAs don’t do problem solving is incorrect, this point stood out to me a lot.
We can only move forward by joining forces between the business, government and non-profit sectors, not creating more divisions. I think the business sector has a lot to learn from the non-profit sector, and vice versa.
June 27, 2010 at 9:57 pm
Jessica, I appreciate your sharing your perspective here. I think it adds valuable depth to the post.
Please allow me to clarify my statement on nonprofit measurement: I do not mean to say that nonprofit outcomes and outputs shouldn’t be measured, but rather that there is not an effective way to to do this yet. In short, we cannot measure nonprofit outputs in the same way that we measure for-profit outputs, and that’s the distinction that I mean to draw between the MPA and MBA mindset (generally- there are some great programs that try to install new ideas to get people thinking about this). I write more about this here: http://colleendilen.com/2009/11/18/weighing-outputs-measuring-social-impact-in-museums-and-nonprofits/ I’d really love to hear your thoughts on this. (I actually think you are saying something similar in your comment here).
You are absolutely right that it’s difficult to compare every MPA program to every MBA program (I do not mean to do this; there are a wide spectrum of specialties within programs), but here I intend to explain the over-arching reasons why I personally choose an MPA over an MBA.
I certainly do not mean to say that MBAs do not solve problems! That would be very silly as MBAs famously solve very valuable problems every single day! I mean to say that the MPA degree requires a different frame of mind for the very reason you mention in your comment: there’s a lot in the nonprofit world that still needs to be figured out in order for organizations to maximize efficiency. MBA’s deal more closely with the market, and MPAs have to handle a lot of problems related to market failures (the free-rider problem, non-excludable, non-rival goods, etc), which have not been figured out.
I hope this clarifies this post and thank you again for your comment!
June 28, 2010 at 12:11 am
As a Gen-X daughter of two educators born in the 1930s, I worry that the emergence of the MPA signifies the acceleration of a bad trend – the same bad trend that resulted in the rise of the MBA. Higher education is gradually morphing into vocational training while secondary education is becoming nothing more than an obstacle course to get people into college?
What ever happened to the notion that a foundation in the liberal arts and sciences is the basic preparation for participating in the world of work, with graduate programs being even more deeply scholarly and less vocational?
It makes more sense to me that there would be a single degree covering the administration of various societal institutions, than “vocational ed for nonprofits” and a separate “vocational ed for businesses.”
February 13, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Honestly – GREAT POST.
I applied to a couple MPA programs this year and am still waiting to hear back. I’ve been a little unsure about the decision, but after hearing your perspective – especially when you frame it as “what drives you” (social change vs. profit), I knew I made the right choice.
Now I just have to hear back!!!
Thanks again.
Sincerely,
Drew Pierson
May 14, 2011 at 1:06 pm
Very well written post! I am a freelance writer and business student currently working on an article about MBA programs. I came across your post during my research and was impressed with your knowledge, presentation, and writing ability. Your post was very informative and educated me on a degree program with which I was not familiar. Thank you! It is refreshing to find a solidly written blog!