Careers

The Master of Public Affairs program has an Associate Director of Professional Development and Alumni Engagement who offers an array of services, workshops and resources tailored to the career needs of public affairs students.

Career Development Planning

Our career director conducts a career assessment and development path tailored to each student, including:

  • Coaching on exploring options within the public policy arena
  • Developing a career vision--from developing an elevator pitch to transitioning into a new career
  • Mastering career development skills including goal setting, resume and cover letter writing, interviewing, and negotating offers

Career Advancement and Employer Connections

The Brown MPA Program offers assistance in researching career options and connecting students to potential career opportunities. Resources available to MPA students include:

Our students emerge from the program with the skills and knowledge to solve real-world policy challenges as policy analysts, researchers, and communications professionals in organizations involved in making, analyzing, or implementing public policy — from government and nonprofit organizations to consulting and private sector companies.

The Policy-in-Action Project

The Policy-In-Action Project is an opportunity for MPA students to enhance their career development by applying their academic and professional experiences to examine and analyze a real-world, policy-related challenge or problem for a nonprofit, public, or private sector partner organization Learn more about the Policy-In-Action Project.

Placements

Here are some of the organizations where recent graduates have landed:

  • Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL)
  • Analysis Group
  • Booz Allen Hamilton
  • China Bridge and Road Corporation
  • China Serve
  • Deloitte
  • Department of Revenue, State of Rhode Island
  • D.C. Office of Senator Tom Udall
  • Evidence for Policy Design at the Harvard Kennedy School
  • Federal Reserve Bank of Boston
  • Federal Trade Commission
  • Institute for Financial Management and Research
  • McKinsey & Company
  • MIT Urban Mobility Lab
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Knauss Fellowship Program
  • National Ground Intelligence Center, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
  • National Trust for Historic Preservation
  • Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo
  • Office of the Governor, State of Rhode Island
  • The Pew Charitable Trusts
  • Rhode Island Office of Budget and Management
  • Robert R. McCormick Foundation
  • Tetra Tech, Environment and Natural Resources Team
  • UC San Diego Center on Gender Equity and Health
  • United Nations Development Programme
  • United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs
  • United States Institute for Peace
  • University of Chicago Crime Lab
  • USC Annenberg Center of Communication Leadership and Policy
  • U.S. Departments of Energy, Labor, Veterans Affairs
  • The World Economic Forum
  • World Resources Institute

Policy Mentor Program

Watson's Policy Mentors Initiative is a new program offering networking, career advice, and mentoring opportunities for MPA students and Watson undergraduates. Watson Policy Mentors are accomplished practitioners in international and public affairs who offer a range of mentoring opportunities to students, including career-focused events and student office hours, while also providing strategic advice to Watson's academic program teams on initiatives and leads to further strengthen our professional development programming.

Watson Policy Mentors