Before joining the LSE MPA programme, I...
I started my career in international development as a Junior Professional with the German development agency in Moldova (GIZ). As a dual degree MPA student, I also spent the first year of the programme at Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.
Why did you choose to join the LSE’s MPA programme?
I chose to join the LSE for the second year of the MPA because I was keen on deepening my applied econometrics skills, and arguably the LSE is one of the best universities to do so. Another key reason for choosing the programme was the Capstone project, which allowed me to work on real-world problems within an international team.
How has the LSE MPA programme influenced your career?
Although I don’t have a valid counterfactual to prove it, I believe that without completing the LSE MPA I wouldn’t have secured a job at the Department for International Development at the end of my studies. I did my 2nd year Capstone about inequalities in public services in the Sudan with DfID - you can read it here. While there is no guarantee and should be no expectation that a Capstone project will lead to post-MPA employment, in my case I joined DfID as an Evaluation Adviser in 2014 after I graduated, when they were looking for someone with exactly the quantitative and qualitative policy analysis skills taught in the MPA.
What one piece of advice would you give to a future MPA student?
While the MPA is a challenging and time-consuming programme, the LSE offers great opportunities beyond just completing the core curriculum.
Future MPA students should make the most of these opportunities, which include, for example, working towards publishing dissertations or other papers in academic journals, using the LSE SU travel fund for conference scholarships or attending one of the great courses at the LSE language centre.