Master of Public Administration Employment Trends
The following data and information are based on employment surveys and research of Maxwell M.P.A. graduates conducted six months after graduation.
M.P.A. Class of 2022 Employment Placements
Ninety-two percent of the 138 students who graduated from the M.P.A. program in 2022 responded to the survey.
| Employment category | Number of students |
|---|---|
| National or central government in the same country as the program | 18 |
| State, provincial or regional government in the same country as the program | 10 |
| City, County, or other local government in the same country as the program | 15 |
| Government not in the same country as the program (all levels) or international quasi-governmental | 1 |
| Nonprofit domestic-oriented | 26 |
| Nonprofit/NGOs internationally-oriented | 5 |
| Private Sector - Research/Consulting | 27 |
| Private Sector but not research/consulting | 18 |
| Obtaining further education | 3 |
| Military Service | 2 |
| Unemployed (not seeking employment) | 1 |
| Unemployed (seeking employment) | 1 |
| Status Unknown | 11 |
Graduation Rates
The table below shows the graduation rates for the M.P.A. class of 2018.
| Graduated in 2 Years | Graduated in 3 Years | Graduated in 4 Years | Cohort Graduation Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
Graduated in 2 Years 96% | Graduated in 3 Years 98% | Graduated in 4 Years 99% | Total Students Graduated 99% |
M.P.A. Representative Employers
Private Sector
- Behavioral Insights Team
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Deloitte Consulting
- Deutsche Bank
- Grant Thornton
- S&P Global
- Techstars
Nonprofit, Domestic
- American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota
- California Policy Lab
- Carter Center
- Center for Strategic and International Studies
- National Wildlife Federation
- Second Harvest Heartland
State or Local Government
- Arizona Governor’s Office of Strategic Planning/Budgeting
- California Department of Public Health
- City of Syracuse
- Maryland Department of Budget and Management
- New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities
- New York State Senate
- Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
- Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau
Federal Government
- Defense Finance Accounting Service
- U.S. Military Branches: Army, Coast Guard, Air Force
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- U.S. Forest Service
- U.S. Government Accounting Office
Legal
- Monroe County District Attorney’s Office
- New York Court of Appeals
- U.S. Bankruptcy Court Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Pennsylvania
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Vera Institute of Justice
International
- Amsterdam City Government
- United Nations
- World Bank
- Asian Development Bank
M.P.A. Representative Job Titles
- Accounting, Budgeting and Finance
- Budget Analyst, Economist Finance and Policy Analyst
- Advocacy and Organizing
- Advocacy Manager, Campaign Manager, Community Development and Outreach Associate, Child Hunger Program Specialist
- Diplomacy
- Diplomat, Foreign Service Officer
- Evaluation and Research
- Data Analyst, Housing Policy Analyst, Research Analyst, Transportation Analyst
- Fellowships
- Excelsior Fellow (New York State), Leadership Fellow, Management Fellow, Policy Fellow
- Foundations and Fundraising
- Foundation Relations Officer; Manager, Grants and Evaluation
- Health
- Health Systems Specialist; Public Health Program Coordinator, Climate Change
- Legal
- Assistant District Attorney, Supreme Court Law Clerk
- Organizational Administration
- Project Manager, Operations Manager, Management Operations Analyst, Master of Cybersecurity
- Politica
- Policy Advisor, Environment and Climate Change; Political Coordinator
Master of Arts in International Relations Employment Trends
Maxwell's M.A. in international relations prepares leaders, problem solvers and changemakers to work with diverse people and groups representing a range of backgrounds and interests. Most graduates work in the international arena abroad or in domestic organizations with a global reach.
The following data and information are based on information gathered about our alumni six months after their graduation.
M.A. (IR) Class of 2022 Employment Placements
Maxwell’s Palmer Career Center sends out employment surveys to our M.A. (IR) graduates six months after graduation. Eighty-two percent of the students who graduated from the M.A. (IR) program in 2022 responded to the survey.
M.A. (IR) Representative Employers
Private
- AT&T
- Booz Allen Hamilton
- Goldman Sachs
- Just Results
- Miller & Meier Consulting
International Nonprofit/NGO or Government
- European Central Bank
- Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development
- The World Bank
- World Wildlife Fund
Domestic Nonprofit
- Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED)
- Business Executives for National Security
- UNITY for the Homeless
- InterFaith Works of CNY
Domestic Nonprofit
- Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED)
- Business Executives for National Security
- UNITY for the Homeless
- InterFaith Works of CNY
Federal Government
- Library of Congress
- U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Department of State
- U.S. Treasury Department
State or Local Government
- Cherokee Nation Businesses
- Harris County Public Health
M.A. (IR) Representative Titles
- Anti-Money Laundering Analyst
- Assistant Director of Digital Communications
- Data Analyst
- Data Information Specialist
- Emergency Food Aid Coordinator
- Gender and Research Analyst
- Program Associate
- Program Services Coordinator
- Project Manager
- Research Director Research Analyst
- Senior Consultant
Graduate Professional Salary Trends
According to the salary information provided by employers, starting salary paid to new graduates working in nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, federal government agencies, international NGOs or private consulting firms ranges anywhere from $40,000 to $85,000 in ascending order, respectively.
Since our graduate professional programs specifically look for applicants with a public service orientation, most of our students expect to graduate and begin their careers in one of the above professions. That said, our M.P.A. and M.A. (IR) programs include strong analytical, managerial and financial preparation, readying our graduates to move across sectors over the course of their careers. Many have gone on to serve the public good in financially lucrative private
businesses including health care, financial services, disaster management, infrastructure/development, defense technologies, transportation and other fields.
Ultimately, students should pick a degree and a program based on the type of work they want to do and how well that program prepares them to be successful in both the short term and the long term. With typical placement rates between 95% - 100%, the Maxwell School’s professional graduate programs are a great fit for those who aspire to work in fields with a public service orientation.
A Career of Service Across Sectors
I was afforded incredible responsibility and accountability as a young professional [working in state budge offices] to provide leadership in finding operational efficiencies, in establishing spending and revenue priorities, and in developing new policy...Budgeting was a great experience that helped me hone financial, communication, negotiation and analytical skills, which served me well through my entire career.”
Howard “Howie” Phanstiel ’70 (PSc), ’71 (M.P.A.)
former president, CEO and chairman, PacifiCare Health Systems; Syracuse University Life Trustee
Read more about Howie’s career trajectory and advice to 2017 Maxwell M.P.A. graduates