Going to Town or Wearing a Gown: You can do quite a lot with the LCU-ISGPP Diploma and MPA in Public Administration and Public Policy

Choosing a well-defined career path is often a tough choice for some people, it is no less difficult when considering a career in Public Administration and Public Policy. Most times when I'm asked why I choose to do a doctorate in Political Science, I try to identify, often with ease, which of the responses in my cache fits into the enquirer's context, or sometimes, lead to their next question, which usually is: does it pay off?

Not a few times I've had to question the sincerity and latitude of my choice and I can confess that I went blind into choosing an almost exclusive academic career and I'll say why. My story is somewhat similar to those of some Political Science Professors who started out their (under)graduate studies with high hopes of producing high-quality research that will disrupt the status-quo in thinking about the modern state, and possibly remedying the hydra-headed problems that daily confront it. Those hopes gradually begin to decline when it is suddenly realized, although not surprisingly, that top researches are usually commissioned with long-hours of brainstorming sessions but commemorated with almost the same length of grammar-talk about the research findings and their implications for society, followed immediately by bouts of photo-shoots, and if one is lucky, food treats. Wait a week after, you'll find that there's almost no record of the research conducted except for the prints lying about in the library waiting to be cataloged, or a citation of it in another publication.

It wasn't long before I sensed the danger ahead, particularly in a knowledge economy that only compensates good scholarship with administrative appointments and rarely ever replenishes its fast diminishing stock of talents with new ones, if at all, with young ones. Now the road seems clear to me but the direction signs were blurry, nevertheless I forged on with little or no guidance on how a doctorate in the Social Sciences can connect one with the society outside the academic wall. I know I love to read books, or I like to think so, but I also like to know how to use them in solving everyday problems of policy and governance around me. It was not until I came across the biography of (and also bio-graphed) Prof. Tunji Olaopa, and actually got an opportunity to join the technical team working on education and training programmes at the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy before I convinced myself that my tutelage in Political Science was not a lost cause after all, and there's such a word as 'scholar-practitioner', for all its practical purposes and intents.

Looking back at when I enrolled for my graduate studies, I see more reasons why every aspiring social innovator and early-career public (and private) professional owe it to their posterity to search and research on practical and suitable career-development programmes before settling for one. For me, doing a Master's degree in Political Science was a brilliant idea, but doing a Professional Masters in Public Administration and Public Policy could have been a more strategic and simply terrific idea.

If you aspire for a lucrative career within a nonprofit, large business organization, or with the government, doing a diploma or master’s degree in public administration will do you, and those sponsoring you, a lot of good.

Here are few careers you may consider going into with a Diploma or Master's degree in Public Administration and Public Policy:

Permanent Secretary in Federal or State Ministries

The position of a permanent secretary comes with a lot of responsibility. In this role, you will supervise all day-to-day activities of the ministry. You will also be responsible for the management of all staff, operations, and ministry projects. Your training in administration and organisational leadership will come in handy here.

Local Government Administrator

Once you have your MPA degree and gain experience in administration you may become a commodity for state, and local government departments. These departments seek qualified professionals to run their agencies with efficiency which often include supervising employees, overseeing budgets, and managing other everyday operations within a department or division of the government. At the local level, you can contest as a Ward/District Head or Local Government Administrator especially when you understand the rubrics of decentralization and public service delivery at the grassroots.

Policy Analyst

Policies or programmes under consideration by a government or a government agency will have both positive and negative effects upon the public being served (and taxed). Government organizations therefore often employ professionals to thoroughly analyze these potential effects. Policy analysts do not only analyze but also participate in the execution of those policies they have comparative knowledge advantage in.

Political Party Director

If you’re interested in making an impact in your community, consider joining a political party don't stop there, participate in the party's activities until you become its head or director. An MPA will give you the leverage of working as the director or manager of a political party organisation where you get to oversee the routine activities of your party such as fund raising for elections and other programmes. You may also monitor how well your party's strategy conforms with global best practices.

Economic Advisor

Another career within government is the position of economic advisor. In this role, you may work at a state, local, or federal level. You will manage the processes by which economic policies are developed and implemented in a seamless and cost-effective manner. This role may also require you to provide analytics and financial reporting.

Company or Nonprofit Executive

The role of a company or nonprofit executive can include different tasks, depending on the type of goods or services provided by such an organisation. You will normally need organisation and leadership skills, as well as problem-solving capabilities to fit well into such a role.

Business Development Director

As an economic development director, you will work with businesses and local communities to create and implement a strategy for a solid economic base. In this role, you may work at local, state or federal levels.

Public Affairs Director

An important aspect of every business and organization that works with the government is having someone on the board of directors who understands the operational aspects of the government. In this role, you may work with appointed or elected officials of the government. You will represent your company or organization in a way that is efficient and insightful.

Public Administration Consultant

As a public administration consultant, you will be a key player in supporting the needs of policy makers and program directors. You will consult with your clients or team about the best choices to make per situation, as well as assist with any other local, state, and federal operation decisions.

University Professor

With a public administration master’s degree, you will not only be able to teach basic concepts of administration to college students, you would also be able to conduct advanced research that may lead to the award of a doctorate degree, and earn you a chair in the faculty of administrative or management sciences at top private and government-supervised universities.

Whether you want to go to town or wear a gown, or even go to town in a gown, there are quite a lot of opportunities for you with a diploma or master's degree in Public Administration (and Public Policy).

Interestingly enough, The Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy in collaboration with the Lead City University offers flexible Diploma and Masters programmes in Public Administration and Public Policy which allow you to balance your professional career and personal life with the accomplishment of earning a graduate degree. These professional cum academic programmes can be completed in as little as a year. What is more? You’ll learn about and gain practical experiences in new public management, law, budgeting, public policy, and how to be a leader in the public administration field.

I may not be a seer but I doubt if any economy will thrive in the next century, nay, decade without knowledgeable and competent 'scholar-practitioners' who are deft in blending learning with practice, and guess what? That's the philosophy of the LCU-ISGPP Graduate Programmes.

• This article was published by Tobi Adewunmi, he can be reached directly via [email protected].