Survey: To Lead, Attend a School of Public Service

Eighty-eight percent of senior public officials in state, county, and city government surveyed by Governing magazine say their graduate degree in a government-related field was helpful in preparing them for their current careers.

The 189 senior state, county and city officials who answered the survey were uniformly positive about the value of their graduate school experience, with the largest proportion having earned a Master in Public Administration (MPA) at a school of public policy or public service. Ninety-one percent said that when it comes to hiring, they would prefer to hire someone with a graduate degree in a government-related field.

The respondents also discussed the courses they found most useful in their current leadership roles.