Student Stories
Why did you decide to study Public Policy and Administration at Boise State?
As an undergraduate student here at Boise State, I got the opportunity to talk to Dr. Hill and Dr. Fredericksen about the Master of Public Administration program, and their advice encouraged me to apply to that program, and the graduate research assistant program. Through the graduate research assistant program, I got to work at the Idaho Policy Institute, which led to my current job with IPI. The support I got through my job and the relationships I built in the MPA program encouraged me to apply for the PhD in Public Policy and Administration program, which I’m currently in.
What makes Boise State a good place to study Public Policy and Administration?
Right from the beginning, since entering into the MPA program, I’ve gotten the opportunity to work on interesting, hands-on projects through my classes and my research assistantship/job. The faculty and students in the MPA and PhD programs also have a broad array of interests and projects that they are working on, which provides plenty of chances to learn new approaches and expand one’s horizons. Most importantly, it’s a supportive community – there is always another PhD student to talk about writing struggles with, or a professor willing to provide additional perspective on a challenging question.
What are the most important things you’ve learned in the program so far?
Ask lots of questions, and then ask questions about your questions. Every question, and every answer, has assumptions behind it. Don’t be afraid to let your assumptions be wrong. In addition, a second perspective is always valuable – graduate research does not need to be a solitary experience. And valuable information can come from anywhere – always look for new perspectives and opportunities to apply them to your own work. Finally, make regular time for writing and reading.
How have you been able to apply what you’ve been learning in the classroom to work outside the classroom?
I’m lucky, because I got a job as an applied policy researcher while in the program. So I get the chance to apply what I’ve been learning in the classroom almost every day, which has been incredibly valuable for my learning both in the classroom and outside of it. As an example, I’ve gotten to design and implement a number of surveys, and I recently helped to conduct a financial analysis of the cost to maintain Idaho’s public roadways.