u/Boring-Republic-7438

I’m curious to hear from people who pursued an MBA + MPP/MPA dual degree, or seriously considered it and decided against it.

A lot of the official program pages make the combination sound compelling: private-sector leadership plus public-sector/policy fluency, better ability to work across business, government, regulation, and social impact, etc. But I’m more interested in the lived reality.

For those who completed or are currently doing an MBA + MPP/MPA:

- What made you choose the dual degree instead of just the MBA?
- What did the MPP/MPA actually add in practice?
- Did it meaningfully change your recruiting outcomes, network, credibility, or career options?
- Was the extra time, cost, and academic load worth it?
- Which careers benefited most from the combination?
- In hindsight, would you do it again?

I’m especially interested in paths involving tech, AI/product, consulting, public-private partnerships, impact investing, international development, government relations, or policy-heavy leadership roles.

Trying to separate the real strategic value from the brochure language, because apparently humans invented graduate school and then made it expensive enough to require philosophical justification.

I’m curious about people who came from product-adjacent roles, such as Product Operations, BizDev, Strategy/Ops, Solutions, or other tech business roles, and used OMSCS while trying to move into actual Product Management.

For those who made, or attempted, that transition:

- Did OMSCS help you become a stronger PM candidate?
- Did it help more with credibility, interviews, internal mobility, or actual product judgment?
- Which specialization did you choose, and why?
- Which courses were most useful for product work?
- Were there any parts of OMSCS that were less useful than expected?

I’m not assuming OMSCS alone turns someone into a PM. I’m more interested in whether it helped non-SWE people become technically credible enough to move closer to core product roles.

Hi everyone,

I’m considering applying to OMSCS while doing a full-time MBA, and I’d appreciate a reality check from people who have actually gone through the program.

My background is not traditional CS. I come from economics/business operations. My long-term goal is not to become a full-time software engineer, but to become technically credible enough for Product Roles later on.

The rough plan would be to take OMSCS slowly, likely one course per semester, while doing the MBA. I’m not trying to speed-run the degree or collect credentials for the sake of it. I’m trying to understand whether this is a serious but manageable path, or whether I’m underestimating the workload.

I know OMSCS is rigorous and not something to treat as a side hobby. That’s exactly why I’m asking before doing something stupid with confidence, humanity’s favorite sport.

Thanks in advance for any blunt advice.