MSc Philosophy and Public Policy career placement

2008-09

Scott Burnett

'There was much in the content of the MSc that could be directly applied to the work that I do in South Africa. In the carbon sphere, the lectures on environmental policy and on rational choice theory helped in moulding my thinking on these issues; in the HIV-prevention sphere, where I work for a campaign that is essentially an exercise in social engineering, I was given much to think about in our studies of utilitarianism, Kant, Kamm's non-consequentialism, and in the work I did on Peter Singer for my dissertation.But for me this wasn't the best thing about the MSc at all. What I have really had opportunity to apply was the slow and careful approach to examining moral and political issues that we employed in our seminars. I had grown accustomed (in the context of a country where public debate is lively to the extent of being rough) to forming an opinion on an issue quickly, and then spending time vigorously defending it. What really challenged me during my year at the LSE was having to examine all the premises I held which I had never before bothered to think about properly. I cannot claim that my thinking has been 'fixed' - one year is too short a time to do this - but it certainly has set me on a path to being more careful in my thinking, more rigorous in my analysis, slower to pass judgment on the opinions of others, and in general better able to make the case for particular courses of action.'

Andy Lowenthal

Andy was selected for the Presidential Management Fellowship at the U.S. Department of State, with rotations at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and D.C. Public Schools, Office of the Chancellor. Coincidentally, Andy had highlighted Chancellor Rhee’s leadership in his dissertation, which he later presented at the Global Dialogue on Ethical and Effective Governance in Amsterdam. Andy recently joined the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service as Program Manager (www.ourpublicservice.org).

He writes: 'LSE provided me an unparalleled opportunity to fundamentally change the way I think about public policy. Considering policy creation and execution through the lens of moral philosophy conjures up far more questions than it does answers, and yet it is hard to overstate the intrinsic value of asking such questions. In my research, I considered the moral obligations of public officials, and have applied that knowledge to both public education reform and government transformation. Furthermore, the guidance and support I received from the faculty really validated the Department’s stellar reputation.'

Orri Stefansson

'Three activities have taken up most of my time since I finished the MSc program in Philosophy and Public Policy: working as a journalist, doing research for the Icelandic Parliament's Special Investigation Commission, and preparing PhD applications. The MSc degree has, I believe, helped me with all these activities. Firstly, the degree gave me a valuable opportunity to develop analytical skills that have helped me in my work as a journalist. Although I had been writing news and analysis for two years before I entered the program, I feel that I am both more competent and confident in my work after I did the degree. Secondly, I don’t think I would have been offered the job at the Investigation Commission - where I work with a group that investigates moral matters related to the collapse of the Icelandic banking sector - if I didn’t have a master’s degree in applied moral philosophy from LSE. Finally, the MSc degree has helped me in the PhD application process, by focusing my philosophical interests and making me able to produce better writing samples and research proposals than I would have been able to write before I entered the program.'
 

Luke Tomlinson 

I am a PhD student at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, having been awarded an ESRC studentship to study 'Justice, Governance and Climate Change'. My research involves applying normative political theory to climate change policy and is heavily influenced by my studies at the LSE. My MSc dissertation thesis was titled 'Global Justice and Climate Change' was an essential foundation for my current research. I joined the MSc programme having initially studied economics as an undergraduate. The programme was extremely accommodating for students who had little previous experience of analytical philosophy and allowed me to pursue my specific research interests in climate change policy.

2006-07

Joelle Abi-Rached

'I was offered a position as a research officer at the LSE's BIOS centre for the study of bioscience, biomedicine, biotechnology and society. My position which is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is part of a project that will map the socio-political implications of the 'new brain sciences'. My dissertation, which tackled the philosophical aspects of post-war mental health, combined with my background in medicine was definitely instrumental in securing me the offer. First, because it falls under the growing field of 'neuro-ethics' but also health care ethics with an international scope-both of interest to the current project. And second, the interdisciplinary approach I used in my argumentation was precisely what the interviewers were interested in: integrating sociology, applied ethics, morals, and politics to explain an empirical biomedical problem is one of the trademarks of BIOS.'

Jonathan Birdwell

'I have been working as a Researcher at the London-based think tank DEMOS for approximately two years now. I work on a variety of topics, including social housing, local government and drugs policy, but I mainly focus on extremism and counter terrorism. The Philosophy and Public Policy course, with its great breadth of topics, provided the perfect underpinning for my current position. As a Researcher, I manage research projects and research teams, fundraise, lead and facilitate seminars and focus groups, and conduct one-to-one interviews. We employ a range of qualitative research methods to analyse our research, and the end product is a pamphlet that gets disseminated to media, academics and policy makers. All our reports can be accessed on our website (www.demos.co.uk). If your goal is to work as a policy researcher or special advisor, I highly recommend the Philosophy and Public Policy course.'

Sze Ling Chen

Sze Ling Chen is working as a teaching assistant in the Department of Government at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. She will lead the tutorial classes for Fundamentals of Politics and Political Philosophy.

Murray Gregorson

Murray Gregorson has accepted a job as a corporate strategy consultant at a boutique consultancy called Kaiser Associates. This is an American firm with a London office. He writes: 'My LSE degree helped immensely in getting me the first interview, and my philosophical training helped me get through the interview process: they look for analytical ability, critical thinking, rigorous argumentation, inter alia.'

Yi Hu

'I am currently working in equity research of HSBC CIBM (Corporate, Investment Banking and Markets). This is a global rotational program, so I have the opportunity to rotate in London, Hong Kong or New York. I think that the PPP program has significantly improved my analytical and critical thinking skills, which are essential to equity research. Meanwhile, Luc Bovens and Alex Voorhoeve have given me lots of help and encouragement, without which I would not have gotten through the year so well or have gotten offers from both the banking industry and from other MSc programmes and PhD programmes in the LSE. This is a small but great program, with great lecturers and great classmates.'

John MacIntosh

'I have joined Seachange Capital as a partner. Seachange is a New York based non-profit firm that aims to help outstanding non-profits, beginning in youth education and youth development, raise capital to support their growth, through donations from wealthy individuals, foundations, and other organizations. (see www.seachangecap.org/) I am very excited about the opportunity to work in the non-profit sector. I would not have been taken seriously by the sector, nor have been firm in my conviction about joining it, without my year with you at LSE.'

Diana Percival

Diana Percival is working at The American School in London. Her title is Middle School Activities and Service Learning Coordinator. I teach a class in service learning where the students work to perform service to help identified problems in the community/world/etc. and organise extra-curricular activities. In addition she is teaching an undergraduate class at the Department of Philosophy, Logic and Scientific Method at the LSE.

David Sneyd

David Sneyd has accepted a job working for the Pensions Investment Research Consultancy, which lobbies for proper corporate governance in companies as well as organising shareholder activism. He received the job mainly due to his MSc dissertation which was on shareholder activism and which acted as quite a nice segue into the sector.

2005-6

Carl Cullinane

Carl has been awarded a St. Anne's scholarship to start his Ph.D. studies in the department of Politics in the University of Oxford in 2006-7.

Rebecca Farr

Rebecca Farr has a position as a privacy analyst at Nortel Government Solutions working with the US Department of Homeland Security developing policies and procedures to ensure that security efforts respect the Fair Information Principles that safeguard privacy.

Christina Gradl

Christina will be a PhD research student at the University of Halle, Germany. She will be working with Ingo Pies, a leading academic in the field of economic ethics, on the topic of market conditions in developing countries and business models to alleviate poverty. Christina has also received the Kofi Annan Fellowship on Global Government, a research fellowship of the UN Global Compact. The goal of this fellowship program is to create a better understanding of the impact of corporate activity, especially of social and environmental programs, on society. The fellowship will give Christina the opportunity to explore her PhD topic at the Global Compact office in New York, a partner company in Germany, and Kennedy School of Governance in Cambridge, MA.

Biyi He

Biyi He has a position in the News Office of People's Government of Dongguan City in P.R.China. Her responsibilities include making official statements on behalf of the local government by launching press conference, maintaining healthy public relations with the government, helping deal with emergent events for the sake of social stablity, receiving guest media from all over the world who come to visit Dongguan, and other communication related issues. Dongguan is a rapidly rising city in Southern China, renowned worldwide as an International Base for Manufacturing Industry, such as IT, Garment, Woolen Knitwear, Furniture, and so on. Its dynamic economy has caught increasing attention from the western world, so the news office of Dongguan government is loaded with important duties in bringing Dongguan closer to the world. I found my experience in Philosophy department of LSE really helps in these aspects. Exploration of the western moral philosophy and western moral belief systems makes it easier for me to understand and communicate with the western media. Besides, philosophical training sharpens my mind in identifying problems and coming up with proper solutions.

Joseph Hoover

I'm currently a PhD student in the international relations department at LSE and editor of Millennium: Journal of International Studies, which is run in partnership with the international relations department. My current research is broadly in the field of international or global political theory, which seeks to apply normative political theory to the international and global levels. Specifically, I am working on human rights theory and the application of value-pluralism to debates about global diversity and universal rights.

The master's program was directly relevant to my current research, both in its emphasis on philosophical theory and the application of philosophy to political problems. In changing disciplines (from humanities to a social science) and in my work as an editor, my philosophical training has been indispensable, helping me to break down arguments and assimilate new material quickly.

Peter May

Peter May  is a policy researcher with a public services company, studying the economic and ethical viability of contracting out government services. The work is largely evidence-based, drawing on primary and secondary research to test ethical and economic propositions in the government-by-contract model. Only a few months after graduating I am writing chapters for publication and participating at seminars for policy-design and implementation; both allow me to draw on the courses I took during my MSc studies.

Piero Moraro

Piero has been accepted with funding in the PhD. programme in Philosophy in Stirling University, UK.

Kurt Mueller

Kurt Mueller has accepted a position at the Social Market Foundation as an economic and general policy researcher. He writes: 'All of the work we do is perfectly complementary to the core course in the Philosophy and Public Policy MSc and I am more than happy to be able to continue my work in this area. For example, I'm currently working on a proposal for a project examining behavioural economics and its implications for policy-making.'

Natalie Raaber

Natalie Raaber has recently accepted a position with Tapestry Networks, a boutique and unorthodox consulting firm based in Boston, Massachusetts with offices in London.

Natalie has been hired as an Associate for the European Healthcare and Innovation Leadership Network, or EuroHealth. EuroHealth brings together a premier group of healthcare and industry experts from EU Member States, leading pharmaceutical companies and other key stakeholders including insurance funds and patient advocacy organizations to address the complementary and complex goals of achieving health objectives and reinvigorating industry competitiveness in Europe.

The purpose of the network is to facilitate ongoing collaboration focused on developing practical insights and solutions. To further this end, Natalie's primary responsibilities include research into health policy, health economics, pharmaeconomic data and industry competitiveness. Additionally, Natalie participates in interviews with members across Europe and is responsible for the composition of original documents synthesizing and analyzing relevant knowledge.

Radhika Tikku

Radhika has been accepted with funding in the PhD. programme in Philosophy in Queen's University, Canada.

Chelsey Wickmark

Chelsey Wickmark is presently working as a researcher at Policy Network in London. She is currently working on their 'Globalization, Policy and Social Justice' initiative which addresses the general movement within OECD countries towards post-industrial, knowledge-based societies and its implications for theoretical and conceptual understandings of the role of the state.

Jennifer Young

Jennifer has been selected for the Presidential Management Fellowship from the U.S. Department of State. She is one of 2 students that were selected from the LSE. The fellowship allows for a two-year appointment to rotate through various domestic and international agencies, and work on issues in technology, science, criminal justice, health, financial management, and many other fields in support of public policy formation. The fellowship, combined with her background in law and her study of public policy at the LSE, will enable her to analyze complex domestic and foreign policy issues.

Jennifer has received a position in the inaugural Timothy J. Hauser Program for Presidential Management Fellows (PMF)

Alex O'Cinneide

Alex's day job (he was a part time student) running a Venture Capital company is one in which one does not necessary think that the skills learned in a course such as this would be useful, and indeed it is only when you piece together some of the new ways of thinking that this course gives you access to, coupled with the eclectic mix of policy questions, that you can start to use other ways of problem solving and thought processes to arrive at a solution (whatever the problem). On a more personal level, the ability to re-engage with issues and ideas in the company of a group of bright international students was a very enjoyable experience and one that he would strongly recommend regardless of your stage, whether it be recently graduated, change of career or part-time study.

2004-5

James Fleming, MD.

James is currently a neurology resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and writes:

I took the above programme to further my interests in philosophy and public policy generally and, more specifically, to consider the relevance of various ethical systems in the distribution of health care. The incredibly diverse student body at the LSE, coupled with excellence in teaching, provided me with an ideal atmosphere for studying this question and many others.

Following LSE, I obtained my medical degree from the University of Kentucky. I am currently a neurology resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. I have recently published in the American Journal of Bioethics and the Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine. I look forward to a career in academic neurology and bioethics.

Hans Ola Haavelsrud

After completing the MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy in 2005, Hans Ola completed three internships; first with an NGO, then with the European Free Trade Association (Financial Mechanism Office), then with Fortis Bank (Capital Markets and Corporate Finance division). Hans Ola joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in January 2007, assigned to projects across PwC's financial advisory, business advisory and assurance services.

With a prior BSc in business management from LSE, the MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy provided a valuable extension to, and diversification of, his academic background. The complementary analytical tools developed as a student of the PPP have proven useful in different recruitment situations, and have provided an excellent foundation for his career.

The MSc in Philosophy and Public Policy likewise provided an opportunity to reflect on the philosophical substance of public policy questions. The degree focuses on both applied and non-applied philosophical theory, thereby allowing meaningful philosophical perspectives to emerge.

Alexandra Haines

'I am currently working for Buena Vista International Television (a division of Disney) as a director in the Business and Legal Affairs Department. I was a lawyer prior to undertaking the MSc and had dealt with various public policy issues in my previous role. The MSc provided a chance to step back into academic life and study a broad range of questions related to public policy, politics and morality from a fresh angle. I had not previously studied philosophy and the course gave me an excellent grounding in the key schools of philosophical thought in these areas, as well as the means to enhance my analytical and writing skills.'

Peter Jaworski

Peter is presently enrolled in PhD programme in Applied Ethics, Social & Political Philosophy at Bowling Green State University: Over the past summer, he worked at the Fraser Institute, a public policy think tank in Canada. He writes: I expect to work for them again in the future, and my degree from the LSE gave me more of the tools I needed to do a good job there.

Nicola Moore

Nicola Moore started out working with a student-based grassroots organization focused on Social Security reform. She has recently taken up a job as a policy analyst at a libertarian political advocacy group, Americans for Prosperity.

Anna Paola Marchi

In 2004 Anna decided to apply to a Master in Philosophy, Policy and Social Values at the LSE. She writes: I was looking for an intellectually stimulating experience and the Master that I chose responded perfectly to my expectations.  I am currently working for JPMorgan Asset Management in Milan, Italy as a client relationship manager for JPM Mutual Funds covering institutional clients (banks, insurance companies, pension funds and other financial intermediaries).

Alice Obrecht

After completing the coursework and dissertation for her MSc, Alice chose to continue her studies in the Philosophy Department at LSE as an MPhil/PhD student. She reports: both my original decision to enrol in the MSc programme and my decision to apply and enrol as a PhD student were motivated by my interests in academic philosophy and third sector (NGO, non-profit) management issues. Such a combination of theoretical and applied interests is difficult to accommodate fairly in an academic setting. It is rare to find a programme in the States and other English-speaking nations that provides a proper balance between abstract philosophical theory and applied practical issues, while at the same time having ties to, or being part of, a reputable institution. I have benefited here from both my contact with philosophers working on applied policy issues, as well as the strong civil society and politics programmes at the LSE. On top of this, living in London provides me with opportunities particularly helpful for those with an interest in international policy and NGO issues.

Zach Maggio

Zach writes, 'My time at LSE was really an unparalleled academic experience, in the sense that I was exposed to so many rich ideas and diverse areas of scholarship in such a compact amount of time. When it came time re-enter the job market, having an LSE degree only opened doors for me. I wrote my thesis at the LSE on admissions policy in higher education, and now I manage an innovative new Master's Program here at New York University, where I have the opportunity to develop and shape those educational policies on a daily basis. I know that having the MSc from LSE played a large role in demonstrating that I had the necessary skills of judicious thought and critical analysis to be able to succeed at this level. The Philosophy and Public Policy degree, in particular, is broadly attractive to a wide range of employers and careers (from my experience). I would highly recommend the degree to anyone seeking to either branch out from their current career or strengthening their current position in a policy-related field. Plus, it was fun.'

Avi Robinson-Mosher

Avi is presently enrolled in a PhD programme in computer science at Stanford University: I'm taking a seminar with Professor Lawrence Lessig on those issues of law and the internet nearest and dearest to his heart - to which my MSc studies have been quite relevant.

Robert Rust

After completing the MSc in PPP, Robert took a job with Goldman Sachs in their Private Wealth Management division. He writes: My year at the LSE allowed me to further develop—and validate for employers—my analytical skills. Additionally, the LSE experience introduced me to a diverse group of students and alumni from all disciplines. This network is ideal for leveraging in any profession. Most importantly, I thoroughly enjoyed my time there!

Noam Schimmel

Noam Schimmel is currently a Dorot Fellow in Jerusalem where he is stuying Arabic, volunteering with the Ethiopian community, and pursuing an MA in Creative Writing. He published his MSc thesis in the International Journal of Children's Rights, Volume 14, Number 3, 2006, pp. 211-234(24) under the title 'Freedom and Autonomy of Street Children'.  He is currently applying to start PhD studies in Political Science, and plans to study political psychology and political anthropology, as they relate to contemporary American political conservatism.  

He writes:

'I am currently living in Israel as a Dorot Fellow, studying Arabic and Jewish Studies, and volunteering with the local Ethiopian immigrant community. Next year I hope to begin a PhD in Political Science, with an emphasis on political psychology and political anthropology. The MSc in Philosophy, Policy and Social Value at LSE gave me a firm grounding in philosophy, and gave me practical writing and thinking skills that few other academic programs provide. It taught me to be a more rigorous and analytical thinker and writer, and gave me the freedom to be creative in my research, while teaching me intellectual discipline and the merits of logical and coherent argument. My best memories of LSE are of our spirited debates in class and the sense of community that pervaded our MSc cohort. London is an immense and incredible city, and within its vastness each of us was able to find a more intimate community that was both academic and social at LSE. LSE is informal in the best of ways. It's academic and intense, but it's also a place with little pretension and with real intellectual fervor. People at LSE care about applying academic insights to the real world. There is no ivory tower at LSE. People study here not merely for the sake of study, but to enable themselves to contribute to society and to the greater good. This month an edited version of my Masters thesis was published in the International Journal of Children's Rights. It's been almost two years since I completed the thesis, and it's inspiring for me to now be able to share it with the larger academic community. My thesis allowed me to combine my interest and background in international social work with street children and disadvantaged youth with a philosophical analysis of international human rights law as it applies to at-risk children and youth. At LSE you'll be able to synthesize a wide range of subjects and concerns in a meaningful way. There's an interdisciplinary openness to the university, and the freedom you'll find will enable you to find a course of study that will be both personally relevant and academically meaningful.'