Alec Baldwin is going to university to strengthen his bid to become New York mayor.

The 53-year-old actor is in talks with two colleges about enrolling in a master's programme in politics and government in order to better understand the post, which he plans to run for some time after 2013.

He explained: "[University will] help me better understand what the fiscal imperatives of that job are.

"What's the reality of the city unions, of contracts, agreements, teachers, infrastructure, decentralising, everything? And utilities, Con Ed, the M.T.A. - how does it all work?"

The '30 Rock' star - who was born in New York - says he has been asked by supporters to consider running for office in other states but doesn't want to move from his home city, and thinks he understands the residents there better than he would anywhere else.

He told the New York Times newspaper: "There are people who make a lot of money who become rich people, and then there are people who make a lot of money, but they don't think like rich people do.

"No matter how much money they have, they are the same from their own upbringing. I would definitely put myself in the latter class.

"What I think the government should be doing, who I think government should be serving, and in what way and what it should be prioritising is a lot different than people would think."

Despite his popularity, Alec admits entering politics is risky and could backfire.

He added: "I am someone who is fully prepared for the fact that I could go into this and do it and completely have my ass kicked.

"I could throw a party and no one could come. And it would be this staggering lesson for me."