It is a priority for Heinz College to attract, maintain, and nurture a student body of diverse experiences, viewpoints, backgrounds, and talents. We are also committed to improving access to our graduate programs, in particular for underrepresented populations.
We support these efforts through a variety of initiatives and partnerships, which include the following:
One way that we reach promising students from underrepresented populations is through our network of scholarship partnerships. Students who are affiliated with partner organizations are provided financial assistance to reduce the cost of their degree.
For more information, visit our Scholarships and Funding page.
The Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute (JSI) is a national fellowship program that prepares students for an advanced degree and ultimately for careers and influential roles serving the public good. PPIA has been a meaningful and longstanding partner of Heinz College.
PPIA’s mission and overall focus is to increase the participation and inclusion of traditionally underrepresented groups at the highest level of public sector leadership. The PPIA-JSI is a rigorous seven-week training offered each summer for rising college seniors, with coursework focused on quantitative, analytical, and communication skills.
From a highly selective and competitive national application pool, the composition of each PPIA-JSI class reflects academic, ethnic, regional, sexual orientation, gender, religious belief, and age diversity, as well as the potential and demonstrated leadership necessary to positively impact the public sector.
In collaboration with PPIA and the Network of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), Heinz College hosts an annual Public Service Weekend at our campus in Washington, D.C. This mini-conference provides opportunities for undergraduate interns in D.C. to be exposed to career and educational opportunities in public policy and international affairs.
Recent conferences have focused on topics such as 'Technology and Societal Change' and 'Leadership in the Age of Smart Cities: How Technology can Advance Sustainability, Efficiency, and Equity in Urban Communities.' The weekend experience provides undergraduates with an immersion into our curriculum and highlights our Washington, D.C. presence. It also provides undergraduates with substantial opportunities for interactions with our alumni, current students, staff, and faculty.
Public Service Weekend enables us to strategically partner with D.C.-based organizations such as Code for America, the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Congressional Black Caucus, GAO, Deloitte, and many others on developing the pipeline of diverse applicants to our programs who are interested in public service.
The iSchool Inclusion Institute (i3) is an undergraduate research and leadership development program that prepares students from underrepresented populations for graduate study and careers in the information sciences.
"i3 prepares students for the rigors of graduate study and serves as a pipeline for i3 Scholars into internationally recognized information schools—the iSchools*. Most importantly, i3 empowers students to create change and make an impact on the people around them."
*Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College is a proud member of iSchools. i3 is hosted by the University of Pittsburgh.
IT Lab is a seven-week summer fellowship for 20 students hosted by Heinz College. The immersive experience exposes undergraduate students to CMU’s world-renowned information technology, cybersecurity, public policy, and data analytics faculty in classroom-based and experiential learning settings.
During the IT Lab program, students apply what they learn in the classroom to make a difference in the Pittsburgh region. Specifically, IT Lab Fellows apply their skills to improve the cybersecurity posture for a Pittsburgh-based local government, education, healthcare, or nonprofit organization.
IT Lab impacts the lives and careers of a diverse cohort of students each year while fulfilling the societal need to address cybersecurity threats.
