Gain Skills, Networks, and Real-World Experience to Make an Impact
Year One in Pittsburgh. Year Two in D.C.
Gain invaluable work experience by day while completing your coursework by night in the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management: Washington, D.C., pathway. This program provides you with a direct route to a career in policy or research—in Washington or elsewhere—by gaining a year of D.C. work experience and building your professional network before you graduate.
Heinz College's D.C.-based public policy graduate program is the highest-ranked policy analysis degree program in Washington, D.C. During your first year on campus in Pittsburgh, you will build a foundation of finance, economics, data analytics and managmement science in addition to your policy studies. In year two, you will do real work on the ground through a year-long Heinz Policy Fellowship for a government agency, a D.C. nonprofit, or a consulting group, while completing a challenging blend of policy analysis and methods courses as well as a capstone project for a D.C. client.
Throughout the program, you will receive exposure to our world-renowned academic faculty and accomplished practitioners, as well as ongoing support and mentoring from our program office and Career Center staff that ensure a smooth transition and accelerated start into a meaningful career after graduation.
Dedicated to public service? Want to have an impact on policy right away? This is the program for you.
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1st Year) | Washington, D.C. (2nd Year)
Duration: 2 Years / 4 Semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer Internship, Fall, Spring)
A key feature of the Washington, D.C., pathway of our public policy master's program is the required
Working nearly full-time hours and coming in equipped with Heinz College analytical skills that are unmatched by other policy schools, you will be prepared to tackle big projects—in fact, our students often find that they are entrusted with
Developed expertise on solar and wind technologies, summarized appropriations bills and the President's Budget Request, and wrote for the organization’s website as a core member of a nonprofit organization’s innovation team.
Created a system for federal-government-wide reporting on the deployment of electric vehicle charging stations; contributed talking points to senior leaders, and researched the cost, from a government perspective, of owning a zero-emission vehicle.
Assisted a congressional office with preparations for committee hearings, legislative markups, and floor votes; conducted legislative research for the policy team; and planned a member-level roundtable event on the energy crisis.
Helped a think tank develop a local engagement project that resulted in a decision memo for program leadership, recommending a plan to help a new cohort of cities work toward Sustainable Development Goals.
Examined the impact of COVID-19 on the federal inmate population; used Stata to disaggregate Sentencing Commission Data by statute and visualize the proportion of racketeering across the U.S. with ArcGIS.
Started a pilot project to analyze a local school district’s special-education early intervention system, and worked with a nonprofit organization’s board to create and implement a racial equity evaluation of their policy work.
That kind of access and rich experience translates to
Roughly 70 percent of Washington, D.C., students receive full-time employment offers from their Fellowships.
Washington, D.C., students complete a team-based project, working in close collaboration with a real-world client. These projects fulfill an actual business or operational need for our partners, giving students an opportunity to have a measurable impact while still in school.
Recent Washington, D.C., Systems Synthesis clients include:
Lizbeth Perez Hernandez wants to work in housing policy for the federal government. "[Heinz] allows me to create the evidence for something to change."
For Kristen Hochreiter, the Washington, D.C., track helped her combine her passion for international development with her interest in large-scale change.
NOTE: The Washington, D.C., track follows the same academic schedule as the Flagship track, which begins in August and lasts four semesters, graduating in May. The Washington, D.C., track is not compatible with the Data Analytics track or Fast Track.
For detailed curriculum information, please visit the MSPPM: Washington D.C. Student Handbook.
Below is one possible schedule for the Washington, D.C., track. Actual schedules will vary depending on electives.
Class titles in bold are core courses. Heinz College offers a mix of full-semester (14 weeks) and half-semester courses (7 weeks) for core and elective courses.
--REQUIRED SUMMER INTERNSHIP--
*Half-semester courses
Job titles and salary information for the Washington, D.C., track.
Compare all four options at a glance
The Public Policy program is offered in four distinct modalities—Flagship, Data Analytics, Washington, D.C., and Fast Track (Three-Semester). Compare all four and choose the track that best suits your mission.
Didn't find what you were looking for on this page? Check out our Admissions Frequently Asked Questions page for additional information on any of the topics or processes outlined above.
