MSPPM: Fast Track (Three-Semester)

By leveraging your experience and a challenging, fast-paced curriculum, you can minimize your time away from the workforce, returning as an indispensable problem-solver with the ability to have an immediate impact.

If you have three years of relevant professional experience* or more, MSPPM: Fast Track provides the same degree in public policy problem-solving and evidence-based management as our traditional MSPPM: Pittsburgh, but in an accelerated format.

A full-time professional graduate degree program, students have opportunities to work with industry clients on real-world problems via Capstone Projects, bringing theory into practice. Due to the experience level of Fast Track candidates, summer internships (between the second and third semesters) are optional.

With a MSPPM from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, you will come out ready to use your skills to lead meaningful change.

*Certain criteria—including service work and military service—can exempt professional experience requirement, see MSPPM admissions for more details

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Duration: 16 months / 3 semesters (Fall, Spring, Fall)

MSPPM Admissions Requirements

My Story: Emily

Emily Wazlak (MSPPM '17) is from Queens, New York. She came to MSPPM: Fast Track after building experience in a D.C. policy office. Now, her platform helps female entrepreneurs.

MSPPM: FAST TRACK CURRICULUM

MSPPM Core
- Applied Economic Analysis
- Statistical Reasoning with R
- Intro to Database Management
- Organizational Design and Implementation
- Management Science
- Policy and Politics
- Financial Analysis
- Writing for Public Policy
- Strategic Presentation Skills
- Public Policy Capstone Project
PLUS
- Optional Summer Internship
MSPPM Concentrations
MSPPM Concentrations:
Students in the MSPPM: Fast Track pathway can elect an optional concentration in one of the following policy areas:
- Cybersecurity and Management
- Energy Systems and Public Policy
- Environmental Policy
- Health Policy
- International Trade and Development
- Management
- Policy Analysis
- Public and Non-Profit Finance
- Smart Communities
- Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Urban and Regional Economic Development
Learn More About MSPPM Concentrations
MSPPM Sample Electives*
- Programming R for Analytics
- Evidence-Based Management
- Technology and International Development
- Labor Economic Policy
- Negotiation
- Social Innovation
- Privacy in the Digital Age
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Immigration Research
- Poverty, Inequality and Social Policies
- SAS for Public Policy
- Public Finance
- Energy Policy
- Applied Data Science
- Exploring and Visualizing Data
- Data Warehousing
- Introduction to Python
- Text Analytics
- Communicating Complexity
- Management Consulting
- Growth With Intelligent Transportation
- Developing as a Leader
*Elective availability may differ by pathway/location; students may also enroll in graduate-level courses from other Heinz College programs as well as other departments across Carnegie Mellon University’s campus, with approval.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

Below is one possible schedule for MSPPM: Fast Track. Actual schedules will vary depending on pathway, concentrations, and electives.

Class titles in bold are core courses.

FIRST SEMESTER (FALL)

AI, Society, and Humanity
Privacy in the Digital Age
Statistical Reasoning with R
Intro to Database Management
Organizational Design and Implementation
Applied Economic Analysis
Writing for Public Policy

SECOND SEMESTER (SPRING)

Programming R for Analytics
International Crisis Negotiation Exercise
Women and Public Policy
Management Science I & II
Policy & Politics: American or International Perspective
Financial Analysis
Strategic Presentation Skills

--OPTIONAL SUMMER INTERNSHIP--

THIRD SEMESTER (FALL)

Public Policy Capstone Project
Design Thinking for Complex Systems
Smart Cities: Growth and Intelligent Transportation Systems
Societal Consequences of Technological Change: Autonomous Vehicles
Evidence-Based Management
Program Evaluation
Critical Analysis of Policy Research

MSPPM Pathways

Compare all five MSPPM options at a glance

The MSPPM program is offered in five distinct modalities—Pittsburgh (Two-Year), Data Analytics, Washington D.C., Fast Track (Three-Semester), and Global. Compare all five and choose the path that best suits your mission.

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YOUR WORK MATTERS