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Your Bridge to Impact


Our Flagship Two-Year Public Policy and Management Program

MSPPM: Pittsburgh (Two-Year)


Our most popular and flexible MSPPM option.

In MSPPM: Pittsburgh, you will gain crucial skills in quantitative management and evidence-based problem-solving, as well as effective communication and strategic thinking. This combination of abilities will position you to use data, technology, and smart policy to make the world a better place.

Our flagship program is a full-time professional graduate degree program with a required summer internship. Students have opportunities to work with industry clients on real-world problems via Capstone Projects, bringing theory into practice.

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

Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Duration: 2 years / 4 semesters (Fall, Spring, Summer Internship, Fall, Spring)

A day in the life

An unvarnished look at the life of a Heinz College student. For more, follow us on Instagram.

My heinz college story

My Story: Franz


Franz Rivera was born in Manila and grew up in Los Angeles, California. His experience in the MSPPM program taught him that he was capable of more than he thought.

MSPPM: PITTSBURGH CURRICULUM


For detailed curriculum information, please visit the MSPPM Student Handbook.

SAMPLE SCHEDULE

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


YEAR 1 - FALL SEMESTER
  • Statistical Reasoning with R
  • Applied Economic Analysis
  • Organizational Design and Implementation*
  • Writing for Public Policy*
  • Strategic Presentation Skills

YEAR 1 - SPRING SEMESTER
  • Management Science
  • Policy and Politics: American or International Perspective
  • Financial Analysis*
  • Intro to Database Management*

--REQUIRED SUMMER INTERNSHIP--


YEAR 2 - FALL SEMESTER
  • Systems Analysis: Environmental Policy
  • Behavioral Economics in Public Policy
  • Evidence-based Management*
  • Programming R for Analytics*
  • Policy Innovation Lab: Public Interest Technology*
  • Telling Stories with Data*

YEAR 2 - SPRING SEMESTER
  • Public Policy Capstone Project
  • Rise of Asian Economies
  • Critical Analysis of Policy Research
  • Human Rights, Conflicts and Development*
  • Affordable Housing Policy and Finance*

*Half-semester courses

MSPPM Pathways

Compare all four MSPPM options at a glance

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

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