About Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy
Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College combines technology, analytics, and public policy to prepare future leaders (YOU) to solve complex challenges and create lasting impact.
At Heinz College, we believe the world's most complex challenges demand more than a single discipline. By bringing together technology, analytics, and public policy, we prepare leaders to solve problems that matter and create meaningful impact in communities, organizations, and societies around the globe.
Our community of students, faculty, staff, and alumni is driven by curiosity, collaboration, and a commitment to public impact. We cross intellectual boundaries, partner with organizations around the world, and apply rigorous analysis to real-world problems. Whether leading artificial intelligence implementation, shaping public policy, strengthening cybersecurity, improving health care, or advancing the arts, Heinz College equips the next generation of leaders to turn knowledge into action and ideas into lasting change.
Heinz College by the Numbers
Heinz College is home to approximately 1,100 master's students, 350 undergraduates, and 50 Ph.D. candidates. Our community includes graduate students from a wide range of academic backgrounds, with undergraduate degrees across fields such as technology, engineering, finance, public policy, psychology, economics, linguistics, communications, the arts, education, and computer science.
You'll find diverse perspectives, experiences, and interests that enrich classroom discussions, collaborative projects, and campus life.
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Countries
Our students come to Pittsburgh from all over the United States and around the world.
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Undergraduate Majors
Your success at Heinz starts with curiosity and ambition. Whatever your undergraduate major, you'll find opportunities to build on your strengths and expand your skills.
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Heinz College Alumni
Our global Carnegie Mellon alumni network means whatever you do and wherever you go, you'll find fellow Tartans who are ready to connect, support, and help you succeed.
What Makes Us Different
Heinz College brings together one of the nation's leading schools of information systems and our top-ranked school of public policy under one roof, creating opportunities for you to work across disciplines and solve problems at the intersection of technology and society. That kind of collaboration simply cannot be duplicated elsewhere. We also offer two groundbreaking joint-degree programs with CMU's College of Fine Arts. You'll experience first-hand that exciting things happen when disciplines collide, when differing perspectives come into contact with one another.
Experiential Learning
Theory and practice go hand in hand at Heinz College. Students work alongside faculty, governments, nonprofits, and industry leaders to gain hands-on experience with the technologies, data, and policies shaping our future.
Life in Pittsburgh
Consistently ranked among America's most livable cities, Pittsburgh offers you a vibrant mix of innovation, culture, affordability, and opportunity.
Public Interest Tech
As a leader in Public Interest Technology, Heinz College prepares students to harness data, AI, and emerging technologies to address society's most pressing challenges.
Our Rankings
Nationally recognized for excellence in technology, analytics, cybersecurity, and public policy, Heinz College offers an education that prepares you to make an impact across sectors and industries.
Our History
From our origins as the School of Urban and Public Affairs to today's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, we remain committed to solving complex problems through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Career Outcomes
Employers across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors seek out Heinz College graduates for their unique ability to combine technical expertise, analytical rigor, and leadership skills to solve complex problems.
Academic Programs
Master's Programs
Seven full-time master’s programs that combine data analytics, technology, management, and public policy to prepare students for leadership roles across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Executive Education
Certificate programs designed for working professionals and organizations seeking to strengthen leadership, analytics, AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation capabilities.
Doctoral Programs
Research-intensive PhD programs that prepare scholars to advance knowledge at the intersection of technology, policy, management, and societal impact.
Online Programs
Flexible online master’s degrees, certificates, and professional education programs that deliver Carnegie Mellon’s expertise in analytics, technology, and public policy from anywhere in the world.
A Letter from Our Dean
At Heinz College, we believe the future will be shaped by the intersection of people, policy, and technology. Through a foundation of analytics, technology, and experiential learning, our students develop the skills to address complex challenges and create meaningful impact across industries, sectors, and communities. Our unique combination of information systems and public policy, together with Carnegie Mellon's world-class expertise in technology and innovation, creates opportunities for collaboration and problem-solving that are difficult to find anywhere else.
Do Work That Makes an Impact
The world's most pressing challenges demand new ideas and bold action. From sustainability and public health to artificial intelligence, the arts, and public policy, Heinz College students and faculty are turning knowledge into impact.
Student Impact
Recycling by Ear: Heinz College Students Use Sound to Sort Plastic and Cut Costs
Working with a Pittsburgh startup, Heinz College students developed a machine-learning system that identifies recyclable plastics by sound with more than 90% precision, helping reduce recycling costs and environmental waste.
Faculty Research
Using Data to Better Understand America's Opioid Crisis
Heinz College faculty conduct rigorous, data-driven research on complex public challenges, including the opioid crisis, generating insights that help policymakers make more informed decisions.
Applied Tech
How AI Can Help Us Build a More Equitable Health Care System
Heinz College students and faculty are harnessing artificial intelligence to address some of health care's biggest challenges, from patient education and chronic disease management to equitable access to treatment.
I feel like I walked out of Heinz College with a very full toolbox. When I talk to other people about their grad school experiences, it is a chapter in their lives. For me, it's been consistently informing every single stage of my career. And I'm so much better for it.
Abby Smith (MSPPM '08)
President and CEO of Team Pennsylvania
Engaging the Big Questions
At Heinz College, you'll engage in the conversations shaping the future. Through high-profile university initiatives and collaborative forums, our leadership, faculty, and partners tackle the critical, complex issues defining modern society.
Meet the Dean's Advisory Council
The Dean’s Advisory Council is a trusted group of alumni and friends of Heinz College who are committed to the College’s success. Learn more about the Dean's Advisory Council.
Explore Heinz College
Whether you're interested in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, public policy, health care, sustainability, the arts, or data analytics, you'll find opportunities at Heinz College to learn across disciplines and apply your skills to meaningful challenges. Discover the people, programs, experiences, and skills that will prepare you to lead in a rapidly changing world.