Keeping Technology Centered on Humanity
Public Interest Technology is an emerging field unto itself, but Carnegie Mellon University has been a leader in this space for more than 50 years, promoting the use of technology to advance the public interest.
CMU is ranked #1 in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Artificial Intelligence, and Information and Technology Management. Many of the advanced technologies that are transforming society—such as artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles—were invented at CMU. We are uniquely positioned to research, develop, and deploy uses of technology that serve the public good.
- The Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy is #1 in Analytics Education, and is the only college on the planet that co-locates a School of Public Policy and a School of Information Systems under the same roof. By design, Heinz College breaks down the barriers between disciplines in unprecedented ways.
- CMU's Department of Engineering and Public Policy applies expertise in multidisciplinary engineering to public interest areas including Energy Systems, Risk Analysis and Technology Innovation Policy.
- The CMU Robotics Institute's CREATE Lab has become a mainstay of the World Economic Forum's annual meetings in Davos, attracting the attention of world leaders by exploring socially meaningful innovation and deployment of robotic technologies.
The work we do has never been in greater demand. Our faculty are pioneers in the use of rigorous, quantitative analysis to address societal problems. Across our research initiatives and curricula, we champion the ethical use of technology to affect positive change in cities, governments, organizations, and communities. These values are inextricably woven into our pedagogy and campus culture.
The combination of these attributes are why we're seen as a global center of excellence and thought leadership in this field—a field which will only become more critical and influential in the years to come.
Impact
Our students have immediate impact, like this project to develop an Innovation Economy Dashboard with the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Here, Grace Klein (HNZ '21) speaks about her capstone team's analysis and report during a launch event at the Pennsylvania state capitol.
Public Interest Technology Universities Network
Carnegie Mellon University is a proud charter member of the Public Interest Technology Universities Network (PIT-UN), which formalizes a commitment among educational institutions to better integrate technology, public policy, ethics, and governance.
Data Science for Social Good Foundation
The DSSG Foundation sponsors a number of programs that encourage aspiring data scientists to actively and intentionally engage is projects that promote social good.
Carnegie Mellon University proudly hosts the Data Science for Social Good Fellowship. Founded by professor Rayid Ghani, the DSSG Fellowship is a full-time summer program to train aspiring data scientists to work on machine learning, data science, and AI projects with social impact in a fair and equitable manner.
The DSSG Foundation also created Solve for Good, a web platform for social good organizations to describe and submit problems that need data intensive help, and for volunteers to collaborate and apply their skills to these problems.
Research & Thought Leadership
Our faculty and research centers are leading the way in technology for public good.
Block Center for Technology and Society
The Block Center focuses on how emerging technologies will alter the future of work, how AI can be harnessed for social good, and how innovation can be more inclusive and improve quality of life.
CREATE Lab: EarthTime
CMU's CREATE Lab launched EarthTime, an open source data tool providing interactive visualizations that document global issues like climate change and refugee crises.
CyLab Security and Privacy Institute
CyLab is an interdisciplinary center leading initiatives focused on strengthening security and privacy in areas such as Internet-of-Things (IoT), cyber autonomy, and blockchain.
Metro21: Smart Cities Institute
Metro21 takes a forward-looking creative approach to bringing people, technology and policy together to significantly improve the quality of life for metropolitan area citizens.
PWC Center
The Digital Transformation and Innovation Center Sponsored by PwC advances new technologies in highly regulated industries.
Traffic21
Traffic21 is a multi-disciplinary research institute that designs, tests, and deploys technology-based solutions to problems facing the transportation system of the Pittsburgh region and the nation.
Center for Human Rights Science
CHRS conducts rigorous assessment of the state of human rights around the world, promoting the development and application of scientific methods for collecting and analyzing human rights information.
IDeaS Center
The Center for Informed Democracy and Social Cybersecurity (IDeaS) will study how disinformation is spread through online channels, such as social media, and address how to counter its effects.
Center for Shared Prosperity
CMU and the Heinz Endowments collaborated to address longstanding barriers to equity and foster economic empowerment in the greater Pittsburgh region.
Academic Offerings
Carnegie Mellon's academic programs and coursework place Public Interest Technology front and center, giving our students a deep understanding of how advanced tech can deliver public benefits and improve societal well-being.
Our master's degree and certificate programs train professionals with the power to have an immediate impact on organizations and society upon graduation.
Public Policy & Data Analytics (MSPPM-DA)
The Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) program's Data Analytics pathway is perhaps the most quantitatively rigorous public policy program in higher education today. With a depth of analytics coursework that other policy schools can't match, our students learn to harness the power of data and analytic technologies to transform organizations that serve the public interest.
Learn more about the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) program's Data Analytics track.
Health Care Analytics & IT (MSHCA)
A health care innovation program unlike any other, the Master of Science in Health Care Analytics and Information Technology (MSHCA) program prepares professionals who will use technology to improve the quality of care, reduce costs, and improve the patient experience. Students in MSHCA learn how to convert raw data into actionable solutions for complex problems facing the health care system and medical firms.
Learn more about the Master of Science in Health Care Analytics and Informatiuon Technology (MSHCA) program.
Information Security Policy & Management (MSISPM)
Established in 2003 as the world's first program in Information Security Policy, the Master of Science in Information Security Policy & Management (MSISPM) program trains bold, creative students who want to make governments, organizations, and private citizens safer in a connected world. MSISPM's comprehensive curriculum blends technical skills with a breadth of coursework in policy, strategy, and management.
Learn more about the Master of Science in Information Security Policy & Management (MSISPM) program.
This list is a sample of some of the coursework that CMU offers to aspiring Public Interest Technologists:
- Ethics and Policy of AI
- AI and Public Policy
- AI, Society and Humanity
- Policy Innovation Lab
- Societal Consequences of Technological Change: Education
- Societal Consequences of Technological Change: Autonomous Vehicles
- Societal Consequences of Techniological Change: Food Insecurity
- Societal Consequences of Techniological Change: Mobility
- Tracking Political Sentiments Using Machine Learning
- Technology Consulting in the Global Community
- Unstructured Data Analytics for Policy
- SAS for Public Policy
- Seeding Societal Futures: Solutions for Food Insecurity for Rural & Small Communities
- Health Care GIS
- Large-Scale Data Analysis for Public Policy
- Smart Cities: Growth and Intelligent Transportation Systems
- Privacy Policy, Technology, and the Law
- Privacy in the Digital Age
- R for Policy Data Analysis
- Intro to Engineering and Public Policy
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- Quentin Auster Scales Safety and Efficiency With Data Science at the FDA
- Heinz College Students Partner with ACLU of Pennsylvania to Explore School Safety, Discipline, and Resource Equity
- Recycling by Ear: Heinz College Students Use Sound to Sort Plastic and Cut Costs
- CMU Students Partner with GAO to Analyze Semiconductor Incentives
- Students develop machine learning tool to mitigate side effects from cancer treatment
Policy Innovation Lab
The Policy Innovation Lab (PIL) is an intensive, applied policy course at Heinz College that prepares students to become public interest technologists who are creative, ethical, inclusive, and responsive.