Master of Science in Public Policy and Management: Washington, DC Track
Where Policy Makers are Built
This track is right for you if:
- You know that the nation's capital is the place to make your mark on the world
- You want to spend part of your graduate program living and working in DC.
- You want access to policymakers, federal agencies, nonprofits, and think tanks shaping public policy
Key Program Information
Everything you need to know about the Washington, D.C., Track of the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management program.
Application Deadlines
Round 1: December 1, 2026
Round 2: January 10, 2027
Round 3: February 1, 2027
Cost of Attendance
Please visit CMU's Student Financial Services website.
Internship
Required, plus full-time Policy Fellowship in second year
Explore the Program
My Heinz Story: Kristen
For Kristen Hochreiter, the Washington, DC track helped her combine her passion for international development with her interest in large-scale change.
Public Policy and Management: Washington, DC Track Curriculum
The Washington, DC track follows the same academic schedule as the Flagship track, which begins in August and lasts four semesters, graduating in May. The Washington, DC track is not compatible with the Data Analytics track or Fast Track.
For detailed curriculum information, please visit the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management Student Handbook.
- Applied Economic Analysis(90-710)
- Statistical Methods(90-707 or 90-711)
- Working the Policy Ecosystem (90-897)
- Introduction to Database Management (90-728)
- Organizational Design and Implementation(94-700)
- Optimization and Decision Modeling for Policy (90-722)
- Database Management (90-728)
- Financial Analysis (91-804)
- Writing for Public Policy (90-717)
- Strategic Presentation Skills (90-718)
- Strategic Communication for Public Policy and Management (90-877)
- Electives (choice of many): Minimum of 12 units
AND
- Policy and Politics in American Institutions (90-714)OR Policy and Politics: An International Perspective (90-713)
PLUS
- Required Summer Internship
For class, syllabi, and faculty information, please visit the Heinz College course catalog.
- Working the Policy Ecosystem (90-897)
- Policy in Action (90-897)
- Program Evaluation (90-823)
- Cost-Benefit Analysis (90-824)
- Leadership/Management Workshop: How Washington Works (90-855)
- Federal Budget Policy (90-894)
PLUS
PLUS
- Heinz Policy Fellowship(90-899; Year Two, ~30 hours/four days per week)
For class, syllabi, and faculty information, please visit the Heinz College course catalog.
- R for Data Policy Analysis (90-872)
- Data Visualization and Dashboards (90-885)
- Systems Analysis: Environmental Policy (90-798)
- Resilient and Sustainable Communities (90-789)
- Technology, Humanity and Social Justice - Education (94-783)
- Poverty, Inequality and Social Policies: An International Comparison (90-471)
- International Crisis Negotiation Exercise (94-859)
- Telling Stories with Data (94-870)
- Programming R for Analytics (94-842)
- Policy Innovation Lab (90-783)
- Design Thinking (94-866)
- Behavioral Economics (90-880)
- Program Evaluation (90-823)
- Policy in a Global Economy (90-860)
- Elective Politics and Policy-Making (90-754)
- Health Economics (94-705)
- Organizational Change (91-809)
- Evidence-Based Management (94-814)
- Negotiation (94-800)
- Privacy in the Digital Age (94-806)
- Policies of Wireless Systems (95-824)
- Measuring Social (94-823)
- Public Finance (90-736)
- Managing Analytic Projects (94-881)
- Privacy Policy, Technology, and the Law (95-818)
- Cybersecurity Policy and Governance (95-744 and 95-743)
*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.
For class, syllabi, and faculty information, please visit the Heinz College course catalog.
Students can elect an optional concentration in one of the following policy areas, or define their own:
- AI Management
- Energy and Environmental Policy
- Health Policy
- International Policy
- Nonprofit and Public Management
- Public Interest Technology
- Social Policy
- Technology Governance, Cybersecurity, and Privacy Policy
- Urban & Regional Economic Development
- U.S. Politics and Policy Making
Begin Your Path to Impact
Sample Public Policy and Management: Washington, DC Track Class Schedule
- At Carnegie Mellon University, courses are counted in units instead of credits.
- Three units are roughly equivalent to one credit at many of our peer institutions.
- A semester-long course is 12 units, while a half-semester class (called a mini) is six units.
The following schedules are intended to be examples of the structure of the semester. Courses may not always be offered in this fashion.
Sample Schedule: Fall
| Fall, Mini 1 | Fall, Mini 2 |
| Statistical Reasoning with R | Statistical Reasoning with R |
| Applied Economic Analysis | Applied Economic Analysis |
| Organizational Design and Implementation | Writing for Public Policy |
| Financial Statements and Analysis | Urban Policy |
| Total Units: 24 | Total Units: 24 |
Sample Schedule: Spring
| Optimization and Decision Modeling for Policy | Optimization and Decision Modeling for Policy |
| Policy and Politics: An American Perspective | Policy and Politics: An American Perspective |
| Working the Policy Ecosystem | Intro to Database Management |
| Strategic Presentation Skills | Affordable Housing Policy and Finance |
| Total Units: 24 | Total Units: 24 |
