Carnegie Heinz

Carnegie Mellon, J. Heinz III College (School of Public Policy and Management) - MSPPM

Program Summary

Website: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/school-of-public-policy-management/index.aspx

University: Carnegie Mellon University

Location: Pittsburgh, PA, USA, with global programs in Washington, DC, USA and Adelaide, SA, Australia

Degree: MSPPM – Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (N.B. Carnegie Mellon also offers the MSPPM-DC, a Washington, DC-based track within the MSPPM program, as well as the “Global MSPPM,” an Australia-based track within the MSPPM program, both of which have separate degree requirements from the Pittsburgh-based MSPPM. The school also offers a series of other public policy/management degrees, including the MAM (Masters in Arts Management), MEIM (Masters in Entertainment Industry Management), MHPM (Masters of Healthcare Policy & Management), MSBTM (Masters of Biotechnology and Management), and MMM (Masters of Medical Management. Additionally, the Australian campus of Carnegie Mellon also offers two varieties of the MSPPM that do not require international experience and which should not be confused with the Pittsburgh campus’ Global MSPPM program. Carnegie Mellon also offers several combined degrees with the Tepper School of Business, the University of Pittsburgh Law School and Pittsburgh's Theological Seminary.

Degrees Awarded per Year: 113 (At http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/school-of-public-policy-management/public-policy-management-msppm/class-profile/index.aspx, accessed 20 May 2015.

Academic Unit within University: Heinz College is an independent college within the University that is home to the School of Public Policy & Management and the School of Information Systems. The School of Public Policy & Management also has affiliated centres (e.g. the Los Angeles, CA-based MEIM centre) and the Global MSPPM utilizes the Adelaide, SA, Australia satellite campus of Carnegie Mellon University.

Posted Tuition: Tuition for students beginning fall 2015 is $44,200 plus $851 fees = $45,051 per year for the two-year degree.  (At http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/financial-aid/masters-programs/public-policy-and-management-msppm/student-expenses/index.aspx, accessed 18 May 2015.)

Concentration/Curriculum Overview: The Masters of Science in Public Policy and Management is a strongly analytical, “market-oriented” approach to public policy education that seeks to provide candidates with analytical, communication and management skills that can be applied in the field of public policy. The program emphasizes a skills-based as distinguished from theoretical curriculum. In particular, the school places an emphasis on information technology as a public management tool. The MSPPM is offered in two varieties at the school’s Pittsburgh, PA campus: a two-year (four-semester) option and a three-semester option. Both tracks have identical in-program GPA requirements and both require students to complete a “Systems Synthesis” capstone group project. The former requires 198 total academic units (16.5 one-semester course equivalents) and a summer internship, while the latter requires 168 academic units (14 one-semester course equivalents) and does not require the completion of an optional internship. Applicants may also apply to the MSPPM-POLA track, a policy analytics-focused program with an emphasis on “data-based approaches to complex public issues;” quantitative analysis for candidates with an undergraduate degree in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The MSPPM-DC variant of the MSPPM degree requires students to complete their inaugural year of studies completing the core curriculum of the MSPPM degree in Pittsburgh, PA, and the second in Washington, DC on a part-time basis (two nights and one day per week) while working four-days per week in full-time apprenticeships. The Global MSPPM enables students to complete the first year of the school’s MSPPM degree at Carnegie Mellon’s Adelaide, SA, Australia campus and the second at the school’s Pittsburgh, PA campus.

MSPPM Degree Requirements

Summary: The MSPPM degree is intended to be pursued either as a two-year (four-semester) track, a three-semester track, a four-semester Data Analytics track, a four-semester Washington, DC track, or a 21-month Global track in Adelaide, Australia. Due to the complexity of Carnegie Mellon's course offerings and due to its comparability, only the first program track (four-semester program) is analyzed on this page.

Duration: 3 or 4 semesters (1.5 or 2 years of full-time study).

Academic Prerequisite: Bachelor’s degree. The two-year track is designed for students with less than three years of work experience, the three-semester track is designed for students with more than three years of experience. Neither the Washington, DC-track nor the Global MSPPM have a work experience requirement, but experience working in Washington, DC is preferred for the former. [N.B. that the Data Analytics track requires a STEM undergraduate degree].

Number of One-Semester-Equivalent Courses Required for Completion: 18.5
                  Note 1. This number includes the required 10-week, full-time internship, which has been given a value of 2 one-semester-course-equivalents in order to make it comparable to other programs with similar required internship offerings, despite the fact that the 95-900 Internship course has a nominal credit value of 3 academic units (i.e., 0.25 semester equivalent).

Number of Required Courses: 7
                  Note 2. This includes the 2 one-semester-equivalents described in Note 1 and assumed one-semester course credit for the "System Synthesis" capstone project, but does not include the requirements with options under Advanced Coursework above. 

Number of Courses Offered within the Program: 240 (equivalent to 117 semester courses) .
                  Note 3. This figure does not count as electives courses that could contribute to, or replace, students' required courses. Additionally, the program provides access to courses and research facilities available in many other graduate departments, centres and institutes across the University, as well as distance learning opportunities and courses at the University of Pittsburgh.

Comprehensive Examination: No

Thesis Required: No

Internship Required: Yes for two-year MSPPM; optional for three-semester MSPPM candidates.

International Study Required: Only for Global MSPPM candidates.

Co-curricular Activities Supportive to Degree

Professional Development and Career Support: Eight staff members in the College’s Career Services office support students with strategy and development during their career search.

Student-run Journal: The Heinz Journal (http://journal.heinz.cmu.edu) is a student-run journal, podcast and live radio program that features works on the analysis of public policy strategy and implementation.

Applied Projects: The Capstone/Systems Synthesis project is a team-based policy consulting assignment conducted for a client and which is required of all MSPPM students.

Pro Bono Consulting: Student Consulting International Organization (SCIO) is a student-run club of the Tepper School of Business and to which Heinz College students have access. Student associates assist in different capacities with a variety of consulting projects across the US.

Courses Offered: A full course listing along with brief descriptions of each course is available at http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/academic-resources/course-results/index.aspx. Courses offered in Carnegie Mellon’s MSPPM have been assigned to Atlas subjects in the map below. Required courses are marked with (R). Where a requirement can be fulfilled by one of two courses, each course is marked with (R/2).