Carnegie Mellon University - Heinz College

About this program

Technology and big data are changing everything. In all industries, from public policy and the arts to health care and cybersecurity, the leaders of tomorrow will be those who can navigate—or cause—disruption. The world needs leaders who are ready to ethically wield the power of data and leading-edge technologies to make smarter decisions that serve the public interest.

Heinz College trains those leaders. You can be one of them.

Blocking the financing of terrorism. Combating the opioid crisis. Improving mobility and access to jobs. Eradicating food waste. Safeguarding privacy. Managing digital transformation. Big problems require big solutions, and our graduates think big.

Whether you land in the public, private, or non-profit sector, Heinz College prepares you for a life of impact serving the public good.

• Year partnership began: 2002
• Fellowships awarded per year (average): All qualified applicants are offered the full Coverdell Fellowship benefits package. Each year we will award about 10 - 15 Coverdell Fellowships.

Application requirements

• GRE or GMAT (Waiver Options are outlined on the website by program.)
• Resume
• Statement of purpose
• Two Letters of recommendation
• Undergraduate transcripts
• Optional: Video Interview
• No application fee
  

Admissions process

Heinz College does not charge an application fee to any applicants. All Returned Peace Corps volunteers who have or plan to complete their service prior to the start of the program and are admitted to the program will be offered the Coverdell Fellowship with a minimum guaranteed scholarship of 50% tuition reduction.

Degrees awarded

• Master of Science in Public Policy & Management • Master of Arts Management • Master of Entertainment Industry Management • Master of Information Systems Management • Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence Systems Management • Master of Science in Health Care Analytics & Information Technology • Master of Science in Information Security Policy & Management

Benefits and opportunities

Net cost is equal to tuition/fees minus fellowship value. For some universities, the fellowship value includes non-tuition/fee benefits such as health insurance or housing. See cost savings details for more.

Estimated annual cost of living: $27,890

Cost savings details

• 50% tuition scholarship guaranteed, with many Coverdell Fellows receive additional program scholarship funding. Additional merit-based scholarships are awarded at the time of admission.
• All qualified applicants are offered the full Coverdell Fellowship benefits package. Each year we will award about 10 - 15 Coverdell Fellowships. Students can also earn a minimum of $17 per hour salary for part-time work during the academic year and for their full-time summer internship.

Internship

Most Heinz College master’s students are required to complete a 10-week, full-time internship during the summer between their first and second years. Internships present students with the chance to apply what they’ve learned in their first year to real-life situations, gain exposure to their future field, build their resume, and make lasting professional contacts.

The majority of students complete their internships with American organizations, however many complete their internships in other countries.

Recent internship placements include: Allegheny County Department of Human Services, Allegheny Health Network, Apple, BBC Worldwide, Chicago Transit Authority, CNN, City of Pittsburgh, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, ESPN, Facebook, Focus Features, Google, The Guggenheim Museum, IBM, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office, National Cancer Institute, National League of Cities, National Governor’s Association, The Nature Conservancy, The Smithsonian Institute, Twitter, Unilever, United Nations, World Bank, Wounded Warrior Project, and many offices and agencies within the U.S. federal government including the EPA, FDA, GAO, and State Department.

Other opportunities

• Education Built on Experience: At Heinz, internships and many other immersive experiential learning opportunities bring theory into practice. Instead of writing a thesis, students complete a team-based “Capstone Project,” tackling a real-world problem with an actual client from government or industry.
• Work and Study in Pittsburgh: We are proud to be located in Pittsburgh, a city of the future. Frequently cited as one of the best cities to live in and best cities for graduates, Pittsburgh has emerged as a testbed for next-generation technological and policy innovations, and has seen massive investments from the technology and health care sectors.
• A Global Community: Some Heinz College programs send students to study an work for a year in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, California.

Jobs for alumni

Heinz College graduates work in every sector of the economy and in virtually every industry. They can be found in a variety of decision-making roles in government agencies (at the federal, state, local, and international level), public and non-profit institutions, research and consulting firms, and private corporations. They have impact on society.

Heinz College treats career development as seriously as academics, with dedicated Career Services Directors who work with students to prepare them to secure employment in their field. After a student secures a job offer, counselors guide students through the negotiation and acceptance process. 

We are there with you every step of the way.

• Some government agencies/offices that have employed our graduates include City of Boston, City of Pittsburgh, FBI, Federal Reserve Bank, FDA, FEMA, GAO, NASA, NSA, OMB, OPM, Pittsburgh Public Schools, United Nations, U.S. Congress, and the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, Justice, Labor, State, and Veterans Affairs.
  
• Some organizations that have employed our graduates include: Airbnb, Apple, Amazon, Bloomberg, Booz Allen Hamilton, Carnegie Museum of Art, City Year, The Clinton Foundation, CNN, Deloitte, EY, Facebook, The Gates Foundation, Google, Hulu, IBM, Kaiser Permanente, The Kennedy Center, LinkedIn, Lyft, Mayo Clinic, McKinsey and Co., Microsoft, National Symphony Orchestra, Niche, Peace Corps, Pew Research Center, PwC, Qualcomm, RAND Corporation, Teach for America, Thomson Reuters, Twitter, Uber, World Bank, YWCA, and Zillow.

Nontraditional options

There are different tracks of the Policy Program available: Three semester Pittsburgh- All RPCVs are eligible to apply to this accelerated track of study. Washington, D.C. Track - Complete your second year of study in our Washington D.C. office while working in a nearly full-time apprenticeship position. Data Analytics - Add an in-depth focus in the area of data analytics. Two year Pittsburgh -This is the most flexible, generalist track that includes several study abroad opportunities.