Located in what is arguably the world’s most significant political capital — Washington, DC — Georgetown University is where professors, students, and alumni do not hesitate to make change happen.
They’re shaping global conversations on AI, privacy and emerging technology. They’re serving as elected officials and private sector innovators. They’re spotlighting overlooked public health issues such as social isolation. They’re expanding access to modern healthcare across Africa.
At the McCourt School of Public Policy, such impact is the norm, a result to be expected from a powerful combination of factors.
Start with its location in downtown Washington, DC. Access is unmatched. The US Capitol is steps away. Hundreds of embassies, think tanks, non-governmental organisations, and international businesses surround the school too. McCourt students make the most of Georgetown’s deep partnerships to explore fields from law to healthcare. They land enviable internships, curate high‑level networks, and engage directly with the policymakers shaping the future.
Nowhere else will you find a New York Times columnist and a former Governor of the US Federal Reserve Board and US Executive Director of the World Bank as professors and gain firsthand insight into working for the federal government. This is where you will witness today’s most important conversations in motion and directly help create a more equitable future across the world.
“I chose McCourt for its location in Washington, DC, the emphasis on quantitative, technical skills, the tight-knit community, and incredible support for McCourt students,” says Alekhya Chaparala, a Master of Public Policy (MPP) Class of 2024 graduate.
Another major strength of McCourt is community. With international students making up 40% of intake, you’ll never run short of perspectives shaped by diverse cultures, industries, and regions. Your peers will be professionals from government, business, finance, law, education, and even the military.
“Coming from a large undergraduate university, I wanted a smaller community where faculty were accessible to students, and McCourt has definitely delivered,” says Chaparala.
Within six months of graduation, 95% of the Class of 2024 landed policy roles across government, nonprofits, and the private sector.
The McCourt School of Public Policy offers five master’s degrees and nine dual degrees. Source: Georgetown University
Career-accelerating programmes
Flexible, STEM-designated, and practical, the MPP programme equips you with the tools and knowledge to design, analyse, and implement policy. With core components across economics, quantitative methods, management, and politics throughout the curriculum, the MPP enables you to customise your education to your goals and pursue a thesis or client-based capstone.
If you’re looking to address today’s policy challenges using essential management and analytical skills, then the Master of Policy Management (MPM) programme is for you. The MPM is a one-year intensive programme with a curriculum that strikes a balance between analytics, management, and a mastery within specific policy areas.
Suppose you seek a different kind of graduate international development studies programme. You can opt for the STEM-designated Master of International Development Policy (MIDP), which focuses on economics and the rigorous analytical and technical skills needed to tackle complex challenges in developing and emerging economies.
Then there’s the Master of Science in Data Science for Public Policy (MS-DSPP). Also STEM-designated, it centres on using innovative computing and quantitative techniques to expertly design, manage and improve effective public policy, with a special focus on AI. Armed with both policy and technical skills, you’ll have a pathway to more top jobs and more connections to leaders in various fields.
Georgetown University’s location in Washington, DC gives policy students direct access to the seat of the US federal government, effective for making change. Source: Georgetown University
When asked why he chose the MS-DSPP, Ibadaat Jarg, an MS-DSPP’25 graduate says, “I wanted a programme grounded in making real-world impact.”
Based in the heart of DC, he was able to participate in once-in-a-lifetime opportunities only made possible by the school’s close connections with some of the world’s most influential policy thinkers and doers. He got to moderate a conversation with Don Graves, the former US Deputy Secretary of Commerce, and joined an eight-week dinner series sponsored by the Georgetown Tech Policy Initiative, which gave him access to government change agents.
“Opportunities like these don’t just exist in every city or school,” says Jarg.
That sense of access, connection, and momentum defines a McCourt education. The McCourt Student Association (MSA) works hard to sustain this vibrant student ecosystem, supporting policy-focused organisations like the Georgetown Technology Policy Initiative as well as regional groups spanning Latin America and the Caribbean, East Asia, Africa, South Asia, and Europe. Beyond that, the MSA hosts many sponsored programmes throughout the year where you can further grow your skills and build relationships, including workshops, volunteering opportunities, and networking events.
“There’s always an insightful event happening, whether at McCourt or across DC, keeping you constantly engaged and learning,” says Prash Bajracharya, an MPP ’26 student.
Discover McCourt School of Public Policy’s graduate programmes.
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