What are some of your school's core values and how do they come across in the courses and programs that you offer?
Led by the motto "knowledge advancing social justice," the Heller School for Social Policy and Management is a nationally-recognized research and educational institution celebrating its 65th year in 2024. The Heller School is a community of extraordinary leaders in social policy research, investigating topics such as health policy; global health and development; behavioral health and substance abuse; disability; children, youth and families; economic and racial equity; and workplace and labor.
What types of programs do you offer?
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management offers a PhD in Social Policy, Master of Public Policy, Master of Science in Global Health Policy and Management, Executive MBA for Physicians, Master of Arts in International Development, and Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Coexistence.
How are you helping to prepare students for careers in public service?
We teach students to think beyond current structures and to pursue tangible progress through pragmatic, politically feasible approaches to social change. We build understanding of the broader context around social issues, the systemic inequities that exacerbate them and the analytical tools necessary to assess root causes and implement equitable solutions.
What opportunities are available to students to get work experience while learning?
The Heller School encourages and helps fund internships and fellowships between the first and second year of the Master of Public Policy program. In addition, students have opportunities to work on projects in one of Heller's research institutes. Heller research institutes and centers include the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research comprised of the Institute for Healthcare Systems, the Institute for Behavioral Health, and the Institute for Global Health and Development; the Institute for Child, Youth and Family Policy; the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity; the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy; the Center for Youth and Communities; the Sillerman Center for the Advancement of Philanthropy; the Center for Global Development and Sustainability; and the Opioid Policy Research Collaborative.
What is something unique about your institution or program?
The Heller School was founded in 1959 to answer a pioneering question: how can we use policy to work towards the well-being of all members of society? Through graduate education, the pursuit of applied interdisciplinary research and active public engagement, we have a long history of responding to the changing needs of vulnerable populations. Today, Heller is consistently ranked among the top schools of social policy and health policy and is recognized as a leading research institution shaped by the social justice roots it shares with Brandeis University.
What advice do you have for prospective students?
We invite students to learn more about Heller's academic programs, research institutes and dedicated community by visiting our campus in greater Boston, attending one of our virtual events, or connecting with a member of the Heller admissions team.
Anything else you'd like to share with APPAM's members?
Heller research institutes maintain a portfolio of over $19 million in sponsored research projects, offer opportunities for student employment, provide specialized courses and train doctoral students for research careers. We take great pride in bringing evidence and knowledge to bear on social justice efforts wherever they exist - and wherever they do not.