PROGRAMS

Junior Summer Institutes

UC Berkeley | Michigan | Carnegie Mellon | Maryland | Princeton

PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Carnegie Mellon
June 10 - July 30, 2011 • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Program Overview

The institute will provide 20 students the opportunity to develop the skills needed for admission into the nation's top policy programs. This seven-week program will be held on the Carnegie Mellon campus and provide intensive training in policy, quantitative, communication and leadership areas. Introductory sections of quantitative methods and economics are offered. Students attend classes five days a week and receive course grades and an evaluation of individual progress at the conclusion of the program. Current H. John Heinz III College MSPPM students, PhD candidates and recent graduates serve as teaching assistants, leading discussion seminars and providing tutorial resources.

Courses/Curriculum

• Policy Analysis
  The Policy Analysis course begins with an introduction to the field of policy analysis. Subsequent weeks will focus on important policy topics, including international and domestic issues, such as health care policy, crime and drug policy, economic development, education and welfare policy, and telecommunications policy.
• Economics
  The Economics course is designed to give students an introduction to standard topics in economics. Particular attention is placed on market efficiency, welfare economics, and the economic rationale of government. A major goal of the course is to foster the ability among students to apply economic reasoning to the analysis of public policy. Applications may include, for instance, the effect of sales or excise taxes, antitrust and merger policy, labor market discrimination, and issues concerning government programs of income redistribution.
• Quantitative Methods
  The purpose of this introductory course is to make the tools of data analysis accessible to students and to prepare them for graduate level statistics. Students learn how to perform statistical analysis and to use the statistical analysis capabilities Microsoft Excel.
• Professional Communication Skills
  Analysts and managers of public policy need to advocate specific policies and explain new procedures. The purpose of the Professional Communications course is to refine students’ ability to think strategically about audiences, to write professional (as opposed to academic) documents to inform and persuade other decision makers, and then verbally present and visually display specialized knowledge so that its significance for audiences is clear.
• Organizational Leadership
  This course is designed to improve your effectiveness as a leader in an organization by introducing you to frameworks for understanding organizations and organizational processes. We will focus on topics such as power, influence, decision making, and the problems inherent in getting things done in bureaucratic organizations of all types (public sector and private sector). The field on which this course is based, organizational behavior, draws from a variety of social science disciplines and applies the insights derived from the pertinent research. This course will introduce you to this research and ways to apply the knowledge to particular situations through class discussion of cases.

Enrichment

• Leadership
  Each week, leaders in the public and non-profit sectors will meet with students to discuss issues, challenges and rewards in public and non-profit management.
• Co-Curricular
  Students will enjoy a wide variety of opportunities to learn about policy and management in practice: site visits to key organizations; training in conflict negotiation techniques; faculty discussing their research and its impact on policy; and opportunities to get engaged in and enjoy the local community.
• Career Planning
• Career Services Workshops: Career Services provides top-tier services to students, alumni, and employers. They will partner with students to provide effective tools and resources for graduate school search and professional development.
• Office of Admissions & Program Directors: Students will have one-on-one meetings with admissions and program staff members to learn more about applying to graduate school and preparing for life after college.
• GRE preparation: Students will have the option to purchase a GRE voucher at a significant discount. Voucher prices depend on the option selected by the student. The Heinz College will cover 50% of the cost and participating students must use money from their stipend to pay for the remaining balance. For example (prices are subject to change):
• Classroom GRE voucher: $1000 (stipend) - $350 (student share of voucher) = $650 net stipend
• Live Online GRE voucher: $1000 (stipend) - $325 (student share of voucher) = $675 net stipend
• Regular Online GRE voucher: $1000 (stipend) - $225 (student share of voucher) = $775 net stipend
• No GRE voucher: $1000 (stipend) – $0 (student share of voucher) = $1000 net stipend
• Networking
  In addition to a graduate and professional networking trip to Washington, D.C., the experiences and activities of the JSI will allow students to build a solid network with their fellow emerging leaders from across the country and in diverse policy domains. In addition, current Heinz College students and PPIA alumni volunteers will provide mentoring during the summer institute and throughout your senior year.

Calendar

Application deadline	November 1, 2010
Notification Sent	February 1 , 2011
Program begins	June 10, 2011
Program ends	July 30, 2011

Additional

• Students who successfully complete any PPIA Junior Summer Institute and are admitted to the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) or the Master of Science in Health Care Policy and Management (MSHCPM) programs at the Heinz College will receive a minimum of a half-tuition and up to full-tuition scholarship and a stipend of $6,000 per year.
  
• Program Administrators:
  - Gladys Perez, Director, Carnegie Mellon PPIA Junior Summer Institute and MSPPM Program Director
  - David Eber, Director of Admissions
  
  
• Contact Information:
  PPIA Junior Summer Institute at Carnegie Mellon
  Heinz School of Public Policy & Management
  Hamburg Hall 1118
  5000 Forbes Avenue
  Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890
  Email: heinz-ppia@andrew.cmu.edu
  
  
• Learn more about the H. John Heinz III College