Master of Public Policy Programme
A career-changing course
As a Master of Public Policy student, you are surrounded by excellence. Not only are you part of an interdisciplinary programme run by leading experts in the public policy and international relations fields; you are on a course that encourages you to engage in critical thinking and equips you with the knowledge, network and tools to pursue your career goals.
The two-year MPP programme brings together students from all over the world, encompassing a broad range of subjects. The programme is ideal for students who want to pursue careers in modern governance. Through its low student / faculty ratio, students find themselves in a close-knit environment where they are challenged and can flourish, both personally and academically.
With exchange programmes at some of the world's top universities and a wide range of internship opportunities, the MPP course offers students a unique springboard to their future careers, while they explore the big issues that dominate public policy discussion today.
Apply online now!
Application Requirements and Procedure
Required and optional documents | Stages of admissions procedure
Applicants must have at least completed an undergraduate degree (BA or its international equivalent) and must be fluent in English. If you are not yet in possession of your first degree certificate, please indicate when you will receive it on the online application form. You must have completed all of your academic course work and exams by 31 August 2009 in order to be able to register for the MPP programme beginning on 1 September 2009. The Hertie School of Governance uses a three-stage admissions process. Each application will be reviewed in a first-stage screening. The main criteria in the admissions process are academic qualifications, the candidate's motivation, professional experience, international experience, and references.
Candidates who advance to the second stage will be asked to submit additional material and may be invited to a personal or - if necessary - a telephone interview. These interviews usually take about 30 minutes and are meant to confirm the reliability of the information provided in the application and to enrich the overall impression of the candidate. Interviews are frequently held from mid-February onward. Accepted students receive their letters of admission by email and post within two weeks of their interview.
The following information must be supplied, along with the online application form:
Documents required for the entire procedure (Documents 1-4 are necessary for the first stage and must be attached to the online application form.)
1. completed online application form;
2. up-to-date CV (tabular form, not exceeding two pages in length). Please indicate your academic background and work experience, as well as extracurricular activities and hobbies which may be of interest to the admissions committee;
3. letter of motivation. With this letter of motivation you should explain your specific interest in public policy, the MPP course at the HSoG, and how it relates to your professional aspiration. Your letter should be between 500-800 words;
4. copies of official academic transcripts and degree certificates of all attended universities and/or colleges. If these documents are not in English, we will also need a certified/notarised translation into English. A degree certificate in German will be accepted. However, the academic transcript must be accompanied by an English translation;
5. two to three letters of reference;
6. a minimum of one writing sample;
7. copy of your high school degree certificate with transcript (e.g. Abitur, A-levels, Baccalauréat, Matura, etc.). If this document is not in English, we will also need a certified/notarised translation into English. A high school degree certificate in German will be accepted;
8. copy of your English language test result (if applicable);
9. official or certified/notarised copy of your academic transcript and your degree certificate in paper form. A degree certificate in German will be accepted. However, the academic transcript must be accompanied by an English translation.
Optional documents
10. In addition to the above, you are free to submit any other documents which you think will be of interest to the admissions committee. In particular, these could be copies of job references (if available), proof of any professional training, part-time jobs, voluntary work, or civic engagement which is relevant to the field of public policy or which you think may enhance your chance of admission.
All documents (especially CV, letter of motivation, letters of reference, etc.) must be submitted in English, if not stated otherwise.
Stages of admissions procedure
You are advised to hand in all of these documents at your earliest convenience. For the first-stage screening of your application, we require and will normally only take into account the documents listed under points 1-4. We strive to give you timely feedback on the results of this first stage of the evaluation.
If your application has been positively reviewed in this first stage, we will - in a second step - ask you to hand in all remaining documents (i.e. points 5-10, unless already submitted). The notification you receive from us will indicate a date by which the additional documents have to be submitted. We advise you to prepare these documents while you await the interim decision, so your application can be processed quickly.
If your application is positively reviewed in this second stage, you may either be admitted directly or invited for an interview. Interviews will be conducted on campus or - if necessary -by telephone.
All required documents should be attached to the online application form as legible copies in Word .doc or .pdf format. The online application can only be submitted if complete with all relevant first-stage documents attached. However, you may - if you wish - add any of the other documents to your online application which are required in a later stage (except for the letters of reference). Please be aware that you will not be able to re-access your application form once you have submitted it.
Our Scholarship Programmes
Hertie School of Governance | Hertie Foundation | Foundation of German Business
Special scholarships available!
The Hertie School of Governance is now offering four special scholarships for applicants who have been accepted into the Master of Public Policy programme:
There will be three Horst Köhler Presidential Scholarships for students from Africa and one scholarship for a student from an immigrant background.
The HSoG and the non-profit Hertie Foundation are joining forces to create a specialised scholarship scheme intended to assist accepted applicants who received their first degree from an African institution of higher learning. The scholarships are named after German President Horst Köhler, who has shown great dedication and commitment in supporting the African continent. The HSoG would like to honour his dedication by giving qualified students from Africa the financial means to study in the MPP programme. The fourth scholarship is primarily targeted at qualified students who grew up in Germany and come from an immigrant background.
Each of the four scholarships will cover tuition fees and living costs for the duration of the MPP programme.
Scholarships from the Hertie School of Governance
The Hertie School of Governance is able to offer financial aid to a number of candidates according to need and merit. Scholarships range from partial to full tuition waivers and, in some cases, stipends to cover living costs in Berlin may be granted.
Students may apply for financial aid once they have been admitted to the MPP programme. A corresponding financial questionnaire will be enclosed in the letter of admission.
Once financial support has been granted, the HSoG reserves the right to evaluate your individual arrangement at the beginning of each academic year. Also, we would ask you to inform us about any changes in your financial situation.
Scholarships from the Hertie Foundation
The Hertie Foundation, one of Germany’s largest private foundations, seeks to find and implement new, intelligent responses to current challenges in the fields of neurosciences, European integration and learning democracy. One of its major projects is the Hertie School of Governance, founded in 2003 as a graduate school for young professionals working in the public sector.
The Hertie Foundation offers scholarships to especially qualified MPP candidates. Each year, ten tuition waivers and ten scholarships covering tuition fees as well as living costs are awarded according to need and merit.
Applicants for a Hertie scholarship will be reviewed according to the following criteria:
• relevant professional experience
• academic achievements
• interdisciplinary approach
• social commitment
• intercultural skills
• proficiency in two foreign languages
• motivation to learn German
• financial need
Prospective students are eligible to apply for a Hertie scholarship once they have been admitted to the MPP programme. A financial questionnaire will be enclosed in the letter of admission by the Hertie School of Governance. During the selection process, the application documents will be forwarded to the Hertie Foundation. If you do not wish to have your documents forwarded, please submit a written objection, along with the financial questionnaire.
Special scholarships in cooperation with the Foundation of German Business (Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft - SDW)
The Foundation of German Business (Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft, also known under its abbreviation SDW), provides educational and career guidance programmes and projects for young people.
Through the Klaus Murmann Fellowship Programme (Studienförderwerk Klaus Murmann), SDW sponsors excellent students and doctoral candidates, who receive scholarships and participate in comprehensive auxiliary activities accompanying their course of studies. The cooperation between SDW and the Hertie School of Governance comprises the following agreements:
• One tuition waiver from the Hertie School of Governance is reserved for an excellent scholarship holder from the Foundation of German Business.
• Accepted applicants for the Master of Public Policy Programme from EU countries (non-German citizens) are eligible to apply for SDW scholarships. According to regular application requirements, only students that had already been supported by SDW during their undergraduate studies are eligible to apply for scholarships for a master's programme. The Foundation of German Business will make an exception for students starting the Master of Public Policy Programme at the Hertie School of Governance.
• Please note: In order to receive the necessary minimal support of four semesters from the Foundation of German Business, you need to hand in your application before you start the MPP Programme at the Hertie School of Governance. Working-level knowledge of German is required for an application at the Foundation of German Business. For details on the application process and application requirements, please see www.sdw.org
SOURCE: http://www.hertie-school.org/
1 Comments
Mdau, Joan.