Press release
24.11.2020

Hertie School announces new Master of Data Science for Public Policy programme

The 2-year full-time English programme, which will welcome its first cohort in September 2021, is now open for applications.

Berlin, 24 November 2020. The new Master of Data Science for Public Policy (MDS) at the Hertie School combines the worlds of policy and data equipping students from both technical and social science backgrounds with analytical skills and an in-depth understanding on how to solve today’s most pressing public policy challenges.

The 2-year full-time MSc programme, which will welcome its first cohort in September 2021, is now open for applications. On November 25, the programme will be officially launched in an online event for prospective students.

“Today’s most complex policy issues, such as global migration, combatting misinformation or creating smart cities, call for the next generation of policymakers who understand how to integrate data to create solutions for government, civil society and business,” says Slava Jankin, Professor of Data Science and Public Policy at the Hertie School and Director of the Data Science Lab.

The Hertie School Data Science Lab is a research and training hub that uses data science and artificial intelligence to tackle societal and policy problems. Meanwhile, the School’s five Centres of Competence focus on different governance challenges that are pivotal for the coming decades: Digital Governance, International Security, Fundamental Rights, Sustainability and European Governance. Together, they contribute to the teaching, research and outreach that the new master’s programme will build on.

“Over recent years, and especially in 2020, we have seen the need for policy specialists who are proficient at handling vast amounts of data and information to take effective decisions. This has reinforced our decision to move forward with the launch of our new master’s programme and we are excited to welcome our first cohort of data science students next September,” says Christine Reh, Dean of Graduate Programmes and Professor of European Politics at the Hertie School.

The MDS curriculum consists of three pillars: Public Policy, Data Science and Solution Engineering. MDS students will be trained in these fields to become well-rounded policy and data science practitioners.

The Hertie School in Berlin prepares exceptional students for leadership positions in government, business, and civil society. The school offers master’s programmes, executive education and doctoral programmes, distinguished by interdisciplinary and practice-oriented teaching, as well as outstanding research. Its extensive international network positions it as an ambassador of good governance, characterised by public debate and engagement. The school was founded in 2004 by the Hertie Foundation, which remains its major funder. The Hertie School is accredited by the state and the German Science Council. www.hertie-school.org