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Course catalogue

Find individual courses here or browse the curricula of our graduate and executive programmes.
For the PhD programmes, please find more information here.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Policy Sprint: Strategic Partnerships in Digitalization

Course-ID: GRAD-SW1100
Instructors: Carlos Ahumada

Abstract

 

This Policy Sprint, part of the Hertie School Policy Lab, provides an intensive, hands-on opportunity formaster's students in public policy, data science, and international affairs to explore the dynamics offorming strategic partnerships between tech companies and central government bodies. The coursefocuses on identifying real-world opportunities, analysing potential obstacles, and developing scalableframeworks for successful partnerships. By simulating real-world policy-making environments, the sprint enhances students' strategic thinking, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Political Economy of European Integration

Course-ID: GRAD-E1490
Instructors: Ana Bobić

Abstract

 

The dominant narrative of European integration is that of a war-shattered continent coming together to build a peace project through market integration, sustained on liberal-democratic values. A critical counter-narrative sees the EU as a neoliberal organisation embedded in the international economic order, creating winners and losers along the way. Taking that critique seriously, this course looks at the political economy of European integration as a dialectical process best understood in its historical context. 

We will look at the EU’s founding as part of the post-WWII Bretton Woods consensus; the development of the internal market in the 80s following the global neoliberal turn; the creation of the Economic and Monetary Union in the early 90s and ordoliberalism; the eastward expansion of the EU in 2004 onwards and social dumping; and the unprecedented rise in socioeconomic inequality after the Euro crisis. These lessons will inform our analysis of the EU’s current challenges and policy orientation. While moving through the EU’s history, this course will zoom in on the relevant debates in critical theory, particularly Marxist, feminist, and intersectional critique. The overall goal of the course is to understand the relationship between politics and economics in European integration and its redistributive effects.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Political Journalism & Policy Reporting: Dynamics, Analysis & Writing

Course-ID: GRAD-SW1107
Instructors: Gabriel Rinaldi

Abstract

 

This workshop is designed to provide participants with a comprehensive understanding of political journalism and policy reporting in the German context. The course emphasizes writing techniques, research tools, and the role of political journalism in shaping public discourse. Participants will learn how to effectively summarize, analyze, and communicate complex policies while adhering to journalistic principles of clarity and brevity. Drawing inspiration from leading frameworks like the “Smart Brevity” approach popularized by Axios and POLITICO, the course equips students with practical tools for crafting impactful stories. It is particularly suited for students interested in journalism, public affairs, and analytical writing for broader audiences. 

Objectives: 

Explore the interplay between political communication, media, and public opinion in a democratic system. 

Understand the structure and function of political journalism in Germany, with a focus on Berlin as a political media hub. 

Develop practical skills for summarizing and analyzing policies, including their implications and broader impacts. 

Learn effective journalistic writing techniques to communicate complex ideas clearly and succinctly. 

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Professional Writing for Public Policy

Course-ID: GRAD-SW1038
Instructors: Sebastian Gallander

Abstract

 

Whether you will work in government, in an NGO, a political party, parliamentary staff or a think tank, you will always strive to put forward public policy ideas. Public policy ideas however, can only really succeed when their goals get recognized and understood by the public. Therefore, they need to be explained clearly to the news media. To that end, policy-makers should package their ideas into one of the two main products that can be processed by journalists and editors: the press release and the article. The press release is written like an objective, factual report highlighting the new aspects of the policy idea and putting it into the larger political context. The article (often referred to as Op-Ed) gives a strong, well-argued opinion about the policy idea and is supposed to be published under the name of the policymaker; may it be in the New York Times or at huffingtonpost.com. 

Of course, offering these two products to the media does not guarantee that they will cover it and that your policy idea will be readily embraced by the public. But it gives you a fair chance to make your voice heard. Hence, everyone working in public policy should be confident in structuring her thoughts like this and writing them down in an easy to comprehend fashion. To prepare you for this, the course will teach you the basic techniques of these two types of texts. At the same time, it aims to help you sharpening your writing skills overall. Eventually, this course should also strengthen your sense of developing storylines and narratives that resonate with the public.

Note: This course is not an English Language Class and it is not about academic writing. 

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Psychology for Policy Analysis & Implementation

Course-ID: GRAD-E1353
Instructors: Ruth Ditlmann

Abstract

 

The course covers how basic concepts from behavioural research in social psychology and judgment and decision making can shape policy formulation and implementation. Central themes include a detailed analysis of human judgment and decision making, and how a variety of motives and situational forces can affect people’s choices and behaviour. Combined, these topics have important implications for policy design that affects individuals as well as the functioning of the organizations that determine those policies. Lecture material is drawn from basic psychological research and from behaviourally-informed policy analysis. Students work with the instructor and each other to identify the relevance of this material for policy and management through discussion and a final paper.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Public Policy & Demographic Change

Course-ID: GRAD-E1182
Instructors: Michaela Kreyenfeld

Abstract

 

Demographic ageing and population change are pressing problems in a growing number of countries. This course introduces participants to core demographic theories, data, measures, and methods. We will learn how to calculate and correctly interpret demographic indicators such as the fertility rate, the mortality rate, and measures that can be derived from migration statistics. Moreover, we will learn how to conduct population projections (using the cohort-component model). There is also time devoted to debating policy-relevant themes. For example, is population decline a challenge for local and national governments? Should we worry about the world's population continuing to grow in the face of climate change? What would be appropriate policies to address the challenges that come with demographic ageing and population decline?

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Public Service in a Digital Age

Course-ID: GRAD-E1375
Instructors: Gerhard Hammerschmid

Abstract

 

Governments are becoming increasingly digitalised. With such changes and transformations, the skills and experiences that are needed to work in a new digitalized public service are also changing. In this course, students will be provided with a comprehensive overview on the current and future trends of digital government, and gain experience in eight core competencies associated with the public service in the digital era (users, risks, multidisciplinary, iteration, barriers, openness, data, and affordances). The course will provide students with an initial overview of digital government and digital transformation to serve as a foundation for the future lessons. Following this, students will be exposed to a number of different key aspects of digital government from service design to bureaucracy to procurement. The course goes beyond the common normative and technocentric approach that technology and digitalisation are inherently good, and offers a critical discussion on the positives and negatives of digitalisation. Students will be encouraged to think critically throughout the course and will be exposed to both sides of the debate when it comes to digital government, allowing them to understand and unravel the most commonly occurring debates when it comes to digitalisation.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Qualitative Research: Design, Fieldwork, Methods

Course-ID: GRAD-E1471
Instructors: Christine Reh

Abstract

 

This course is designed for students who aim to use and apply qualitative and/or mixed methods in their research projects and who aim to expand their practical skill set from research design to the translation of results for policy-makers. The course covers four areas. First, we will explore the foundations of social science research, with a focus on concepts and measurement. Second, we will address the fundamentals of small-n and mixed-methods research, including comparative design, the case study, and process-tracing. Third, the course introduces specific research techniques including interviews, archival research, participant observation, and index-building. Finally, we will look at issues of ethics, access, and research transparency. Throughout the course, we will discuss, evaluate, and critique research designs, and we will practice the application of qualitative and/or mixed methods in students own project - in academia, and in view of future employment in the world of policy and practice.

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Re-thinking Post-War Iran: Developing a New U.S. Administration Policy

Course-ID: GRAD-SW1099
Instructors: Gil Murciano

Abstract

 

This sprint offers students a unique opportunity to conduct high-level policy analysis, develop innovative recommendations, and contribute to shaping a strategy that addresses evolving challenges in the Middle East—all while factoring in the political constraints faced by their policy “clients.” 

It allows students to engage with five key aspects of policy consultancy and think-tank work: 

· Assessing the current policy mindset within the system 

· Analyzing shifting geopolitical realities 

· Understanding their policy client’s perspective, including political constraints 

· Conducting policy-applicable research 

· Translating policy ideas into concrete recommendations 

All while tackling a real, live policy challenge that is currently a top priority for strategic decision-making in DC, Berlin, Beijing, Moscow, and Brussels. 

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Shadow Institutions: Secret Services in Democracies

Course-ID: GRAD-E1491
Instructors: Dieter Gosewinkel

Abstract

 

Secret services are a central institution of modern states, but their activities are still predominantly carried out in the shadows. This applies to authoritarian states, but also to democracies. The course deals with the history of secret services after 1945, when the protection of the individual in international and national law gained great momentum in a phase of juridification. It concentrates predominantly on democratic states, although dictatorships are used as comparative and counter-examples on a case-by-case basis. The focus is on democracies in the USA, France and Germany, with Brazil, India and Israel being considered as comparative cases. The structure, functioning, actors and actions of the central secret services of these democracies are the focus of the course. The guiding question is the relationship between the legal and public-democratic need for control on the one hand, and the need for secrecy and the actual loss of control of secret service actions on the other.  To what extent are secret services a foreign body in a democratic constitutional state? How can secret services be legally controlled as far as possible without abolishing their function?

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

Social Inequality

Course-ID: GRAD-E1429
Instructors: Michaela Kreyenfeld

Abstract

 

This course provides an overview on theories and methods in social inequality and social stratification research. We will examine the origin of economic and social inequalities as well as health disparities. The main aim of the course is to combine theory and empirical investigations. We start with macro level data and revisit standard definitions and measures of poverty and social exclusion. We then turn to micro-level data analysis which not only allows to study how age, gender, class, education, and race/ethnicity/migration relate to social inequality, but also to uncover which patterns of disadvantage intersect. Students are expected to have some basic programming skills (usually obtained through STATS I).

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Master of Public Policy Master of International Affairs Master of Data Science for Public Policy

States & the Control of Cyberspace

Course-ID: GRAD-E1308
Instructors: Anita Gohdes

Abstract

 

This course deals with the various ways in which states, in particular authoritarian states, operate in cyberspace. The course will be structured in three parts. The first part will investigate ways in which states attempt to control cyberspace within their own domestic territory. We will cover research and case examples investigating censorship, surveillance, manipulation, and propaganda campaigns in different countries. The second part will dive into understanding states attempts at controlling cyberspace in other foreign countries, for example through manipulation, and various forms of cyberattacks. Lastly, we will investigate how struggles for supranational control of cyberspace affect interstate relations and the international order more generally. A key objective is to equip students with the tools to help them critically evaluate the fast-moving debates in the field (in particular the sweeping claims frequently made in public debate), critically evaluate empirical research in the area, as well as reflect upon and develop their own understanding of how (authoritarian) states attempts to control cyberspace are changing both domestic and international politics.

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