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What is the Hertie School?
The Hertie School is a university of governance in Berlin that prepares students for leadership roles in government, business and civil society, under the motto “Understand today. Shape tomorrow.” Its teaching and research focus on policy problems that cross sectors and borders, with stated areas of expertise including data science, democracy, digital governance, economics, European governance, fundamental rights, international security, social policy and sustainability.
Who it is for and what it offers
- Prospective master’s students can choose among the Master of Public Policy, Master of International Affairs and Master of Data Science and AI for Public Policy. The last is a useful signal for applicants who want quantitative and AI skills applied to policy rather than a purely technical degree.
- Doctoral candidates are served by the Doctoral Programme in Governance.
- Working professionals and organisations are addressed through Executive Education, including the Executive Master of Public Administration and customised courses for organisations.
- Researchers and the interested public can follow research areas and public events, such as lectures on climate assessment, migration law and democratic backsliding.
A concrete example: someone with an economics background aiming at a regulatory or civil-service career would weigh the Master of Public Policy against the data-focused master’s, depending on whether they want broader policy analysis or stronger computational skills. The page lists programmes but not admission requirements, tuition or duration, so those are the details to check next on the official programme pages at Hertie School.
What master's programmes does the Hertie School offer and how do they differ?
The Hertie School in Berlin lists four master's programmes: Master of Public Policy, Master of International Affairs, Master of Data Science and AI for Public Policy, and Master of Public Administration (Executive). Each is framed around its broader mission of "governance" — preparing students for leadership in government, business and civil society — but they point at different kinds of work.
How they differ in practice
| Programme | Likely focus | Fits a reader who… |
|---|---|---|
| Master of Public Policy | Designing and evaluating policy, public-sector analysis | Wants to work in ministries, agencies, think tanks or policy teams |
| Master of International Affairs | Cross-border politics, diplomacy, international organisations | Aims at diplomacy, EU/international bodies, NGOs or global affairs |
| Master of Data Science and AI for Public Policy | Quantitative and computational methods applied to governance | Comes from a technical or analytical background and wants policy impact |
| Executive Master of Public Administration | Management and leadership for working professionals | Already has professional experience and wants to move into senior public roles |
The first three read as pre-experience or early-career degrees; the Executive MPA is the one described as "Executive," which usually signals part-time study for people already in work. Treat that as a general pattern to verify against each programme's own admission requirements, not a confirmed detail.
A concrete way to choose
Start from the job you want, not the title. If you picture yourself drafting legislation or running a policy unit, Public Policy is the closest fit. If you see yourself in negotiations, delegations or international NGOs, International Affairs makes more sense. If you want to build the tools — models, data pipelines, AI evaluations — that inform policy, the Data Science and AI track is the distinctive option. If you are mid-career and need management credentials without leaving your job, look at the Executive MPA.
As a next step, compare the curriculum pages for your top two choices and check the methods training and capstone or thesis format, since that is usually where the real difference shows. The school's own site is Hertie School. For benchmarking against other governance-focused schools, you could also look at LSE or Hertie School programme pages directly.
How does the Hertie School prepare students for careers in government, business, and civil society?
The Hertie School frames its preparation around a single idea—"Learn to govern what comes next"—and delivers it through three routes: its master's programmes, its Doctoral Programme in Governance, and Executive Education. The master's portfolio is explicitly cross-sector in design: Master of Public Policy, Master of International Affairs, and Master of Data Science and AI for Public Policy, plus an Executive Master of Public Administration. That mix matters because government, business and civil society increasingly hire for the same skills—policy analysis, data literacy, and the ability to work across institutional boundaries—so students from any of these tracks can move between sectors rather than being locked into one.
Where the sector preparation shows up
- Government and public administration: the MPA and Public Policy tracks, reinforced by research expertise in democracy, European governance and digital governance—topics that map directly onto civil-service and regulator work.
- Business: the Data Science and AI for Public Policy degree and the economics expertise area speak to firms hiring for AI governance, regulatory affairs and evidence-based strategy; Executive Education offers courses for individuals and customized programmes for organizations.
- Civil society: research on fundamental rights, social policy and sustainability, plus events like the session on legal protection and women's shelters, signal the NGO and advocacy angle.
- Cross-sector fluency: a new dual degree with Central European University in public policy, and certificates in AI and Policy and Computational Social Science, let students combine technical and institutional training.
A practical way to judge fit
Ask which sector you want to enter versus which you want to influence. If you plan to sit inside a ministry, the MPA or Public Policy route plus European governance coursework is the straighter path. If you expect to advise companies on AI rules, the Data Science and AI track is the more distinctive credential. If you aim at advocacy, look at the research areas and public events to see whether the faculty's questions match yours—then check the programme pages for internships, capstones and alumni outcomes, since the site's overview emphasizes mission and programmes more than placement specifics.
For comparison, the Hertie School sits alongside schools such as LSE and Sciences Po; comparing their sector-specific career services and required internships is the fastest way to see where each actually lands graduates.
What executive education options does the Hertie School provide for working professionals?
The Hertie School offers executive education through two routes: open courses for individuals and customised programmes for organisations. Its Executive Education portfolio sits alongside its Master's, PhD and Executive Master of Public Administration offerings, so working professionals can choose a short course or a fuller degree-style programme.
What working professionals can consider
- Courses for individuals — open enrolment executive courses aimed at people building governance, policy or leadership skills while working.
- Customised programmes for organisations — tailored training arranged for a specific employer or team rather than individual enrolment.
- Executive Master of Public Administration — a degree-level option for professionals moving into senior public or policy leadership.
Practical fit
A mid-career civil servant wanting a focused skills update is better served by an individual executive course; a ministry or company wanting to train a cohort should look at the customised route; someone seeking a credential for promotion should weigh the Executive MPA. Check each programme's format, schedule and admission requirements directly, since the site does not detail them here.
The next step is to compare the individual-course catalogue with the Executive MPA structure and confirm which suits your time commitment and career goal — start at the Hertie School.
What research areas and expertise does the Hertie School focus on?
The Hertie School's research centres on governance, organised into eight named areas of expertise: data science, democracy, digital governance, economics, European governance, fundamental rights, international security, social policy and sustainability. These are framed as the questions its researchers work on, not as separate departments you enrol in — a distinction that matters if you are looking for a supervisor or a research partner.
What the spread of topics signals
The list combines classic policy fields (economics, social policy, European governance) with technology-focused ones (data science, digital governance) and rights-and-security themes (fundamental rights, international security). In practice, this means the school positions itself around how governments and institutions respond to change — regulating AI, protecting rights, managing cross-border cooperation — rather than around traditional discipline boundaries.
The teaching offer mirrors this. Master's programmes run in public policy, international affairs, and data science and AI for public policy, alongside a doctoral programme in governance and executive education for individuals and organisations. The AI-and-policy pairing shows up twice, in the degree portfolio and in the research areas, which suggests it is a deliberate strategic bet rather than an add-on.
Matching the focus to your purpose
- Prospective master's student: compare the public policy and data science/AI tracks by the methods you want to learn; the research areas tell you which faculty and guest lectures you will encounter.
- PhD applicant: use the research areas as a checklist against your proposed topic, then look for named researchers in that area before contacting anyone.
- Policy practitioner or organisation: the executive education arm is the natural entry point; the research areas indicate which topics the school can speak to in customised courses.
- Journalist or partner institution: the public event calendar is a low-commitment way to test the fit — recent listings include sessions on climate assessment, migration law and democratic backsliding.
One practical caveat: area names on a homepage are broad labels. Before committing to a programme or collaboration, check individual faculty pages and recent publications within the area that interests you, since the depth of coverage varies between fields.
For comparison, other Berlin-based institutions with overlapping governance and policy research include Freie Universität Berlin and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center, the latter being research-only rather than degree-granting.
Who is Daniela Schwarzer and when will she become Hertie School President?
Daniela Schwarzer is a political scientist described by the Hertie School as an internationally renowned expert on European and international affairs. She will become President of the Berlin-based university for governance on 1 November 2026, succeeding the current leadership at the Hertie School in Berlin Hertie School.
For prospective students or partners, this is a leadership transition to note rather than act on immediately: anyone applying for 2026 entry or planning collaborations can check the school's news pages for updates on her priorities once she takes office.
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