Georgia Institute of Technology

The Masters of Public Policy at Georgia Tech explores the policy implications of science and technology. Who will govern the Internet, and under what rules? Which new reproductive technologies will be developed and which declared illegal? How do we balance economic growth and the needs of ecological systems? How can we map a knowledge economy to plan investments in new technology? Public Policy is the process of defining, debating, and deciding issues like these. At Georgia Tech, our study of public policy centers on just such issues, that is policy issues concerning science, technology and the environment. This distinguishes the School from many other policy programs, and enables us to provide our graduates with the specialized knowledge that is increasingly essential for effective policy making in a technical world. As policy scholars committed to research, we investigate decision processes involving the public interest, in government, business, and civil society, and we involve our students in our research. As policy analysts, we learn through practice, and our students become competent to solve problems in a technological world.

Georgia Tech aims to be a global university, and the School of Public Policy shares that vision. Our faculty members have international reputations. Most have researched or taught abroad. And Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy (SPP) is the only American institution invited to participate in the European Union’s PRIME (“Policies for Research and Innovation in Moving towards the European Research Area”) program. This network of excellence was funded by the European Community to advance long term research on the major transformations that research and innovation policies are currently facing. SPP is the American node in this network of 50 European universities and research institutions and more than 70 research groups. This provides unrivalled opportunities for SPP students to become involved in research projects with European partners and pursue exchange study in European universities. Working with European colleagues, faculty and students at the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech are at the forefront in understanding the evolution of science, technology, education, and innovation.

Georgia Tech is among the top-ranked universities in the United States. Georgia Tech has campuses in France and Singapore, and joint degrees with universities in Mexico and China. As the commercial and technological hub of the southeastern United States, Atlanta is home to state, regional and national headquarters for many private and public organizations, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's regional headquarters and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.