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| Heller School | |
|---|---|
| Name | Heller School |
| Type | Private graduate school |
| Established | 1959 |
| Parent | Brandeis University |
| City | Waltham |
| State | Massachusetts |
| Country | United States |
Heller School The Heller School is a graduate institution at Brandeis University specializing in social policy, health policy, and management. Founded in the mid-20th century, it integrates public policy, public health, and social innovation through interdisciplinary programs and applied research. The school collaborates with universities, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies to influence policy debates and program design nationally and internationally.
The school originated in the postwar expansion of social welfare education linked to leaders from Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Tufts University who sought new models of social services and policy analysis. Early faculty included scholars connected to projects at Kellogg Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation, which supported research on poverty, labor markets, and health financing. During the 1960s and 1970s the institution engaged with federal initiatives such as programs stemming from the War on Poverty and analyses used by the Office of Economic Opportunity. In the 1980s and 1990s, scholars associated with the school contributed to evaluations for United States Department of Health and Human Services, studies related to the Social Security Act, and comparative work involving World Bank and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development projects. In the 21st century the school expanded collaborations with entities like Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Health, and international partners including World Health Organization.
The school offers graduate degrees and certificates aligned with public policy and management practice, including master's and doctoral pathways influenced by curricula at Johns Hopkins University, Columbia University, and Yale University. Programs emphasize quantitative analysis using methods comparable to those taught in programs at University of Chicago, Stanford University, and University of California, Berkeley. Professional degrees prepare students for roles in agencies such as United States Agency for International Development, Department of Veterans Affairs, and nonprofit actors like CARE and Doctors Without Borders. Specialized tracks mirror policy concentrations present at London School of Economics, Sciences Po, and Hertie School, with electives that reflect competencies sought by employers including McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Deloitte.
Research centers associated with the school have partnered with institutions such as RAND Corporation, Urban Institute, and Pew Research Center to evaluate programs in health care delivery, social welfare, and labor markets. Initiatives focus on topics linked to legislation like the Affordable Care Act and global agendas advanced by United Nations agencies and foundations such as Gates Foundation. Projects have informed policy dialogues at forums including the Brookings Institution and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and have produced work cited by journals like The Lancet, Health Affairs, and American Journal of Public Health. Collaborative studies incorporate data sources used by Bureau of Labor Statistics and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Faculty and leadership have included scholars who previously worked with groups such as Harvard Kennedy School, Kellogg School of Management, and Sloan School of Management. Many have held advisory roles to administrations represented by Presidents who appointed officials to agencies like Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Education, and have consulted for international bodies like International Monetary Fund and World Bank. Visiting professors and affiliates have been drawn from institutions including Oxford University, Cambridge University, and Princeton University, and have published with presses such as Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press.
The school's facilities are located on the Brandeis campus near landmarks like Charles River and transit links to Boston Logan International Airport. Classrooms and labs support analytic work comparable to centers at Massachusetts General Hospital and data laboratories modeled after research units at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The campus houses meeting spaces used for symposia in partnership with think tanks such as Aspen Institute and international conferences attended by delegations from European Commission, African Development Bank, and Inter-American Development Bank.
Admissions draw applicants with backgrounds from institutions like Georgetown University, New York University, University of Michigan, and international universities including University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, and National University of Singapore. Students pursue internships with organizations such as Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Kaiser Permanente, and policy shops in legislative offices on Capitol Hill. Extracurricular offerings include student groups modeled after chapters found at peer schools and career services that link graduates to employers including Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United Nations Development Programme, and philanthropic organizations like Open Society Foundations.
Alumni have moved into leadership roles across governments, nonprofit organizations, and private firms, serving in positions at agencies such as Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, United States Department of State, and ministries in countries interacting with World Bank funded programs. Graduates have led initiatives at NGOs like CARE, Oxfam, and Save the Children, and have founded social enterprises that partnered with donors including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation. Scholarly and policy impacts include contributions cited in reports by Institute of Medicine and analyses used in debates over reforms referenced in Congressional hearings and publications in outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.