Mason School of Public Policy

Mason School of Public Policy
Name	Mason School of Public Policy
Established	2014
Type	Public policy school
Parent	George Mason University
City	Fairfax
State	Virginia
Country	United States
Dean	Marc Allen (Interim)

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Mason School of Public Policy

The Mason School of Public Policy is the public policy school of George Mason University located in Fairfax County, Virginia. It offers professional and academic degrees focused on policy analysis, public administration, and quantitative methods, engaging with institutions such as the U.S. Department of State, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, and regional actors like Commonwealth of Virginia agencies. The school emphasizes applied research, policy internships, and collaboration with partners including the Brookings Institution, American Enterprise Institute, Cato Institute, and local governments.

History

The school was founded by leaders connected to George Mason University and launched amid policy debates involving figures associated with the Clinton administration, the Bush administration, and the Obama administration. Its development paralleled expansions at peer institutions such as the Harvard Kennedy School, the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, the Yale Jackson School, and the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. Early supporters included scholars with ties to the Federal Reserve System, the U.S. Congress, the Supreme Court of the United States, and think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Over time the program cultivated relationships with international organizations such as the United Nations, the European Union, and the Organization of American States.

Mason’s curriculum offers degree programs comparable to those at the London School of Economics, the University of California, Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy, the Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, and the Tufts Fletcher School. Core offerings include a Master of Public Policy, a Master of Public Administration, and dual-degree options linked with the Schar School of Policy and Government and professional degrees at the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School. Coursework incorporates methods used by researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research, techniques endorsed by the American Statistical Association, and case studies reflecting decisions in institutions like the Department of Defense, the Department of the Treasury, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Electives draw on areas prominent at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, RAND Corporation, and the Rockefeller Foundation.

Research initiatives coordinate with centers modeled after the Urban Institute, the Migration Policy Institute, and the Pew Research Center. The school houses centers that partner with agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Energy, and the National Institutes of Health. Projects have addressed issues central to debates involving the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the World Health Organization, and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Collaborations extend to regional laboratories and NGOs including USAID, The Asia Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Faculty-led labs publish work in venues like the Journal of Public Economics, the American Political Science Review, and policy briefs used by committees in the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

The school's faculty roster includes scholars with prior appointments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Stanford University, the University of Michigan, the Duke University, and the Ohio State University. Administrators have experience in executive offices such as the White House, the Office of Management and Budget, and embassies to countries including China, India, and Germany. Visiting fellows have been drawn from institutions like the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, the European Central Bank, and private firms associated with the S&P Global and the Goldman Sachs. The governance structure engages boards with alumni from the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and multinational corporations such as Boeing and Lockheed Martin.

Admissions criteria align with competitive programs at the Princeton University, University of Chicago, and Georgetown University. Candidates include professionals from the Peace Corps, the Federal Reserve Board, state legislatures in places like Texas and California, and domestic offices ranging from the Virginia General Assembly to city governments such as Alexandria, Virginia and Arlington County, Virginia. Student life integrates internships at sites like the Capitol Hill, nonprofit placements with United Way, and study-abroad options in partnership with universities in United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and Brazil. Student organizations parallel groups at the Public Policy Student Association and host speaker series featuring guests from the Supreme Court, the Department of Justice, and media outlets including the New York Times.

Alumni work across sectors including roles at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the National Security Council, multinational firms such as Amazon (company), Google LLC, and Microsoft Corporation, and NGOs like Amnesty International and Oxfam. Graduates have served in elected office at the state level in jurisdictions such as Virginia and Maryland, in appointments to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors staff, and in leadership positions at regional development banks like the Inter-American Development Bank and the Asian Development Bank. The school’s policy recommendations have been cited in testimony before the U.S. Congress, reports by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, and analyses produced for the G7 summit and the G20 summit.