My career has shown me that policy goes beyond theory; it profoundly impacts people’s lives. I may not have taken a traditional path, but I’ve remained focused on the issues that matter most to me. The skills acquired at McCourt form a strong foundation, and your integrity and purpose will steer your journey throughout your career.
Training Future Leaders
McCourt’s New Undergraduate Program
The Center of the Policy World
McCourt’s downtown location in our nation’s capital provides students with unprecedented access to the policy research, experts, conversations and opportunities they crave to accelerate and deepen their professional impact.
Explore Our Campus
Research and Impact
We are a diverse community of problem solvers, committed to moving bold ideas to action.
Our Research#4in International Policy and AdministrationU.S. News and World Report
#10in Public Policy AnalysisU.S. News and World Report
#9Best Colleges for Future Leaders 2026Time Magazine
Featured Stories
Explore McCourt News
Discovery & Impact, Student Experience
This Oncologist is ‘Restoring Trust’ in Rural Healthcare Through Public Policy
It was not one defining moment that led Dr. Wade Swenson (EMPL’26) to rural health policy advocacy, but an accumulation of life-changing diagnoses and patient stories.
April 15, 2026
Discovery & Impact, Student Experience
A Fundación Coppel Future Leaders Scholar’s Mission to Give Back
The daughter of a Mexican Navy officer, Fundación Coppel Future Leaders Scholar Emilia Antúnez Marchetti (MPP’27), understood the meaning of public service at a young age.
April 6, 2026
Alumni, Discovery & Impact, Student Experience
How This McCourt Grad Helps Keep Metro Moving
McCourt School of Public Policy alumna Bela Walkin (MPP ’25), senior policy analyst at the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), was drawn to public transit policy by a belief that how cities move their people shapes the quality of their lives.
March 30, 2026
- 12:30 pm
- McCourt School of Public Policy
- 5:00 pm
- McCourt School of Public Policy
How to Shape Policy: From the Campaign Trail to the White HouseApr. 22
- 12:30 pm
- 125 E St. NW, Room 515
Experience McCourt
McCourt students are impatient changemakers who don’t want to wait until they graduate to have a positive impact. They actively apply classroom learning through dynamic experiential opportunities—global residencies, spring break policy immersions, internships and hands-on policy labs—that transform theoretical knowledge into real-world solutions.
These experiences don’t just complement academic study; they accelerate it, allowing students to test ideas, build professional networks and develop the practical skills essential for effective policy leadership. At McCourt, learning extends far beyond the classroom into the field where change actually happens.