Knowledge Advancing Social Justice
Since its founding in 1959, the Heller School has been committed to developing new knowledge and insights in the field of social policy and in health and human services management. The Heller School is unique in its approach to the field of social policy. The school meshes interdisciplinary policy studies with practical skills. By joining these two critical elements, Heller graduates are better prepared for a fulfilling career in finding solutions to society's most pressing social problems.
Through the graduate education of students, pursuit of applied interdisciplinary research and active public engagement in both the public and private sectors, the Heller School is constantly examining policies and programs that respond to the changing needs of vulnerable individuals and social groups in our society.
As a graduate school and research institution, the Heller School has pioneered in a variety of policy areas, including health; mental health; substance abuse; children, youth, and families; aging; international and community development; mental retardation and developmental disabilities; poverty and hunger; and work and inequalities.
The faculty, students and staff of the Heller School are culturally and professionally diverse with broadly varied academic and organizational backgrounds. The school provides a setting where students who are experienced practitioners are exposed to innovative ideas, and those with less experience are prepared to enter the field.
The Heller School's vision is focused and clear, believing in the power of knowledge advancing social justice.
Graduate Degree Programs
The Heller School offers five educational programs designed explicitly to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Heller's goal is to prepare the next generation of scholars, policy analysts, managers, and public leaders who will tackle society's most pressing social problems.
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Policy
Educates students for careers in research, teaching, consulting, administration, policy analysis, and organizational leadership. - Master of Arts (MA) in Sustainable International Development
Prepares leaders to design and manage local, regional, national, or international development. - Master of Science (MS) in International Health Policy and Management
Educates young professionals to play increasingly responsible roles in the health and well-being of the world's poorest citizens. - Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Prepares early- to mid-career professionals to effectively lead organizations with a social mission, whether in the nonprofit, for-profit, or public sector. - Master of Public Policy (MPP) in social policy
Educates the next generation of policy analysts, advocates, researchers, and managers. - Joint and Dual Degrees:
- Joint PhD/MA in Social Policy and Women's and Gender Studies
- Joint PhD in Social Policy and Sociology
- Dual MBA and MA in Jewish Professional Leadership
- Dual MPP in Social Policy and MA in Jewish Professional Leadership
- Joint MA/SID and Women's and Gender Studies
- Dual MA/SID and MA in Coexistence
- Joint MPP and Women's and Gender Studies
- Dual MA/SID and MBA
- Dual MS/IHPM and MBA
- Dual MPP/MBA
- Dual Brandeis University/Heller MA-SID and Northeastern University School of Law JD
- Dual Brandeis University/Heller MBA and Tufts University MD
Students (2009 - 2010)
- Doctorate of Philosophy: 140
- Master of Arts: 212
- Master of Science: 33
- Master of Business Administration: 72
- Master of Public Policy: 42
Degrees Awarded (2009)
- Doctorate of Philosophy: 17
- Master of Arts: 92
- Master of Science: 26
- Master of Business Administration: 28
- Master of Public Policy: 11
Alumni
There are more than 2,300 Heller alums, with 86% living in the United States and 14% abroad. Heller alumni are found in positions of leadership in social policy and management all over the world, making a significant difference in the lives of the vulnerable.
Brandeis University
Brandeis University, a private, nonsectarian research institution located in Waltham, Massachusetts, was established in 1948. It is now one of the leading institutions of higher education in the country, having earned recognition by Phi Beta Kappa only 13 years after its founding, the youngest institution to be so honored in more than 100 years. 
In 1998, Brandeis was ranked as the top-rising research institution in the nation in The Rise of American Research Universities, a major study by Hugh Davis Graham and Nancy Diamond, published by The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Named for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Dembitz Brandeis, the University embodies the ideals set forth by Justice Brandeis, who stood for the rights of individuals, believed in the pursuit of knowledge, and saw its transmission from generation to generation as a sacred trust. To that end, a commitment to academic excellence, diversity, and freedom of expression continues the legacy of the University's early founders and its namesake.
Location: Waltham, Massachusetts, a city of 58,000, nine miles west of Boston
Boston is one of the world's great cities and is an internationally known center of student life, host to one of the largest concentrations of students in the world. It's also the unofficial capital of New England, set in a region abounding in historical and cultural attractions, music and dance, theater, concerts, vibrant nightlife and professional sports teams. Boston combines European-style architecture with the energy of an American center of learning, health care, and high technology.
