Recent News

The application for the Master of Public Affairs degree is now open! The Goldman School of Public Policy’s one-year Master of Public Affairs degree will train mid-career professionals for visionary, strategic and effective leadership. “With this program, GSPP is expanding its impact in the world,” says Meg St. John, Executive Director. “Participants will learn from the renowned faculty of the Goldman School, and build professional networks with public-spirited thinkers and leaders from the United States…

In an overheated article (“UC Fails to Hit In-State Goal on Admissions”), the San Francisco Chronicle scolds UC for appearing to decline $25 million offered by the Legislature to admit 5,000 more in-state students this year. That’s $5,000 per student which would supplement the $15,000 in tuition and fees that UC charges each student — although many low- and middle-income students get substantial discounts. State support is needed because tuition does not cover the entire cost of a…

I am very pleased to announce that Associate Professor Janelle Scott of UC Berkeley's School of Education and the Department of African American Studies & African Diaspora Studies is joining the Goldman School as a faculty affiliate. Professor Scott  is a distinguished scholar of American public education. Her work explores the relationship between education, policy, and equality of opportunity, and centers on three related policy strands: the racial politics of public education, the…

This summer, Goldman School students interned at over 90 organizations around the world. Many of the internships were for government agencies and non-profits organizations in Washington DC, Sacramento and San Francisco, but students went as far as Asunción, Paraguay; Cape Town, South Africa; and Dhaka, Bangladesh.  For a snapshot of student internships, read about Cesar Manuel Zulaica's work in Southeast Asia, Trinetta Chong in Cambodia, Darian Woods' internship at Planet Money, Adam Gorski's work for…

Lisa Corsetto interned this summer at the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Executive Office of the President, in the Western Hemisphere Office. USTR develops trade policy for the US and negotiates trade agreements; the Western Hemisphere Office does this specifically with counties in the Americas. "One of the most helpful parts of my first year at GSPP was the practice in condensing large amounts of information into concise and actionable papers for decision-makers," she says. "When writing…

Looking for an opportunity to work in education and gain data analysis experience, student Adam Gorski interned at Education for Change Public Schools, a network of charter schools in Oakland. He has enjoyed the opportunity to apply quantitative concepts to student assessment data and to learn R, the statistical computing and graphics software. "I'm taking more statistical analysis classes in the fall to build on what I've learned this summer," he says. "I hope have the chance to…

Darian Woods currently interns at NPR’s Planet Money, a biweekly American podcast and blog centered on the economy. He writes blog posts, pitches new story ideas, and “spends a surprising amount of time workshopping the perfect tweet.” Darian credits his first year at the Goldman School with preparing him for this internship: Professor Jesse Rothstein introduced him to the American tax and transfer system; The Economics & Public Policy class provided concrete examples of how people…

Netflix just announced it’s offering paid leave for new mothers and fathers for the first year after the birth or adoption of a child. Other high-tech firms are close behind. Some big law firms are also getting into the act. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe is offering 22 paid weeks off for both male and female attorneys. Even Wall Street is taking baby steps in the direction of family-friendly work. Goldman Sachs just doubled paid parental leave…

An attendee gets an airbrushed tattoo during the Black Hat conference Thursday, Aug. 6, 2015, in Las Vegas. The annual computer security conference draws thousands of hackers and security professionals to Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, Associated Press) Cyber attacks have opened eyes to the prospect that future wars may be waged in the shadows, relying on proxies using technological innovation to attack “soft” targets such as information networks, transportation systems, power plants, stock markets — and public confidence.…

A reading lesson last week in a summer program at the Baker-Ripley Neighborhood Center in Houston. (Michael Stravato for The New York Times) For decades, policy makers have treated poverty as a sign of helplessness and ineptitude. The worse off the neighborhood — the higher the rate of poverty, crime, and juvenile delinquency — the less influence it would have over its future. Social service agencies conducted “needs assessments” rather than asking residents what would strengthen their community.…