Seeking advice from Hertie MPP alumni Admissions and profile review

[u/Archieeekinsss]

Hi everyone! I’m from India and considering applying for the Master of Public Policy (MPP) at the Hertie School. I’d love to hear from alumni about their admissions experience and any advice they might have for prospective applicants.

A little about my background: I hold a bachelor’s degree in Advertising and Public Relations, a master’s degree in International Journalism, and a postgraduate diploma in Human Rights Law. Professionally, I’ve worked in the social sector, primarily around research, advocacy, gender, human rights, and the development of marginalised communities. My experience includes leading and contributing to field-based research projects, working on national-level studies, supporting programme implementation, and contributing to fundraising and institutional partnerships.

The MPP would be my second master’s degree, so I’m trying to understand how the admissions committee views applicants who already have a postgraduate degree, particularly those looking to build on their existing experience and transition towards public policy, governance, and evidence-based policymaking.

I’d especially appreciate insights on:
How Hertie evaluates applicants with prior master’s degrees and professional experience.
What makes an application stand out beyond academic credentials and work experience.
How important quantitative skills and prior economics or statistics coursework are for admission.
Scholarships and financial aid: How realistic is it for international applicants from India to secure substantial funding? Are there particular scholarships worth applying for, and how competitive are they?
Whether scholarships can cover a significant portion of tuition or living expenses, and whether alumni have advice on financing the overall cost of attendance.
Whether the programme has been valuable for alumni working in research, development, gender policy, and the broader social impact sector.
Any advice on positioning my profile and explaining why I want to pursue another master’s degree.
I’d be grateful for any candid advice, application tips, or perspectives from people who have been through the process, particularly Indian students or those who received scholarships.
Thank you!

[u/Fuzzy-Aide4601]

Not an alum but worked alongside a few Hertie grads in development, the ones who stood out didn't necessarily have the heaviest quant background but knew exactly how their experience connected to the policy questions they wanted to tackle

for a second master's you'll want to frame it less as "adding another degree" and more as a deliberate pivot, what the journalism and rights law work taught you that now needs the governance and evaluation toolkit

on funding plenty of Indian students I've met made it work through DAAD and the Heinrich Böll foundation, competitive as hell but not impossible if your statement ties a very specific policy problem to your actual fieldwork

[u/Archieeekinsss → u/Fuzzy-Aide4601]

Ah, thank you! My research and on-ground work is quite niche, even within the Indian context. I’ve worked extensively with denotified tribes and communities affected by caste-based sexual exploitation, including prostitution and human trafficking, and my work has involved field research, advocacy, and programme implementation.

I’m hoping to build a career at the intersection of human trafficking, gender justice, and public policy. I feel the MPP at Hertie could be a good fit for this trajectory because I want to build on my field and research experience with a stronger grounding in policy design, governance, and evidence-based policymaking, so I can contribute to systemic and institutional change beyond the community-level work I’ve been doing.

[u/CancelOk6229 → u/Fuzzy-Aide4601]

Hi can I dm you with some questions?