McCourt Selected as New Academic Home of National Urban Fellows

MAY 7, 2018 An organization that has helped professionals of diverse backgrounds, those of color and women become leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors is making the McCourt School of Public Policy its new academic home.

The National Urban Fellowsprogram, which, like Georgetown, has a strong commitment to social justice and equity, has produced White House appointees, state assembly and city council members and other professionals in its nearly 50 years in operation.

Each year, the program will bring 30 to 40 emerging public sector leaders to McCourt to pursue a Master’s of Policy Management (MPM) degree, beginning with an inaugural cohort of Fellows in the summer of 2019.

“We are honored to be the new home of the National Urban Fellows,” said McCourt’s interim dean Michael A. Bailey. “The Fellows program is in keeping with Georgetown’s quest to make its student body as diverse as possible and we are looking forward to helping train these individuals to be future leaders in our nation.”

The program has graduated 49 classes since it was established at Yale University in 1969.

Voice of Authority

The National Urban Fellows is considered to be a premier leadership development organization and a consistent voice of authority on leadership diversity in the United States.

“McCourt is a top-ranked policy school and their location in Washington, D.C, will put our Fellows at the center of the policy world, giving them access to the highest concentration of jobs in policy, politics and public service,” said David Rivers, chair of the National Urban Fellows board of directors. “The National Urban Fellows are thrilled to be a part of the McCourt School and Georgetown University.”

“We’re deeply grateful to have this opportunity to work with the National Urban Fellows’ program and to serve as their new academic home. In bringing these extraordinary fellows to Georgetown, we’re able to deepen our institutions’ shared commitment to inspiring excellence and diversity in public service,” said Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia.

Enabling Change Agents

The MPM program at McCourt will equip the Fellows with the essential management and analytical skills to advance their careers and become change agents in the public and nonprofit sectors.

Geared toward students with at least five years of relevant professional experience, the MPM strikes a balance among analytics, management and substance within specific policy areas.