Students choosing the technical concentration should have some prior programming experience or enroll in at least one computer programming course while at Carnegie Mellon. Policy and Public Communications Courses in this area are recommended for students who want to pursue writing careers related to policy and public communications. Students register for courses such as Rhetoric and Public Policy, Writing in the Public Interest, and Media and Public Policy. Many of the courses in this concentration are offered through the Heinz School of Public Policy and Management. This last is recommended for students who wish to specialize in an area not specifically covered by any other formal concentration or whose interests span several areas of study.
Faculty are available to discuss the many possibilities for self-defined concentrations.