Introducing a New Minor in Lobbying and Advocacy—and Meet the Student Who Helped Create It

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A new Schar School of Policy and Governmentundergraduate minor debuts in fall 2026: Lobbying and Advocacyis an interdisciplinary minor that develops students' understanding of policy institutions and industries, and how to influence both as a professional advocate.

Zayd Hamid: 'It came down to building the program I wish I had access to as an undergraduate.' Photo provided

The program, one of only two in the country and the only one in the Washington, D.C., region, will offer opportunities for experiential learning, including field projects, internships at key Washington, D.C., firms, and the George Mason University's annual grassroots advocacy trip Mason Lobbiesto the Virginia General Assembly in Richmond, Virginia.

The course was codeveloped by Schar School Term Professor David K. Rehr,professor of public policy and director of the Center for Business Civic Engagement, and Zayd Hamid, a master of public policystudent (with an emphasis in education policy), over a multiyear process.

Rehr, a former longtime advocate for major nonprofit organizations including the National Association of Broadcasters and the National Federation of Independent Businesses, is happy to share the inspiration for the course with Hamid, who had the idea as an undergraduate in the Schar School's public administrationprogram.

"He drafted the outline of the minor and I adjusted it to maximize value for students from various George Mason departments whose students could benefit," he said. Students in degree programs including business, communication, conflict analysis and resolution, environmental and sustainability studies, economics, and other fields would find lobbying skills useful.

"Given our location near Washington, D.C., the minor will be taught by a stable of top academics and practitioners, and graduates will be prepared to advocate effectively for meaningful and efficient change, even if they do not become full-time lobbyists themselves," he said.

"The government," Rehr added, "is increasingly becoming more involved in the activities of businesses, nonprofits, and other industries and professionals who understand the advocacy process who can provide innovative solutions will be increasingly valuable to their employers."

David K. Rehr: 'Given our location near Washington, D.C., the minor will be taught by a stable of top academics and practitioners, and graduates will be prepared to advocate effectively for meaningful and efficient change …'

For Hamid, the minor is personal. As his graduation approached in spring 2024, the proudly first-generation college student began thinking less about what he had accomplished as a student and more about what he would leave behind.

His college accomplishments were substantial, among them, discovering advocacy through Mason Lobbies, serving as a panelist for a congressional staff briefing on financial aid, and being named the inaugural National Institute for Lobbying and Ethics Student Advocate of the Year, an award he dedicated to Rehr.

"The nexus between all those pivotal moments in my undergraduate years was taking Dr. Rehr's GOVT 318 Interest Groups, Lobbying, and the Political Process class," Hamid said. "I am a direct product of the wisdom and industry insights he shared with me and of the mentorship and support he's given me over the years…. His class and Mason Lobbies shaped the trajectory of my undergraduate experience, cultivating my interest in policy into a passion for education advocacy."

As he considered what he could leave as a legacy, the answer became clear: "It came down to building the program I wish I had access to as an undergraduate," he said.

Hamid, who is a graduate professional assistant with George Mason's University Life, is cochair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia Student Advisory Committee, the commonwealth's coordinating agency for higher education. That latter role, alongside his previous experience as the student representative on the education integrity advisory Mason Core Committee, accustomed him to academic program policies at a state and institutional level. This positioned him to support his and Rehr's proposal through George Mason's internal processes, culminating in a final vote by the Undergraduate Council in December, clearing the way for inclusion in the catalog in fall 2026

The proposal's review was expedited and streamlined amid political shifts in Washington, which, to Hamid's mind, created opportunities for employment for graduates.

"Federal furloughs and a changing Washington, D.C, policy landscape have resulted in more students exploring careers outside of-but adjacent to-Congress and the White House," he said. "So, this minor also helps the Schar School meet the moment and respond to a shifting job market."

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