The research focus of the Hertie School, which has existed since its founding, lies in the analysis of the conditions, structures and dynamics of governance.

In February 2005, the Hertie School was awarded state recognition as college of higher education by the Berlin Ministry of Science, Research, and Culture (Senatsverwaltung für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kultur).

In October 2017, the Hertie School once again received full accreditation[10] to confer doctoral degrees for another ten years.

In February 2019, the Hertie School announced that it would move to the Robert Koch Forum [de] from summer 2025 to enable its growth plans.

The historic Robert Koch Forum is currently being renovated by the city of Berlin with a budget of 87 million euros.

Notable faculty include President Cornelia Woll, Helmut Anheier, Joanna Bryson, Klaus Hurrelmann and Wolfgang Ischinger.

These include the European Consortium for Political Science Research (ECPR), the American Political Science Association (APSA), the Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA), PolicyNet, and the Global Public Policy Network (GPPN).