Public Policy (Graduate Field)

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Field Description

The graduate field of public policy trains the next generation of scholars and professionals to address pressing U.S. and global public policy issues. We focus on substantive policy areas–ranging from education and health to environmental and social policy–with advanced training in social science disciplines, empirical methods, and multidisciplinary approaches to the study and practice of public policy.

Doctoral Program

Building upon the academic strengths of the Brooks School of Public Policy, the core areas of focus in the Ph.D. program include data science and technology policy; education policy; environmental and sustainability policy; demography and family policy; human security; health policy; inequality and social policy; the politics and economics of development; race, racism, and public policy; and regulatory policy. Our program combines a focus on substantive policy areas with advanced training in a social science discipline, empirical methods, and expertise on substantive policy topics. Across these specializations, public policy Ph.D. students graduate with the skills to shape and evaluate policy in a range of careers, from faculty positions in academic institutions to leadership roles in the public and private sectors.

Data and Statistics

Field Manual