PhD Admissions

We seek applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, and we welcome applicants from diverse academic, cultural and professional backgrounds.  Applicants who possess practical work experience are encouraged.  A master’s degree is not required for admission to the PhD program. Finally, applicants should not apply for the Master in Public Policy Program and PhD Program at the same time.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

The application deadline for beginning in the program in Fall 2010 is December 8, 2009. This is the priority deadline for all applicants wishing to be considered for departmental or intstitutional awards for the fall semester. Late applications may be considered for admission only if all spaces have not been filled, and for financial aid only if funds are still available.

Applicants for the PhD degree must use the Duke Graduate School’s electronic application:  https://app.applyyourself.com/?id=dukegrad.

For detailed information on the Graduate School’s application requirements, please visit: http://gradschool.duke.edu/admissions/requirements

The Graduate School requires a statement of purpose as part of the electronic application. We carefully review each applicant’s essay. Please utilize this essay to discuss your goals in pursuing the PhD in Public Policy at Duke University. We are interested in your academic and professional experience, your intended course of study, including a disciplinary concentration and policy area focus, and your longer-term career objectives.

In addition to completing the Graduate School requirements, applicants to the Public Policy PhD program must also:

  • Designate a disciplinary concentration in the electronic application, either economics, political science or sociology. After selecting “Public Policy Studies – Ph.D.” in the “Proposed Department/Program and Highest Degree Sought” drop-down menu section of the electronic application, the next section of the application is “Intended Special Field.” The Public Policy PhD special fields are the disciplinary concentrations:  economics, political science or sociology. You must indicate one of these three concentrations on your application.
  • Submit a resume (not to exceed two printed pages), which should be uploaded to the online electronic application with your “Statement of Purpose and Educational Objectives.”
  • Submit a writing sample of no more than 20 pages (nonreturnable), demonstrating academic or professional research, which should be sent directly to the Public Policy Studies Department (Not to the Graduate Enrollment Services Office – This is the only exception to the general rule that all documents that are part of an application must be sent to the Graduate Enrollment Services Office.)  The applicant’s name should appear on each page in the top right corner. You may send your writing sample as an e-mail attachment in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format to PPPhD@duke.edu. We are unable to open .dat attachments. Please put “Applicant Writing Sample” in the subject line of your e-mail.

For more information about the program contact:
Director of Graduate Studies
Attn: PhD Program
Department of Public Policy Studies
Sanford School of Public Policy
Duke University
Box 90243
Durham, NC 27708-0243
(919) 613-9214
E-mail: PPPhD@duke.edu

 

Fleishman Commons, Sanford Building
Fleishman Commons
Sanford Building