Admission for PhD in Public Policy and Administration

Entrance Requirements

To be considered for admission as a candidate for the PhD program, an applicant must have a bachelor's degree awarded by a regionally accredited U.S. college or university or equivalent degree from a recognized non-U.S. institution and must have taken the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) within the past five years.

Normally, a minimum of a B average in undergraduate coursework is required for admission to graduate study in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and the Trachtenberg School. However, the evaluation process considers a wide range of factors that indicate the ability of the applicant to succeed in the curriculum.

We strongly prefer that applicants have completed a Master's degree in public administration, public policy, or related fields; however, we also consider applications from recipients of master's degrees in a wide range of fields, as well as applicants without master's degrees who have strong undergraduate records as well as relevant work-related experience.

We look for evidence of ability to succeed in the doctoral curriculum, which includes quantitative courses in economics and statistics. That evidence may come from success in similar undergraduate or graduate courses, from quantitative scores on the GRE, or from success in quantitative courses outside of the social sciences.

PhD Student Profile, Fall 2009 incoming class

*Our international students come from a variety of countries; some funded by grants including the prestigious Fulbright program.