MPP Admissions

• The MPP program is a close community. With cohorts of 90 – 100 students, shared schedules via the core curriculum, and an environment that emphasizes collaboration over competition, students develop strong connections with their peers, faculty, and staff.
• MPP students come from all walks of life, have a wide range of interests, and share a deep commitment to public service.
• We offer individualized academic advising and career counseling.
• Sanford has a commitment to individual and communal wellness. Our community recognizes that students are drawn to the discipline of public policy for a myriad of reasons, and we want our students to bring their full selves to our community.

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• Students get hands-on, practical experiences, starting in their first year of study. The core curriculum is carefully constructed to build skills over time and give you real-world experience.
• Leading academic experts and experienced practitioners make up our world class faculty. Their dedication to teaching and policy making is demonstrated by the wide range of courses they teach and the numerous centers and initiatives they lead.
• The internship that takes place between year-one and year-two of the program provides students with an opportunity to apply valuable lessons and new skills acquired during the program. Students work locally in Research Triangle Park, Washington, D.C., across the United State and around the globe to make valuable career connections and see how policy works in action.

Listen to students talk about their internships:

The Sanford MPP program offers seven concentrations in domestic and global policy issues:

• Education Policy
• Energy & Environment Policy
• Health Policy
• International Development Policy 
• National Security & Foreign Policy
• Social Policy
• Tech Policy

Students can choose to concentrate in a specific policy area, but they are not required to. Many students opt to focus on the intersectionality of different policies areas, while others choose to focus on specific policy making skills like public management, budgeting, data visualization, and human centered design.

To explore Sanford's course offerings, please visit Duke's course catalog. To see Sanford specific courses, please select "School of Public Policy" under the career dropdown menu. Please note, the course catalog represents a historic record of courses offered at Sanford. To see when specific courses are offered, please click on the [View Sections] option at the right of each course's name.

MPP students also have the option of taking graduate level courses across Duke's various departments, as well as at nearby universities like NC Central University, NC State University, and UNC Chapel Hill.

Our Sanford Career Services team is composed of experts who are focused on helping you grow professionally. Our team will help you navigate the early stages of your policy career. The team hosts numerous panels and workshops, meets with students in individualized career advising appointments, offers Career and Professional Skill Development course, and assists students with identifying and accessing a meaningful and impactful professional opportunities, both for the required summer internship and for post-graduation careers.

For more information, please visit our Career Services Fast Facts and view our Career Services 2022-2023 Annual Report.

Sanford offers connections to the world-class, worldwide Sanford and Duke alumni networks. Sanford has more than 9,000 alumni in over 100 countries, and Duke university has over 180,000 alumni around the world.

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• Durham, N.C. is a short flight from D.C., Atlanta, New York, and other major East Coast cities.
• Students enjoy a lower cost of living and high quality of life.
• Duke and Durham offer a wide range of cultural and recreational experiences: CenterFest, the Durham Performing Arts Center, the Durham Bulls Baseball Club, Duke Athletics, Duke Performances, verdant state parks and more.
• The area is known for its amazing food scene.
• The Triangle Region is home to people from around the world as well as a hub of  flourishing entrepreneurial, research and creative sectors.
• Local non-profits welcome Duke students to volunteer and make a positive impact in the community.

 Take Durham Virtual Tour

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Recent Graduation Rates

* Cohort August 2020 and August 2021's graduation rates are projected based on students' course completions and registrations. Students pursuing dual-degree options require 3 - 4 years to complete the combined degrees.

Occasionally, students take a year or two off in the middle of their studies and thus take a little longer to complete the program. 

Recent Employment Outcomes

May 2021 graduates (data collection is estimated to be as of Dec 31, 2021; unknown if dual-degree students are included)

71 Graduates

• 68 known outcomes:
  • City, county, or other local government in the United States – 7%
  • Nonprofit organization (domestic-oriented) – 20.8%
  • Nonprofit/NGOs (internationally-oriented) – 5.6%
  • Obtaining further education – 4.2%
  • Private Sector – research/consulting – 32.4%
  • Private sector but not research/consulting – 9.9%
  • State, provincial, or regional government in the United States – 5.6%
  • United States Federal Government – 8.5%
• 3 Unknown

May 2022 graduates (data collection is estimated to be as of Dec 31, 2022; unknown if dual-degree students are included)

77 Graduates

• 69 known outcomes:
  • A government entity outside of the United States – 1.3%
  • City, county, or other local government in the United States – 3.9%
  • Military – 2.6%
  • Nonprofit organization (domestic-oriented) – 13%
  • Nonprofit/NGOs (internationally-oriented) – 6.5%
  • Obtaining further education – 3.9%
  • Private Sector – research/consulting – 29.9%
  • Private sector but not research/consulting – 3.9%
  • State, provincial, or regional government in the United States – 7.8%
  • United States Federal Government – 7.8%
  • Non response – 10.1%
• 8 Unknown

May 2023 graduates (data collection as of Dec 31, 2023; includes dual-degree students)

111 graduates

• 99 known outcomes:
  • City, county, or other local government in the United States – 0.9%
  • Military Service – 1.8%
  • Nonprofit organization (domestic-oriented) –  7.2%
  • Nonprofit/NGOs (internationally-oriented) – 3.6%
  • Obtaining further education – 3.6%
  • Private sector – research/consulting – 16.2%
  • Private sector but not research/consulting – 7.2 %
  • State, provincial, or regional government in the United States – 9%
  • United States Federal Government – 9%
  • Other – 7.2%
  • Non response – 26.3%
• 12 unknown outcomes