YEARS 

DESCRIPTION

1 & 2

All Sanford School PhD students, regardless of disciplinary concentration or policy area focus, will generally spend their first two years of the program taking classes – a combination of public policy core courses and electives.

3

Students usually spend their third year writing and defending their dissertation proposal, supported by a Research Seminar in Public Policy.

4 & 5

The fourth and fifth years are typically devoted to writing and defending the dissertation.

Sample Student Paths

Year 

Fall 

Spring 

1 
  • Political Economy of Public Policy 
  • Microeconomics I 
  • Econometrics I 

  • Ethics of Public Policy 

  • Microeconomics II 

  • Econometrics II 

  • Health Policy Elective 

  • Theories of Public Policy Qualifying Exam 

2 

  • Health Policy Elective 

  • Economics Field Elective 

  • Economics Field Elective 

  • Political Science Elective 

     

  • Health Policy Readings Course 

  • Economics Field Elective 

  • Sociology Elective 

3 

  • Comprehensive Exam on Economics and Health Policy 

  • Research Seminar in Public Policy 

  • Research Seminar in Public Policy 

  • Preliminary examination, including defense of dissertation proposal 

4 

Write dissertation 

5 

Complete and defend dissertation 

Year 

Fall 

Spring 

1 

  • Political Economy of Public Policy 

  • Microeconomics I 

  • Political Science Research Methods 

  • Ethics of Public Policy 

  • Microeconomics II 

  • Political Science Research Methods 

  • Globalization & Development Elective 

  • Theories of Public Policy Qualifying Exam 

 2 

  • Globalization and Development Elective 

  • Political Science Field Elective 

  • Political Science Field Elective 

  • Sociology Elective 

  • Globalization & Development Readings Course 

  • Political Science Field Elective 

  • Open Elective 

  

3 

  • Comprehensive Exam on PoliSci and Development 

  • Research Seminar in Public Policy 

  • Research Seminar in Public Policy 

  • Preliminary examination, including defense of dissertation proposal 

4 

Write dissertation 

5 

Complete and defend dissertation 

Year 

Fall 

Spring 

1 

  • Political Economy of Public Policy 

  • Microeconomics I 

  • Sociology Research Methods 

  • Sociology Theory Course 

  • Ethics of Public Policy 

  • Microeconomics II 

  • Sociology Research Methods 

  • Social Policy Elective 

  • Theories of Public Policy Qualifying Exam 

2 

  • Social Policy Elective 

  • Sociology Field Elective 

  • Sociology Field Elective 

  • Social Policy Readings Course 

  • Sociology Field Elective 

  • Political Science Elective 

  

3 

  • Comprehensive Exam on Sociology and Social Policy 

  • Research Seminar in Public Policy 

  • Research Seminar in Public Policy 

  • Preliminary examination, including defense of dissertation proposal 

4 

Write dissertation 

 5 

Complete and defend dissertation 

 

Year 

Fall 

Spring 

 1 

  • Political Economy of Public Policy 

  • Microeconomics I 

  • Research Design 

  • Social Development 

  • Ethics of Public Policy 

  • Microeconomics II 

  • Applied Correlations Regression Analysis 

  • Psychology Elective 

  • Theories of Public Policy Qualifying Exam 

 2 

  • Sociology Elective 

  • Psychology Elective 

  • Social Policy Elective 

  • Social Policy Elective 

  • Psychology Elective 

  • Political Science Elective 

3 

  • Comprehensive Exam on Psychology and Social Policy 

  • Dissertation Proposal Workshop I 

  • Dissertation Proposal Workshop II 

  • Preliminary examination, including defense of dissertation proposal 

4 

Write dissertation 

5 

Complete and defend dissertation 

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Sarah Cross PhD'21

Sarah Cross PhD'21 spent nearly a decade as a social worker specializing in serious illness care, including home hospice and inpatient palliative care, before deciding to get her PhD at Sanford. Her research was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and featured in both the New York Times and NPR.