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The Social Policy Concentration focuses on how to improve the lives of citizens by supporting their education, work, health and wellbeing.
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Focus
Social policy includes supports and services from governments, civil society, private sector entities and non-governmental organizations for all stages of life -- think education, housing assistance, crime reduction and poverty reduction, among others. Social policy aims to promote equity by identifying and addressing inequalities in access to supports and services for individuals in different socially defined groups, such as race and ethnicity, socio-economic status and age.
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Careers
This concentration will prepare you for a position in government, private sector, and nonprofits. You'll focus on issues that address the needs of citizens or society related to education, work, health and wellbeing. Positions include data analysts, program evaluators, municipal government specialists, company government affairs or social responsibility managers, equity-based lobbying consultants and civil society advocates.
Students can benefit from
Interdisciplinary ties to other Duke schools and academic programs, both in the Sanford School and throughout Duke University.
Faculty members with a formidable combination of academic and practical credentials in social policy.
Each semester is filled with campus visits and speeches by contemporary social policy leaders.
Strong connections to faculty with expertise on social policy in North Carolina government and the federal government.
Organizational home for the North Carolina Education Research Data Center, which houses all public school student records for the state of North Carolina and facilitates a range of education and social policy.
Knowledge and skills you can acquire
- A historical and current view of social policy
- Understanding the roles and power that data, analysis, and design have on social policy outcomes
- Knowledge of social science research methods
- Perspectives on the social risks associated with inequity of opportunity and income (race and wealth)
- The ability to evaluate and analyze policy, program, or product impacts and outcomes
- Knowledge of how to design and measure a policy or program using randomized control trials, storytelling, and human-centered design
- Connections to internships and capstone projects with local, state and federal government entities, and at social organizations
- Practical skills in coding and data analysis
Policy Concentration Advisor
Anna Gassman-Pines
Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy
Anna Gassman-Pines is a professor of public policy and psychology and neuroscience at Duke University. She is also a Faculty Affiliate of Duke’s Center for Child and Family Policy. Gassman-Pines received her BA with distinction in Psychology from Yale University and PhD in Community and Developmental Psychology from New York University. Her research focuses on low-wage work, family life and the effects of welfare and employment policy on child and maternal well-being in low-income families. Her research has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, American Psychological Association, National Head Start Association, and National Institute of Mental Health, and various private foundations.