The Sanford School of Public Policy is a vibrant, dynamic community of thinkers and doers who are dedicated to leaving the world a better place.
The public policy major offers many exciting opportunities. We teach courses in a broad array of areas, including education and social policy, health and population, environment and energy, international development, global governance and security, civil society, and leadership and ethics.
Rigorous coursework provides students skills in political and economic analysis, knowledge about how to lead people and organizations, and a strong ethical foundation for decision-making. As a liberal arts major, public policy studies teaches students to read critically, think analytically, and write concisely.
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Suzanne Katzenstein is the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the Sanford School.
"The Public Policy program offers a vital platform for students to develop the analytical skills and ethical grounding needed to address complex societal challenges," Katzenstein said. She is passionate about working with undergraduates. In 2022, she received the Susan E. Tifft Teaching and Mentoring Award in spring of 2022, which recognizes outstanding contributions to teaching undergraduates and a deep commitment to the intellectual, professional and personal development of undergraduate public policy students.
Featured Centers and Initiatives
Minors & Certificates
CHILD & FAMILY POLICY
Sponsored by the Center for Child and Family Policy, this certificate builds students’ knowledge of child and family issues and provides academic tools to engage in research that informs policy and practice.
JOURNALISM & MEDIA MINOR
This minor prepares students for careers in media policy, journalism, and related professions. Sponsored by the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy.
Health Policy
Co-sponsored by the Margolis Institute for Health Policy, this certificate is for students interested in how policy relates to health care and its effect on the economy, society, governments, and the private sector.
Exciting Opportunities
Student Experiences
Grace and Olivia Hayward, identical twins, were drawn to Sanford for education policy. "We also loved the interdisciplinary nature of Sanford’s coursework. The combination of history, economics, statistics, and cross-listed electives allowed us to explore several interests and fields," they said. They also liked opportunities to engage in real-world policy work.
Students who successfully complete an honors thesis can graduate with distinction or highest distinction. Anushri Saxena received Sanford's 2025 Best Thesis prize for her research into crisis pregnancy centers. Her research was praised as "novel" and of such high caliber that it promises to "make an immediate contribution to our scholarly understanding of the field and be immediately useful to policymakers." Read Anushri's story.
Students often work closely with professors at Sanford - in class, in organizations and in research. When Jessica On applied to Duke, she wrote in an essay that she dreamed to learn from Professor Deondra Rose. "When I got to campus, those dreams became an enriching reality. I learned and worked alongside Professor Rose in her courses and as an undergraduate fellow for Polis, Sanford’s Center for Politics," she says. Read Jessica's story.