Public Administration (PhD)

Public Administration (PhD) Website

Program Description

Learn how to produce the insights you'll need to create, evaluate, and shape equitable programs and policies in this interdisciplinary program.

Interdisciplinary. Flexible. Powerful.

Through theoretical and methodological training, NYU Wagner's doctoral students learn how to produce insights required for effective and equitable public and nonprofit programs and policies. Our program is interdisciplinary, just like our faculty, so students can draw on economics, political science, sociology, psychology, organization studies, and other fields. What's more, it is flexible, allowing students to design a plan of study that takes advantage of the many courses offered at NYU Wagner and NYU's other graduate schools.

We encourage students to study the questions that drive them, while providing the guidance necessary to have the greatest impact. And, we emphasize research and teaching experience. Students have many opportunities to participate in research projects with individual faculty or through our affiliated research centers, as well as opportunities to lead classes as teaching colleagues and instructors.

Students interested in conducting research in these areas are encouraged to apply:

  • Education policy
  • Health policy
  • International development
  • Management
  • Public finance and financial management
  • Public policy
  • Urban policy

The program prepares graduates for careers at academic institutions, in think tanks, research firms, and research units of public, quasi-public, and private organizations, as well as for other positions with substantial responsibilities for the supervision and administration of research.

Admissions

Admission to the PhD program requires the following:

  • Online Application
  • Personal Statement
  • Writing Sample
  • Curriculum Vitae
  • Letters of Recommendation
  • Transcripts
  • Standardized Test Scores
  • Application Fee
  • Supporting Documentation (optional)

See PhD Application Checklist for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.