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Joint Ph.D. in Public Policy

Overview of Program
The Joint Ph.D. Program in Public Policy is a collaborative endeavor between the Department of Political Science and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs (SPEA). The focus of the program is broadly on the field of public policy, which includes:

  • A concern with the environment of public policy,
  • The processes of policy formation, management, and implementation,
  • The analysis and evaluation of policy output and results.
The institutional setting and design of the program offer a unique educational opportunity. The program combines rigorous social science training, knowledge of government decision-making processes and problem-solving capabilities, and an understanding of the substantive aspects of public problems and their effects on public institutions.  For more detailed information, see the Ph.D. Programs in Public Affairs and Public Policy Handbook.   

Degree Requirement
The Graduate School requires doctoral students to complete 90 hours of graduate credit. Typically, two-thirds of the 90 hours are taken in formal course work and one-third in thesis credit. Students holding a Masters in Public Administration or similar degree may be allowed to transfer some of their graduate course work (30 hours maximum) if approved by their Progress Review Committee.

Core Courses
Public Policy students are required to complete the following courses:
  • Introduction to the Study of Politics (Y570) or Research Design and Methods (V680)
  • Introduction to Public Policy (Y565/V690)
    This course is offered alternately by the Department of Political Science (Y565) and SPEA (V690) each fall.
  • Workshop in Public Policy (V691)
    Each student is required to take this one-credit-hour course for six semesters. The workshop features research presentations by faculty, visiting scholars, and advanced students. It prepares students to critique current literature in the field, to prepare manuscripts for presentation and publication, and to defend their ideas and theories. There are two sections offered: one by SPEA and the other by the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis.
  • Seminar in Teaching Public and Environmental Affairs (V621) or
    Political Science & Professional Development (Y550)
    These courses prepare students for college teaching and their professional responsibilities toward current and future students. They are taken in a student’s first year in the program.

Research Tool Skills
Required course work for research skills includes a basic two-semester statistics sequence and two additional elective courses or proficiency in a foreign language.

  • Basic Tool Skills
    The two-semester quantitative analysis sequence requirement is generally fulfilled through one  of the course sequences listed below.
    • Political Data Analysis I and II (Y575 and Y576) (Political Science)
    • Statistical Techniques in Sociology I and II (S554 and S650) (Sociology)
    • Statistics for Research in Public Affairs I and II (V606 and V607) (SPEA)
  • Advanced Tool Skills
    In addition, students must demonstrate either (1) advanced proficiency in quantitative analysis or specialized research skills by completing two additional courses approved by the student's Progress Review Committee or (2) proficiency in a language appropriate to his/her field of study and approved by the Progress Review Committee. To qualify as language proficient, a student must take a language proficiency exam from the appropriate language department at Indiana University.

Fields of Concentration
The Department of Political Science and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs share equally in delivering public policy as the major field of preparation and specialization. Students in the Public Policy program select two concentration areas—one from Political Science and one from SPEA—in addition to the required concentration in public policy. These fields of concentration include the following:

Political Science
  • American Politics
  • Comparative Politics
  • International Relations
  • Political Philosophy
  • Political Theory and Methodology

The School of Public and Environmental Affairs

  • Environmental Policy
  • Public Management
  • Public Finance
  • Urban Policy

For a listing of faculty in these fields, see the Faculty Research Profiles for the School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Faculty Listing for the Department of Political Science. There are course offerings in Political Science and SPEA that help the student prepare for examinations in these fields, and students supplement their coursework with directed readings and research. There is no predetermined set of courses required of all students. Course selection is the responsibility of the student working in conjunction with his or her Progress Review Committee.