Programs Offered
Ph.D. in Public Policy
Application Deadline: December 1st
GSPP offers a doctoral degree program for students who seek careers in policy research with universities or research institutes. Usually only two or three PhD applicants are admitted each year, including those admitted from the School’s MPP students. Non-GSPP applicants who seek a policy research career and have completed graduate work in public policy comparable to our MPP are also eligible for admission consideration.
The PhD program emphasizes the generation of knowledge, theories, methodologies, and applications appropriate to the advancement of public policy analysis and management. Doctoral students pursue highly individualized programs of study and typically work closely with school faculty members who share the student’s subject matter interest.
A thorough preparation in policy analysis skills is a prerequisite for the doctorate. Because there is no core program of study, the PhD committee prefers applicants to have completed an MPP or equivalent, either from GSPP or a similar institution. Applicants with a master’s degree in some other field usually must complete the MPP program at GSPP before applying for admission to the doctoral program.
Applicants who have a master’s degree in public policy from another school may be partially exempt from this requirement but may be asked to take certain first-year master’s level courses at GSPP not offered in other such programs.
Application and Admission
The PhD Program at GSPP is a small and individualized program in which we do our best to match the interests of prospective students with our faculty.
The following documents are required for admission to the PhD Program postmarked by December 1, 2009:
- Graduate Application for Admission, Available online at www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/grad_app.shtml. The online application includes instructions and guidelines for submitting the following:
a.) Statement of Purpose.
b.) Personal History Statement.
The following additional documents required for admission should be sent directly to:
Carla Vaccarezza, Admissions and Student Affairs Advisor
Goldman School of Public Policy
University of California, Berkeley
2607 Hearst Avenue
Berkeley, California 94720-7320
Email: cvaccarezza@berkeley.edu
- Planned Dissertation Research Memo. The planned dissertation research memo should describe the applicant’s public policy research interests, outline the topic(s) for one’s dissertation research, and include suggestions for possible faculty advisor(s).
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Writing Sample. A writing sample, most appropriately, a research paper under 30 pages. The term “research paper” is distinct from “policy analysis.” Its purpose is, in part, to make it evident that the student can make the transition from policy analysis to policy research.
- Official Transcripts. Send two sets of transcripts from all universities or colleges attended. One set can be a photocopy. The other set must be an original copy.
- Three Letters of Recommendation are required. They can be submitted online within the graduate application for admission or be sent directly (in sealed envelopes) to Carla Vaccarezza, Admissions and Student Affairs Advisor.
- Official GRE Scores. Please have the scores sent to us directly.
However to expedite the processing of your application, you may submit a photocopy of your GRE scores as soon as you receive them. GRE scores usually take 14 days to arrive at the department. To meet the application deadline, you will need to take the computer-based GRE no later than November 15, 2009. Our institution code is 4833, and our department code is 1903. Reservations for the GRE exam should be made in advance through: The Education Testing Service (ETS), P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ 08541-6000; Phone: 609-771-7670 or 1-800-GRECALL; Website: http://www.gre.org.
- TOEFL Scores (Required for all international applicants).
In addition to GRE scores, all international students must take and submit the TOEFL. Scores before June 2007 are no longer valid. Use institution code 4833 and department code 94. You may sign up for the TOEFL through an agent in your country or through: TOEFL, CN6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151; Phone 609-771-7500; Website: http://www.toefl.org.
- Application Fee. A $70 application fee, payable to UC Regents, must be submitted when you apply.
- Supplemental Application Fee for International Students. An additional application fee of $20 must be paid by international applicants.
- Request for waiver of application fee can be found at http://www.grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/pdf/form_fee_waiver.pdf. To be eligible for an application fee waiver, you must be a U.S citizen or current permanent resident. Please do not submit additional or supplemental materials.
If a student is admitted to the PhD Program, he/she is required to work with their designated faculty advisor to develop and submit a curriculum memo to the PhD committee that contains the courses the student will take during the first two years of study. This curriculum memo can be updated at the end of each semester of PhD residency should the student and his/her advisor decide that additional courses should be taken or substituted.
Please contact Admissions & Student Affairs Advisor, Carla Vaccarezza at (510) 642-1855 or cvaccarezza@berkeley.edu, regarding questions about the PhD Program and application process.
For additional inquiries, please contact Professor John W. Ellwood, Faculty Chair, PhD program at (510) 642-4512 or jellwood@berkeley.edu.
Financial Support
Fellowships
Each year the School provides a first-year fellowship of $15,000 plus fees for two entering PhD students for one year. All PhD students who are US citizens can compete for an UC Berkeley Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Research and Training Program (IGERT) Fellowship during their first year. The IGERT program provides a stipend of $30,000 plus tuition and fees for years two and three of PhD residency. On average, two GSPP PhD students are awarded an IGERT each year. A more complete description of the IGERT can be obtained on the following website: http://socrates.berkeley.edu/~raphael/IGERT/
Graduate Student Instructors
In addition, there are many opportunities for PhD students to be graduate student instructors at GSPP and other social science departments. These appointments provide a fee remission and a monthly salary.
Research Opportunities
There are many opportunities on campus for GSPP PhD students to engage in research (in many cases, paid research). For example, research opportunities exist at the Berkeley Institute of the Environment, the Energy and Resources Group, the UC Berkeley Labor Center, the Center for Child and Youth Policy, and the UC Berkeley Survey Research Center.
Last Updated: 08/06/2009
