Public Policy Proposes Adding New Ph.D. Program
New degree would strength Sanford Institute and help interdisciplinary studies
Monday, February 28, 2005
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Durham, N.C. -- Public policy faculty members last week said a new Ph.D. program
in public policy is a step that is good for Duke University and one
that would help solidify the position of the Sanford Institute and
the Department of Public Policy Studies as among the best in the
country.
The proposal went before the Academic Council for the first time Feb. 17 and won favorable comments during the initial review. The council will vote on the plan in March before it goes to the Board of Trustees for final consideration.
The proposed Ph.D. program would require students to take a core set of public policy courses with a focus on one of three disciplinary concentrations (economics, political science or sociology) with an additional focus in a specific policy area (social policy, globalization, health policy or environmental policy).
Sanford officials said Duke remains the only top public policy program in the country without a Ph.D. track.
"In most programs, master's degrees still account for most of the students, but Ph.D. students are an important component," said Bruce Jentleson, director of the Sanford Institute. "Adding a Ph.D. program will further enhance our prominence."
Intellectually, the new program will also further develop the ability of faculty members and students to study policy questions, Jentleson added. The department recently revised its undergraduate curriculum to encourage students to do more research and to provide more opportunities for hands-on experience. The result of both proposals will be an increase of research at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, he said.
The Ph.D. proposal also makes sense because it will help public policy make better use of its already strong interdisciplinary ties, Jentleson said.
"We have eight different kinds of Ph.D.s on our faculty right now. Historically we have a lot of matches with departments and schools around the university. We've built those connections into the program. So in important ways, this proposal speaks to the larger theme of what the university is trying to do in interdisciplinary studies."
The proposal has support throughout the social sciences and the Nicholas School and has won approval from the Academic Programs Committee, which reviews requests for new programs.
One question raised at the Academic Council meeting was whether public policy faculty -- who are used to working with master's degree students -- have the preparation to mentor Ph.D. students. Jentleson said this was an important issue, but that most public policy faculty members already serve on Ph.D. committees, or have in the past, through joint appointments in other departments.
