UNC Public Policy offers the Ph.D. degree to students who aim to contribute new knowledge and analysis on domestic and global policy problems. The Ph.D. in public policy combines core foundations in theory, empirical and normative analysis, and a chosen policy field area. The curriculum is designed to help each doctoral student develop and use appropriate theoretical and analytical approaches to solve problems in policy areas such as education, innovation and entrepreneurship, labor markets, health and social policy, immigration, environment, national security, international development, and global health.

Our Ph.D. program hosts approximately thirty students actively pursuing a Ph.D. with a variety of policy interests. UNC Public Policy has developed strengths in a range of social science-based policy research and our graduate students work closely with faculty on policy-relevant research.

The Hammer Fund for the Enrichment of the PhD Curriculum in Public Policy

The Philip and Jane Hammer Fund for the Enrichment of the PhD Curriculum in Public Policy was established in 1991 by Jane R. Hammer. The fund aides in the recruitment and support of exceptional graduate students in the PhD program in public policy.
More Information about the Hammer Fund

Placements

UNC Public Policy PhD graduates hold academic positions as well as positions in the public, private and non-profit sector.

Past Graduates