The Office of Population Research is particularly relevant to public policy. For more than 50 years, OPR faculty have trained students in basic demographic methods and conducted research about pressing domestic and international population policy issues. Faculty and research staff are drawn from various academic disciplines including economics, sociology, statistics, biostatistics, psychology, anthropology, and demography.

The Program in Population Studies offers both a Ph.D. in Demography and a nondegree Certificate in Demography. OPR attracts scholars, faculty, and students who come to Princeton specifically to earn this certificate. These individuals, plus Ph.D. students from the departments of Sociology and Economics and the Woodrow Wilson School, create an atmosphere conducive to collaborative work.

The requirements for earning the Certificate in Demography are three courses and a research project. Two of the courses are required: ECO 571/SOC 571 Survey of Population Problems and ECO 572/SOC 572 Research Methods in Demography. The third course is an elective to be drawn from offerings in population and health, subject to the approval of the OPR Director of Graduate Studies. The research project can consist of either a revised and greatly expanded course paper, subject to the approval of the director (without additional course credit), or a paper written for course credit under the supervision of an OPR faculty or research staff member (WWS 587 Research Workshop in Population).