"The doctoral program at the Woodrow Wilson School is without peer in the rigor of the training it provides public policy researchers. Our graduates are able to apply leading-edge social scientific theory and knowledge to real-world policy problems. Such training has proven valuable in a number of venues, leading our students to careers in academia, government, business and nongovernmental organizations."

Douglas S. Massey
Faculty Chair of the Ph.D. Program and the Certificates in
Urban Policy/Urban Policy and Planning;
Henry G. Bryant Professor of Sociology and Public Affairs

Ph.D. candidates in the Woodrow Wilson School undertake the in-depth study of policy issues in conjunction with appropriate departments of the University. The goal is to admit and enroll an incoming class of 10 to 15 students in which each person brings his or her own distinctive qualities based on academic strengths, life and work experiences, and a commitment to excellence in research.

The School's Ph.D. program bases its degree requirements on the doctoral requirements of its affiliated departments of Politics, Economics, Sociology, and several science departments, in conjunction with the Program in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy. Woodrow Wilson School Ph.D. students acquire the research methodology required in these departments and complete the majority of their general examinations in these departments. Students take a combination of graduate courses through the social science departments and the School's curriculum.

The purpose of the doctoral program is to train researchers in areas relating to public policy. To ensure that each student's coursework is directed most effectively toward preparation for the dissertation, the program is organized into four academic clusters with a faculty chair assigned to provide guidance to currently enrolled students.

Assistant Secretary-General for Policy and Planning, United Nations, New York, N.Y.
A leading authority on nation-building, peace operations, and counter-terrorism, Robert Orr was named Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations in August 2004. Working directly in the U.N. Secretary-General's office, he is in charge of policy and planning for the United Nations.

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