Students in the Joint Degree Program must be admitted by their home (disciplinary) department as well as the multidisciplinary social policy faculty who lead the core seminar. Only those who are admitted by both committees will be eligible to participate in the program. This restriction insures complete integration of the students into their disciplinary departments as well as the social policy community. The application process, outlined below, differs based on the students’ home departments.

Politics. Students interested in the joint degree in “Politics and Social Policy” have the option of applying to the JDP at the time of the initial application to the Princeton Graduate School or transferring into the program after their first or second year of graduate study. Online applications are available at the Princeton Graduate School website and are due by December 15. To apply at the outset, students should select both “politics” and “social policy” under the areas of interest portion of the application. To transfer into the program after the first or second year, students must complete the internal application for admission by March 1.

Population Studies. Students interested in the joint degree in “Population Studies and Social Policy” should apply as incoming first year graduate students. Online applications are available at the Princeton Graduate School website and are due by December 1. Under the “areas of interest” portion of the application, prospective JDP students should select “Population Studies” and "social policy."

Psychology. Students interested in the joint degree in Psychology and Social Policy may apply to the program in their second or third year of graduate school by completing the internal application for admission by March 1.

Sociology. Students interested in the joint degree in “Sociology and Social Policy” have the option of applying to the JDP at the time of their initial application to the Princeton Graduate School or transferring into the program after their first or second year of graduate study. Online applications are available at the Princeton Graduate School website and are due by December 15. To apply at the outset, students should select both “sociology” and “social policy” under the “areas of interest” portion of the application. To transfer into the program after the first or second year, students should complete the internal application for admission by March 1.

Economics. Students admitted to the Economics Department may apply for a “fellowship in social policy,” which does not lead to a degree, but which provides full fellowship support (including tuition) for one year. Typically students in Economics enter the program in their third or fourth year. To apply, complete the online Fellowship application.
 

Financial Support and Benefits. JDP students (across the four participating departments) receive funding equivalent to that provided by their home departments, consisting of tuition plus a regular stipend which is adjusted annually by the Graduate School. (In 2010-11, the stipend was $26,000 per year). Precept assignments, required of all Princeton graduate students, are remunerated separately and in addition to the stipend, according to the Graduate School’s policies for Fellows appointed as Assistant Instructors. Similarly, students have ample opportunity to work on faculty grants both for additional income and to advance their professional qualifications through research experience and, where appropriate, joint publications.   *Please note that students enrolled in the JDP from fall 2013 on will not receive precept waivers for participation.

Princeton provides housing on campus and maintains extensive information on off campus housing opportunities. Housing is usually available for single students and those with partners and children.

Graduate students, their spouses/partners, and children are eligible for the University’s health care and child care plans for the duration of their registration as full time students. Graduate students are also eligible for maternity, child adoption and primary caregiver benefits, which are described under the University’s Childbirth Accomodation and Adoption policy.

For more details about application process for Economics, Politics, Psychology, Sociology, Population Studies, click on the links to these departments. The links are as follows:

http://www.princeton.edu/economics
http://www.princeton.edu/politics
http://psych.princeton.edu/psychology/home/index.php
http://sociology.princeton.edu/
http://opr.princeton.edu/