Ph.D. in Public Policy and Management

Heinz College's Ph.D. program distinguishes itself from others because of its interdisciplinary nature and emphasis on solving business and policy problems. Our Ph.D. faculty members have expertise in a wide range of fields, including economics, information systems, social networks, Machine learning, behavioral sciences, operations research, and computer science. Integrating disciplinary perspectives, advancing theoretical models, and improving the quality of methodological and computer-based tools in understanding these issues are the primary goals of research conducted by faculty and students in our program.

Our Ph.D. program distinguishes itself by emphasizing the following:

Collaborative Work: Create strong mentoring relationships with acclaimed faculty who closely supervise research projects, allowing you to identify and structure feasible and interesting research questions.

Hands-On Research Training: Students in our program start working on original research in their very first year. You will complete and write up two research projects before beginning your dissertation. Students often present their research at academic conferences (both national and international) and publish their research findings in scholarly journals, often with Heinz faculty.

Interdisciplinary Analysis: Learn the value of using theory and methodologies provided by economics, psychology, sociology, statistics, operations research and organizational behavior to analyze problems.

Empirical Methods: Development of a sophisticated set of methodological skills. Empirical analysis is a foundation for advancing understanding and creating intellectual progress.

Applied Research: Develop ability to conduct path-breaking and relevant research. Prior to graduating, you also have the opportunity to publish papers in professional journals either individually or jointly with Heinz College faculty mentors and present your findings at research conferences.