PhD in Public Policy

Please see the College of Social Sciences and Humanities’ Deadlines & Required Materials page for application information.

The personal statement is a brief description of your background, your interests, with a focus on the concentration you wish to pursue. PhD applicants are encouraged to identify professors they are interested in working with for their dissertation area in their statements. The personal statement should not exceed three pages.

The GRE is optional for all students applying to our PhD program with a Fall 2021 start term

For those submitting GRE scores, we do not have a minimum score requirement, and we evaluate all parts of the application in the context of the whole. Test scores may be helpful for applicants with little or no experience beyond the undergraduate degree.

The application system allows you to check the status of your application at any time. More information can be found on the Graduate School’s Admissions FAQ page.

No, we do not offer the program online, students will need to commit to a full time on campus experience.

Information about Stipended Graduate Assistantships and CSSH scholarships can be found here. Information about financial aid can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

Students who attend any Northeastern public policy graduate recruitment event are eligible for an application fee waiver. Events include the University-wide Open House, the CSSH Welcome Day, and department-specific program overviews. When you submit your application, please check “yes” in response to the question, “Did you attend an admission event?” Please enter the date of the event and your application fee will automatically be waived.

All admitted PhDs are awarded Stipended Graduate Assistantships (SGA). These awards offer a stipend, tuition remission and the NUSHP health plan to full-time students. Our program is fully funded for 5 years. Student fees, including the University Health and Counseling Services fee, are not covered by the assistantship. In order to maintain awards, students must be making satisfactory progress toward their degrees. More details about assistantships are included in the admissions offer letters.