Public Policy Track
Joint PhD in Political Science, Public Policy Track
Application deadline: January 25, 2012.
The program
The Doctoral Program in Public Policy is a specialized track in the Political Science PhD Program. It is operated by the Doctoral School of Political Science, Public Policy and International Relations. The program prepares graduate students for careers in both academic and applied research institutions. Core courses focus on the development of professional level research and analytical skills in the fields of European and international public policy, comparative policy analysis and political economy.
The Public Policy Track is based on the assumption that modern policy making, devoted to the principles of good governance, transparency, accountability and effectiveness, needs to be based on sound academic analysis of the problems and policies at stake. In this way, the track aims to attract scholars interested in conducting thorough and systematic academic work on the cause, function, nature and outcome of public policy on all levels of policy-making, whether global, regional, national, or local. Study on the track is founded upon both quantitative and qualitative methodologies; while the track puts and emphasis on empirically driven analysis, it also encourages the consideration of normative aspects and their socio-economic contexts. The track principally aims at training academic researchers in the field of public policy; yet, scholars also learn to apply analytical tools to ‘real world’ policy problems and to generate high quality policy advice.
DPP faculty involved in the PhD program brings a unique set of skills and perspectives. In addition to being authoritative voices in their respective fields of research, they also have first-hand policy experience, working for think-tanks (e.g. the RAND Corporation) or businesses (e.g. Vodafone), consulting with NGOs (e.g. Open Society Institute, Transparency International) or advising national or local governments, as well as international organizations (e.g. World Bank Institute).
Much of the student work in the doctoral program is centered on doctoral workshops and departmental seminars, where PhD candidates get acquainted with visiting scholars from the most outstanding European and US universities. As the department’s faculty is actively involved in European Union-funded research projects, such as CONNEX, RECON, RECWOWE and GARNET, doctoral candidates gain direct access to academic networks, workshops, and conferences in their field, both at CEU and beyond.
Selected Areas of Research
The department welcomes applications in fields that reflect the multi-disciplinary nature of public policy and the department’s mission to bridge policy and practice. These are, in particular,
- European Union politics and policy, regional integration
- Governance (local, national, European Union, global)
- Public management and administration
- Policy reform analysis
- Development and trade
- Role of civil society in public policy
- Minorities
- Public services and utilities (particularly media and communications, energy and higher education)
- Economic and labor market policy
- Political parties and public policies
Core curriculum
- Research methods and design
- Prospectus seminar
- Public Policy: Theories, Traditions and Transitions
- Public Administration
- Research in EU integration and governance
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