Program Requirements
Clemson University offers graduate studies leading to a PhD degree and a Certificate in Policy Studies. Graduate work in policy studies enables a student to attain a high degree of specialized competence in policy analysis and to secure a mastery of policy research, emphasizing quantitative and economic skills. Government, industry, public policy “think tanks,” and other policy research organizations, nonprofit organizations, and universities offer challenging opportunities in policy analysis, issue development, education, and related areas for persons with advanced training.
The program emphasizes quantitative, economic, and political organization, as well as other social science skills in the analysis and development of policy. Fundamental and rigorous quantitative and analytical skills for effective policy analysis are developed through core courses in political economy for public policy, ethics, statistical methods for policy research, demographic projections and spatial analysis, policy analysis and political choice, organizational theory and management, applied economics, and a policy analysis workshop. PhD students also select a concentration in Agricultural Policy, Environmental and Natural Resource Policy, Rural and Economic Development Policy, or Science and Technology. Flexibility is also achieved through enrichment, electives, leadership development courses, and the selection of a PhD dissertation topic. The program consists of a minimum of 63 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree, of which up to 24 credits may be drawn from master’s degree and other postgraduate work. There is no foreign language requirement for the PhD degree in Policy Studies.
The graduate program in Policy Studies also offers students enrolled in related master’s and doctoral programs the opportunity to gain competence in and understanding of policy analysis. Depending on students’ backgrounds and academic preparation, they may supplement their primary master’s coursework with a Certificate in Policy Studies. The Certificate in Policy Studies is designed to equip students with a set of explicit public policy research and analytical skills to augment their preparation in a traditional master’s program. The certificate program involves 12 credit hours of coursework.
The faculty in Policy Studies encourages applications for the PhD program from recipients of a master’s degree who wish to acquire policy research and analytical skills in economic development, agriculture, natural resource allocation, rural development, small town and community development, tourism development, environmental issues, land use, infrastructure, public finance, growth management, and science and technology. Master’s-level students with similar interests are encouraged to enhance their graduate studies with a Certificate in Policy Studies.
The faculty encourages applications from students who have backgrounds that will facilitate an interdisciplinary course of study. In many cases, students may be admitted to full graduate status in the PhD program without prerequisites other than those required of all graduate students.
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