Public Policy Program

Gregory L. Rosston, Director

Government plays an important, ubiquitous role in contemporary society. Moreover, the growing complexity of public policies, the political processes that give rise to them, and the organizations that implement them have created a need in government, business, and the nonprofit sector for people who understand how government operates.

The Public Policy Program gives students the foundational skills and institutional knowledge necessary for understanding the policy process, and provides an interdisciplinary course of study in the design, management, and evaluation of public sector programs and institutions. The major in Public Policy is useful as preparation for employment as an analyst in government agencies or business: as a foundation for postgraduate professional schools in business, education, law, and public policy: and as preparation for graduate study in the social sciences, especially economics, political science, and sociology.

The Public Policy Program at Stanford offers both an undergraduate degree and a Masters in Public Policy. The Masters is only available to graduate students already admitted into other Stanford graduate degree programs.