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Public and Social Policy Program

Saint Louis University’s interdisciplinary graduate public and social policy program serves a vibrant intellectual community committed to academic excellence.

Housed within the College of Arts and Sciences, our Ph.D. program has six concentrations:

  • Health policy
  • International development policy
  • Policy and geo-spatial analysis
  • Public administration
  • Urban and community development policy
  • Law, crime and policy

Choose one of the concentrations or combine two or more. We offer a diverse set of classes and research opportunities related to public and social policy.

Learn more about the Ph.D. in Public and Social Policy

For more information about the cutting-edge opportunities available through SLU’s public and social policy program, email psp@slu.edu.

Why a Ph.D. in Public and Social Policy?

SLU’s public and social policy program provides a Catholic, Jesuit education that can prepare you to solve significant social and political problems. You’ll address persistent poverty in American cities and countries around the world, urban renewal, racial and ethnic inequality, and health disparities.

Our Ph.D. in public and social policy can prepare you for scholarly and leadership roles in government, university, research and public service settings by providing you with multiple disciplinary perspectives and advanced methodological skills. You will learn how quality research can inform both basic and policy-related questions, and gain the ability to share your knowledge with both academic and non-academic audiences.

Whether you choose to shape public policy practice, tackle the challenges of cities in crisis or make an impact on international development, a Ph.D. in public and social policy from SLU provides the necessary tools to make a real difference.