CSSH Graduate Programs General Regulations
The PhD in Public Policy is an interdisciplinary program that combines social science and legal theoretical perspectives with quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. The faculty in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs support students’ research and dissertations in three broad areas of inquiry—urban and regional policy, sustainability and resilience, and health management and policy. Students work with faculty advisors to formulate a plan of study within their field of concentration by choosing from graduate programs offered in the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, the College of Social Sciences and Humanities, and in other colleges and schools at Northeastern University. Students study a common body of knowledge in core courses in policy theory, research methods, and statistics, followed by courses in each student’s respective concentration. The school’s research centers and faculty research projects provide opportunities for students to develop insight, experience, and synergies to help with their own research goals. The college and school offer a high level of support allowing all students to be devoted full time to their studies and research. The program is full time and in residence only.
Doctoral Degree Candidacy
Complete all required coursework with a minimum 3.500 grade-point average, pass the comprehensive examinations, and defend a dissertation proposal. Students entering without a JD or master’s degree must complete 55 semester hours. Students entering with a JD or master’s degree must complete 47 semester hours.
Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.
Milestones
Annual review
Comprehensive examination
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
PhD candidacy
Dissertation defense
Core Requirements
A grade of B+ or higher is required in each course.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
POLS 7204 | Seminar in Public Policy | 4 |
Complete the following two courses for a minimum of 4 semester hours total: | 4 | |
Directed Study | ||
Research | ||
Research and Statistical Methods | ||
INSH 6300 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 4 |
INSH 6302 | Qualitative Methods | 4 |
INSH 7400 | Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
Advanced Methods | ||
Complete one of the following (an additional concentration elective may be taken in lieu of the advanced methods elective): | 4 | |
Advanced Quantitative Analysis | ||
or INSH 7600 | Multilevel Theorizing and Analysis |
Experiential Research Residency
A PhD research residency or waiver is required.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
PPUA 9980 | Experiential PhD Research Residency | 0 |
Concentrations
Complete one of the following concentrations:
Exam and Dissertation
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Exam Prep | ||
Only needed for PhD students who have completed all coursework but have not yet passed the comprehensive exam/proposal defense. Repeatable. | ||
Exam Preparation—Doctoral | ||
Dissertation | ||
Dissertation Term 1 | ||
Dissertation Term 2 | ||
Dissertation Continuation | ||
Following completion of two semesters of dissertation (PPUA 9990 and PPUA 9991), registration in the following class is required in each semester (including summer if the dissertation is submitted in summer) until the dissertation is completed: | ||
Dissertation Continuation |
Program Credit/GPA Requirements
55 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.500 GPA required
Health Policy and Management Concentration
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
PPUA 6220 | How Healthcare Works: Business and Policy Innovations | 4 |
Health Organization | ||
HRMG 6220 | Health Organization Management | 3 |
Business Elective | ||
Complete 3 semester hours from the following: | 3 | |
Healthcare Finance | ||
Managing Healthcare Supply Chain Operations | ||
Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations | ||
Law Requirement | ||
LW 7335 | Health Law | 3 |
Electives | ||
Complete a minimum of 18 semester hours from the following: | 18 | |
Topics in Applied Economics | ||
Strategizing Public Policy | ||
Health Policy and Politics | ||
Techniques of Program Evaluation | ||
Environment, Health, and Society | ||
Social Movements in Health | ||
PHTH 6000–9999 (public health elective, by advisement) |
Sustainability and Resilience Concentration
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
PPUA 6101 | Environmental Science and Policy Seminar 1 | 4 |
Law Requirement | ||
LW 7329 | Environmental Law | 3 |
Electives | ||
Complete 24 semester hours from the following: | 24 | |
Critical Infrastructure Resilience | ||
Strategizing Public Policy | ||
Cities, Sustainability, and Climate Change | ||
Security and Resilience Policy | ||
Critical Infrastructure Resilience | ||
Techniques of Program Evaluation | ||
Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems | ||
Resilient Cities | ||
Directed Study | ||
Environment, Health, and Society |
Urban and Regional Policy Concentration
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
PPUA 7521 | Seminar in Urban Theory | 4 |
Law Requirement | ||
Consult an advisor when selecting courses from the following: | 3 | |
LW 6000–9999 | ||
Electives | ||
Complete 24 semester hours from the following: | 24 | |
Environmental Systems | ||
Crime and Community Context | ||
Workshop in Applied Econometrics | ||
International Economic Development | ||
Urban Economic Development | ||
Economics of Government | ||
Economics of Law and Regulation | ||
Applied Econometrics 2 | ||
Labor Market Analysis | ||
Strategizing Public Policy | ||
Contemporary Issues in Third World Development | ||
Social Networks | ||
The 21st-Century City: Urban Opportunities and Challenges in a Global Context | ||
Techniques of Program Evaluation | ||
Institutions and Public Policy | ||
Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems | ||
Directed Study | ||
Globalization, Development, and Social Justice | ||
Race and Ethnic Relations |
Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.
Milestones
Annual review
Comprehensive examination
Dissertation committee
Dissertation proposal
PhD candidacy
Dissertation defense
Core Requirements
A grade of B+ or higher is required in each course.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
POLS 7204 | Seminar in Public Policy | 4 |
Complete the following two courses for a minimum of 4 semester hours total: | 4 | |
Directed Study | ||
Research | ||
Research and Statistical Methods | ||
INSH 6300 | Research Methods in the Social Sciences | 4 |
INSH 6302 | Qualitative Methods | 4 |
INSH 7400 | Quantitative Analysis | 4 |
Advanced Methods | ||
Complete one of the following (an additional concentration elective may be taken in lieu of the advanced methods elective): | 4 | |
Advanced Quantitative Analysis | ||
or INSH 7600 | Multilevel Theorizing and Analysis |
Experiential Research Residency
A PhD research residency or waiver is required.
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
PPUA 9980 | Experiential PhD Research Residency | 0 |
Concentrations
Complete one of the following concentrations:
Exam and Dissertation
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Exam Prep | ||
Only required for students who have completed PhD coursework but have yet to complete the comprehensive exam/proposal defense. Repeatable. | ||
Exam Preparation—Doctoral | ||
Dissertation | ||
Dissertation Term 1 | ||
Dissertation Term 2 | ||
Dissertation Continuation | ||
Following completion of PPUA 9990 and PPUA 9991, registration in the following class is required in each semester (including summer if the dissertation is submitted in summer) until the dissertation is completed: | ||
Dissertation Continuation |
Program Credit/GPA Requirements
47 total semester hours required
Minimum 3.500 GPA required
Health Policy and Management Concentration
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
PPUA 6220 | How Healthcare Works: Business and Policy Innovations | 4 |
Health Organization | ||
HRMG 6220 | Health Organization Management | 3 |
Business Elective | ||
Complete 3 semester hours from the following: | 3 | |
Healthcare Finance | ||
Managing Healthcare Supply Chain Operations | ||
Strategic Management for Healthcare Organizations | ||
Law Requirement | ||
LW 7335 | Health Law | 3 |
Electives | ||
Complete a minimum of 10 semester hours from the following: | 10 | |
Topics in Applied Economics | ||
Strategizing Public Policy | ||
Health Policy and Politics | ||
Techniques of Program Evaluation | ||
Environment, Health, and Society | ||
Social Movements in Health | ||
PHTH 6000 to PHTH 9999 (public health elective, by advisement) |
Sustainability and Resilience Concentration
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
PPUA 6101 | Environmental Science and Policy Seminar 1 | 4 |
Law Requirement | ||
LW 7329 | Environmental Law | 3 |
Electives | ||
Complete 16 semester hours from the following: | 16 | |
Critical Infrastructure Resilience | ||
Strategizing Public Policy | ||
Cities, Sustainability, and Climate Change | ||
Security and Resilience Policy | ||
Critical Infrastructure Resilience | ||
Techniques of Program Evaluation | ||
Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems | ||
Resilient Cities | ||
Directed Study | ||
Environment, Health, and Society |
Urban and Regional Policy Concentration
Code | Title | Hours |
---|---|---|
Seminar | ||
PPUA 7521 | Seminar in Urban Theory | 4 |
Law Requirement | ||
Consult an advisor when selecting courses from the following: | 3 | |
LW 6000 to LW 9999 | ||
Electives | ||
Complete 16 semester hours from the following: | 16 | |
Environmental Systems | ||
Crime and Community Context | ||
Workshop in Applied Econometrics | ||
International Economic Development | ||
Urban Economic Development | ||
Economics of Government | ||
Economics of Law and Regulation | ||
Applied Econometrics 2 | ||
Labor Market Analysis | ||
Strategizing Public Policy | ||
Contemporary Issues in Third World Development | ||
Social Networks | ||
The 21st-Century City: Urban Opportunities and Challenges in a Global Context | ||
Techniques of Program Evaluation | ||
Advanced Spatial Analysis of Urban Systems | ||
Directed Study | ||
Globalization, Development, and Social Justice | ||
Race and Ethnic Relations |