Program Overview

Master of Public Policy: Social Policy Concentration

The Social Policy Concentration focuses on how to improve the lives of citizens by supporting their education, work, health, and wellbeing.

Focus

Social policy includes supports and services from governments, civil society, private sector entities, and non-governmental organizations for all stages of life. This encompasses education, housing assistance, crime reduction, and poverty reduction, among others. Social policy aims to promote equity by identifying and addressing inequalities in access to supports and services for individuals in different socially defined groups, such as race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, and age.

Careers

This concentration prepares students for positions in government, the private sector, and non-profits, focusing on issues that address the needs of citizens or society related to education, work, health, and wellbeing. Potential positions include data analysts, program evaluators, municipal government specialists, company government affairs or social responsibility managers, equity-based lobbying consultants, and civil society advocates.

Benefits for Students

• Interdisciplinary ties across campus, including connections to other Duke schools and academic programs.
• Top-notch faculty with a formidable combination of academic and practical credentials in social policy.
• Opportunities to learn from outstanding speakers, including contemporary social policy leaders.
• Strong connections to faculty with expertise on social policy in North Carolina government and the federal government.
• Access to the North Carolina Education Research Data Center, which houses all public school student records for the state of North Carolina and facilitates a range of education and social policy research.

Knowledge and Skills

• A historical and current view of social policy.
• Understanding the roles and power that data, analysis, and design have on social policy outcomes.
• Knowledge of social science research methods.
• Perspectives on the social risks associated with inequity of opportunity and income (race and wealth).
• The ability to evaluate and analyze policy, program, or product impacts and outcomes.
• Knowledge of how to design and measure a policy or program using randomized control trials, storytelling, and human-centered design.
• Connections to internships and capstone projects with local, state, and federal government entities, and at social organizations.
• Practical skills in coding and data analysis.

Policy Concentration Advisor

Garry S. Mitchell, Assistant Professor in the Sanford School of Public Policy, serves as the advisor for the Social Policy Concentration. Students can explore faculty, centers, and other resources the Sanford School has related to the study of social policy.

Student Stories

Students like Kanishka Desai MPP'26 have found the program transformative. Kanishka took a Human-Centered Design class that reshaped her approach to solving complex societal challenges and policy matters. She then served as a student policy consultant for the Durham Farmers' Market, applying her skills in real-world settings.

The Sanford School of Public Policy is committed to providing a comprehensive education that prepares students for careers in social policy, among other fields. With its strong faculty, interdisciplinary approach, and connection to real-world policy issues, the Master of Public Policy: Social Policy Concentration is a valuable program for those seeking to make a positive impact in the lives of citizens.