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Ph.D. in Public Affairs

Our students use evidence-based analysis to develop and lead creative approaches to today's public policy challenges.
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs offers a Ph.D. in Public Affairs in two research clusters: Security Studies; and Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP). Graduates pursue careers in academia, government agencies, policy think tanks, nonprofit agencies, and in the private sector.

Security Studies

This five-year program is designed to prepare Ph.D. students for rigorous, policy-relevant research on the major threats to international and national security and the relevant strategies, institutions, and capabilities that will be needed to confront those threats.

Topics of study include:

  • Grand strategies of the major powers.
  • Arms competitions.
  • Coercive diplomacy.
  • Terrorism.
  • Proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
  • Rapid shifts in regional and global distributions of capabilities.
  • Insurgency, civil war, and regional political instability.
  • Military force composition and capability.
  • Civil-military relations.
  • Innovations in military technologies.

The cluster combines social science training in international security and national defense policy, focused study of specific regions of the world, and exploration of the technical and scientific aspects of proliferation, weapons innovations, terrorist and counterterrorist operations, and insurgency and counterinsurgency warfare. This is an in-residence program, though absences may be taken for approved field research.

Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP)

The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP).

The Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP) cluster of the SPIA doctoral program applies natural science, engineering, and social science methodology to important policy questions related to science, technology, and their impacts on society and the environment. It also emphasizes interactions among natural and social science and engineering in policy analysis. 

The STEP curriculum is designed to enable students to develop a deeper understanding of: (1) the nature of scientific, environmental, and technological problems and analysis approaches to identify opportunities for policy solutions; (2) the specialized research methods used for analyzing issues involving science and technology; (3) the dynamics of science and technology development and application, and (4) the interaction of science and technology with domestic and international politics, law, and regulation.

Advising Structure

The course of study for a STEP Ph.D. student is developed by each student, working closely with a faculty advisor. A student is admitted into the STEP cluster with a designated primary adviser. For this reason, it is critical that prospective students' research interests closely align with potential faculty advisers affiliated with the STEP cluster.

Twenty faculty with appointments in policy, science, and engineering departments comprise the STEP faculty. Their expertise covers a range of environmental and technology policy topics, including: air quality and climate change, ecology and conservation biology policy, global environmental governance, natural hazards and social vulnerability, Integrated Assessment Models, energy systems, information technology policy, AI, social media, and data privacy.