PhD in Public Policy and Management 

The increasing complexity of issues of public policy, management, and information systems and technology demands new, interdisciplinary approaches to understanding and solving these problems. Integrating disciplinary perspectives, advancing theoretical models, and improving the quality of methodological and computer-based tools in understanding these issues are the primary goals of research conducted by faculty and students at the Heinz School.

The program is distinctive in its emphasis on the following:

• Collaborative Work - Faculty develop strong mentoring relationships with doctoral students and closely supervise research projects, allowing students to gain the ability to identify and structure feasible and interesting research questions.
• Interdisciplinary Analysis - Students learn the value of using theory and methodologies provided by economics, information systems and technology, psychology, sociology, statistics, operations research and organizational behavior to analyze problems.
• Empirical Methods - The program emphasizes the development of a sophisticated set of methodological skills. Empirical analysis is a foundation for advancing understanding and creating intellectual progress.
• Applied Research - The doctoral program develops students' abilities to conduct path-breaking research in social science, information systems and management. Immersing students in the research process early in the doctoral program is critical to that process. Prior to graduating, many students have published papers in professional journals either individually or jointly with Carnegie Mellon faculty mentors.

Ph.D. students typically work on issues related to public policy, management, information technology, or some combination of the three. In public policy, some key areas of research are crime policy, drug policy, health economics, labor economics, and technology policy. In management, research topics include organizational behavior, negotiation, and social networks.  In information technology, the topics include information security and privacy, online markets and economics, data mining, data confidentiality, healthcare and IT, and IT and organizations. Many students work at the intersection of these issues.

Visit the Heinz School faculty pages for information on faculty research in all of these areas. Visit the IT Policy and Management page for an overview of faculty research focused specifically on the information technology domain. Follow this link for a list of current Ph.D. students and an overview of their research.