Curriculum
The Doctor of Philosophy degree in Public and Urban Policy is conferred for completion of 60 graduate credits and approval of a written dissertation or three academic papers that advance knowledge in the field. The 60 credits normally consist of up to
30 credits earned in the student's master's degree program and at least 30 credits taken in residence in the PhD program.
Students must take seven core courses. A full-time graduate student takes at least nine credits (three courses) each semester. You can study part-time but must take a minimum of six credits (two courses) per semester to receive financial aid.
Students should refer to the official New School Academic Catalog to confirm degree completion requirements and should review their academic progress regularly with their faculty advisors.
Research Methods Courses
Students must complete one course in quantitative methods and one in qualitative methods, chosen in consultation with their advisor.
Electives
Students complete any three doctoral-level elective courses approved by their advisor. Electives can include courses offered by other divisions of the university.
Portfolio Review
The student’s PhD candidacy will begin after successful portfolio review. The student’s portfolio consists of academic papers and other artifacts that provide evidence of student accomplishment, intellectual orientation, and research direction. Each student
will have a three-person portfolio committee that will evaluate their portfolio. Students who pass the portfolio review earn the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree and are eligible to proceed to the dissertation stage. Students must complete 60 credits
before they are eligible for portfolio review.
Dissertation
A dissertation proposal is developed in consultation with the student's faculty advisor and dissertation committee. A Public and Urban Policy doctoral dissertation can take the form of either a single book-length manuscript or a set of three papers (normally
40-70 pages each, including figures, tables, endnotes, and references). In either format, the dissertation must present original material that advances knowledge about important public policy problems. Oral defense of students' dissertation proposal
and oral defense of dissertation are also required.
Transfer Credits
Of the 60 credits required for the PhD, a maximum of 30 credits can be transferred from another university’s master's program, provided the courses are deemed relevant to Milano's PhD Public and Urban Policy program. A maximum of 36 credits can be transferred
from New School master's program, and a maximum of 42 credits can be transferred from a different PhD program. Students who wish to transfer credits earned at a graduate school outside of the United States must provide a course-by-course evaluation
of their international transcripts prepared by a NACES-approved evaluation service. The evaluation must be received before courses can be reviewed for transfer of credits.
Graduate Minors
Students can use elective courses toward completing one of the university’s graduate minors. Graduate minors are officially recorded on students' transcripts.