Sanford School of Public Policy

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Duke University
Sanford School of Public Policy
TypePrivate, public policy school
Established1971
Parent institution
Duke University
AffiliationsAPSIA
DeanInterim, Manoj Mohanan
Named forTerry Sanford
Location
Durham, North Carolina
,
U.S.
ProgramsGovernment, leadership, ethics, journalism, international development
Websitesanford.duke.edu

The Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy is the public policy school of Duke University, a private university in Durham, North Carolina.

The school was named after former Duke president and Governor of North Carolina Terry Sanford, who established the university's Institute for Policy Sciences and Public Affairs in 1971 as an interdisciplinary program geared toward training future leaders. When the School's current building on Duke's West Campus opened in 1994, the structure was named—and the Institute renamed—in honor of Sanford. The building was designed by Architectural Resources Cambridge, Inc. in a Modern Gothic style. The Sanford School offers bachelor's, master's, and doctoral programs in Public Policy.

A second building, named for principal benefactor David Rubenstein, opened in August 2005. The building houses several of the school's centers including the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy and the Duke Center for International Development. Rubenstein Hall had its formal dedication, which included a speech by former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on November 4, 2005.

The Institute officially became Duke's tenth school on July 1, 2009, when it was renamed the Sanford School of Public Policy.[1] Manoj Mohanan was named Interim Dean in July 2024.[2]

Academic programs

Undergraduate

Sanford offers an undergraduate major in Public Policy Studies, a minor in Technology Policy, and a minor in Journalism and Media.[3] The undergraduate program was slightly altered starting with the class of 2009. The department also recently instituted several "pathways," or groups of classes focused on one aspect of public policy. One aspect of the program that is unique among Duke's undergraduate majors is the requirement of a public policy-related summer internship.

The Institute also offers two undergraduate certificates: the Child Policy Research Certificate and the Policy Journalism and Media Studies Certificate.

Sanford also runs a study-abroad program at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. One notable aspect of the fall semester program is a four-day tour of London and its important cultural and political institutions and meetings with members of Parliament.

Graduate

At the graduate level, the School currently offers Master of Public Policy and Master of International Development Policy[4] degrees. It also offers an international Master of Environmental Policy (iMEP) degree with the Nicholas School of the Environment and Duke Kunshan University.[5]

The program offers graduate level concentrations[6] in six areas: Environment and Energy Policy, Health Policy, International Development Policy, National Security and Foreign Policy, Social Policy, and Technology Policy.

The Ph.D program started in the fall of 2007.

Centers and programs

The following centers and programs are affiliated with the Institute and/or operated by the Institute's faculty and staff.[7]

  • The Duke University Center for Child and Family Policy
  • The Center for Strategic Philanthropy and Civil Society
  • Center for the Study of Philanthropy and Voluntarism
  • Counterterrorism and Public Policy Fellows Program
  • The DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy
  • The Duke Center for International Development
  • Duke in DC - Policy, Leadership, and Innovation
  • Duke Program in American Grand Strategy
  • The Hart Leadership Program
  • Polis: Center for Politics
  • The Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Center for Ethics, Public Policy, and the Professions
  • Triangle Institute for Security Studies
  • The World Food Policy Center

Rankings

Top specialities and overall graduate level public affairs program as ranked by U.S. News & World Report in 2024:[8]

  • 3rd in Environmental Policy & Management
  • 6th in Public-Policy Analysis
  • 5th in Health Policy & Management
  • 12th in Social Policy
  • 21st in overall graduate level public affairs program

References

  1. "Dean Talks About Transformation to Sanford School of Public Policy". Duke University. Archived from the original on 2009-07-25. Retrieved 2009-07-11.
  2. "Meet Manoj Mohanan, Interim Dean of the Sanford School". Duke Sanford School of Public Policy. July 1, 2024.
  3. "Programs | Sanford School of Public Policy". sanford.duke.edu. Retrieved 2026-03-30.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. "MIDP Replaces PIDP". Archived from the original on 2009-05-31. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  5. "International Master of Environmental Policy | Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy". sanford.duke.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-01-04. Retrieved 2021-01-05.
  6. "Concentration Areas". Retrieved 2020-08-29.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2026-03-24. Retrieved 2026-05-20.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "2025 Best Public Affairs Programs". U.S. News and World Report. Retrieved March 30, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

35°59′57.72″N 78°56′38.26″W / 35.9993667°N 78.9439611°W / 35.9993667; -78.9439611