To provide the full spectrum of graduate public policy education to cater to the varying training needs of professionals with an interest in public policy, the School launched a Public Policy PhD programme in 2006. This initiative will boost the School’s research capabilities and further its aim of becoming a centre of excellence for research and education in the field of public policy.

The PhD programme will strengthen the capability and effectiveness of candidates in researching complex multi-dimensional policy issues and equip them with the necessary theoretical frameworks, research methods and tools to conduct scientific inquiry to address contemporary public policy issues. For the inaugural cohort, the School admitted four outstanding candidates, two of whom are recipients of the Presidential Graduate Fellowship, an award given by NUS to the top PhD students each semester. The School plans to admit between five to eight candidates for subsequent cohorts of this elite programme.