CURRICULUM

To graduate, a PhD student must complete the following:

  • 5 Core Courses
  • 4 Elective Courses
  • 2 common courses for NUS graduate research students
  • a PhD Qualifying Examination
  • PhD Thesis and Oral Defence

Students are expected to complete the programme in 4 years.

Core Courses

Below is a list of courses for the PhD programme.

  • PP6702 Foundations of Public Policy (4 units)

    This course focuses on the theoretical foundations of the field of public policy and is designed for PhD students to understand the policy process and empirically examine public policies. It integrates readings in economics, political science, organization and management studies, and related disciplines such as public administration and public management in analyzing public policy. The readings chosen for the course will introduce students to important and authoritative literature in the field and trace how the field of public policy has evolved over the past half century along with related contemporary writings and emerging future directions. The class will draw on practical examples from Asia and beyond to further the class’s collective understanding of the field.

  • PP6704 Economics Analysis for Public Policy (4 units)

    This course aims to provide economic perspectives on selected features of economic systems, and on design, implementation, and outcomes of various public policy that affect firms, households and governments. The first part of the course covers fundamental microeconomic concepts in topics including consumer and firm decision-making, market structure, market failures, welfare, and labor economics. The second part of the course covers foundational macroeconomic theories and their relevance in understanding macro policy.

  • PP6706 Research Methods in Public Policy 1 (4 units)

    This course provides an overview of the practice of quantitative empirical methods used to study the causal effects of policy on observed outcomes. It will focus on the applications of econometric techniques to policy research with real world data sets.

  • PP6709 Political Institutions and Public Administration (4 units)

    This course examines how political institutions and processes shape the development and implementation of public policy. It will focus on the role of key political institutions in the policy process and their impact on policy outcomes. Key topics to be covered include Democracy; Bureaucracy; Public Service Motivations; Public Service Accountability; Good Governance; Collaborative Governance; Institutional Reforms.

  • PP6770 Doctoral Seminar in Public Policy (4 Units)

    The purpose of this course is to facilitate students’ conceptualization and execution of Ph.D. dissertation research at its nascent stage. The course will guide students through the development of dissertation proposals and delve into the art of research design. Specifically, the course will help identify important and policy-oriented research questions and to construct effective strategies for data collection, estimation, and analysis while navigating through limitations. In doing so, the course will act as an on-going venue for students to elicit constructive feedback from the instructor and peers through presentations and discussions. The course will also explore various aspects of publication processes and career trajectories as researchers and/or academics. Students are expected to develop a detailed dissertation proposal by the end of the seminar.

Electives

Students must complete four electives:

  • One elective must be a method course in either programming, data analytics or data visualization.
  • Three electives in student’s selected disciplinary tracks. The three tracks are Economics Analysis, International/Global Affairs or Public Administration/Management.
The elective courses are common to PhD and Master progammes but the mode of assessment may differ. For a list of all elective courses offered, click here 

Common Courses for NUS Graduate Research Students

All students must complete the following courses, please refer to NUS Graduate School

  • NG5001 Academic Communication for Postgraduate Researchers (4 units)
  • NG5002 Research Ethics for Graduate Researchers (2 units)

PhD Qualifying Examination

The PhD Qualifying Examination comprises of a comprehensive written examination consisting of two parts and successful defence of the PhD thesis proposal.

End of Year 1 Semester 2 End of Year 2 Semester 1 Year 3 Semester 1
QE written examination based on core courses PP6702, PP6704 and PP6709 QE written examination in student’s chosen disciplinary track Thesis Proposal Defence

AY2024/2025 Semester 1 Course Schedule, click here.