Doctoral study in Public Policy

Why study with us?

Our Doctoral Program in Public Policy at the University of Auckland offers an exceptional educational experience for future leaders. So take the opportunity to produce policy-relevant research addressing complex societal challenges both national and global. The programme embraces an interdisciplinary approach, with students able to draw on expertise from a range of academic domains. We welcome scholars whose interests centre in Te Tiriti and Kaupapa Māori methodologies.

As a doctoral candidate, you'll benefit from financial support for research expenses through PReSS funding, high-calibre supervision practices, and the networks and expertise of our world-class academic researchers.
 

Research opportunities

We welcome PhD research proposals in areas such as:

  • Comparative public policy
  • Gender policy analysis
  • Foreign and cross-cultural policy 
  • Māori and Indigenous policy
  • Applied statistics and policy
  • Health policy
  • Policy transfer
  • Immigration and refugee policies
  • Evidence-based policy planning
  • Criminal justice policy 
  • Technology policy
  • Online behaviour and politics
  • Development policy
  • Policy implementation and evaluation
  • Cross-sector policy
  • Trans-Tasman policy leadership
  • Space policy

Our people

We are a collaborative group of researchers with diverse backgrounds, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of public policy. We have experts in political science, sociology, indigenous studies, statistics, economics, health, technology, and other relevant fields. This diversity of expertise allows us to tackle complex policy challenges from various angles, fostering innovative and effective solutions to real-world problems.