About PhD Program,
The Evans School Ph.D. program is a rigorous and supportive educational experience for those interested in pursuing applied research careers in academic, government, and nonprofit organizations. We train sophisticated analysts and scholars with a deep understanding of the institutional, historical, normative, and economic factors shaping policy design, implementation, and evaluation.
Policy and management research examines:
- the effects of laws and regulations on people, communities, and organizations;
- processes for creating equitable and inclusive democratic governance;
- management of multi-sectoral (government, nonprofit, and private) partnerships, and;
- equitable provision of public goods and services.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
The GRE is not required and there is no minimum GRE score. Applicants to the Evans School must submit either official GRE scores or a Quantitative/Analytic Resume. We review applications holistically, taking into account your prior coursework and grades, your letters of recommendation, your research experience and writing sample, your personal statement, and your test scores or quantitative/analytic resume. We are looking for evidence of quantitative and analytic preparation and aptitude. We recommend that applicants submit official GRE scores if they have not had prior coursework in economics, statistics, quantitative methods, or other quantitative subjects.
Our Ph.D. program is an academic degree program designed to prepare graduates for careers as tenure-track academics or senior researchers at think tanks or NGO’s. The curriculum of the program focuses on research skill development and professional development within the academic field.
PhD Funding Coverage,
We offer all students admitted into our doctoral program five years of full funding through a mix of research and teaching assistantships at the Evans School. Full funding consists of a tuition waiver, a monthly stipend of approximately $2,300-2,600, and health insurance. Research and teaching assistantships have a 20 hour a week work obligation.
The first step to funding your program is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which allows you to invest in your future through needs-based loans and private loans. We encourage applicants to file your FAFSA as soon as possible, noting University of Washington, Code 003798 on the form. Eligibility requirements and funding amounts vary annually. Financial aid awards generally require full-time enrollment (10 or more credits per quarter); however, students on the part-time MPA tract and EMPA program are eligible for financial aid at part-time enrollment (at 5 or more credits per quarter).
The Evans School does not participate in the State Employee Tuition Exemption Program for Washington State employees, with the exception of those approved for enrollment as graduate non-matriculated students. Students enrolled in Evans School degree programs are not eligible for Tuition Exemption.
We’ve also compiled a list of other external funding scholarships, grants, and fellowships from outside of the UW.
Application Requirement,
- Resume,including:
- Relevant academic, professional, volunteer, or military experience
- Academic and/or professional honors, prizes, or scholarships
- Leadership positions and professional affiliations
- Writing sampleof a sole-authored piece of work showing your analytic and writing capacity. The sample should be cut down to 30 pages or fewer if taken from a longer document.
- Statement of purpose,describing in 750 words or less:
- Yourself and your experience in the context of your decision to purse the Ph.D. in public policy and management
- Your expectations of the Ph.D. program in furthering your career objectives
- Your research interests and how you see them matching the strengths of the Evans School
- Your academic background, research, professional, and other experiences as well as any other factors relevant to your interest in public policy and management
- Unofficial transcriptsfrom each college or university you have attended. Upon acceptance into the program, students will be asked to send an official copy of their transcript to the UW Graduate School office for degree verification purposes.
- Admitted students will be required to complete a college-level course in calculus before enrolling in the Ph.D. program. The application asks about your prior calculus coursework. If you haven’t previously taken calculus, you can briefly detail (in two sentences or fewer) your plan to do so if admitted into the program.
- Three letters of recommendation,to be submitted electronically by your references. At least two of the letters should be from faculty familiar with your academic work, and all three should address your capacity for pursuing an advanced research degree. You may designate up to five recommenders in the application system, but only three letters are required for your application to be complete.
- GRE Scores or Quantitative/Analytic Resume:Applicants to the Evans School Ph.D. program have the option of either submitting official GRE scores OR addressing their quantitative and analytic preparation in a Quantitative/Analytic Resume. Applications without one of these components will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed.
- Applicants who choose to submit GRE scores need to have official scores sent from ETS. GMAT scores can be submitted in place of the GRE, but the GRE is preferred. Scores should be sent to the University of Washington (institution code: 4854). We highly recommend submitting official GRE scores if you have not previously completed coursework in advanced math or statistics, or if your coursework in these areas is more than 10 years old.
- Applicants who choose to submit a Quantitative/Analytic Resumeshould use the template provided. The template collects complete information about quantitative and analytic coursework and professional experience.
- TOEFL scores, or other demonstration of English language proficiency, for applicants whose native language is not English. See the full list of ways to establish English language proficiency. The Evans School no longer accepts IELTS scores as a measure of English language proficiency.
- A research proposal is not required for the application, but we ask applicants review the list of potential Ph.D. advisorsand identify 2-3 whose research aligns with your interests. You may include a one or two sentence explanation for each faculty member about why you have selected them.
Application Deadline
Dec 15, 2024
Application Fee,
Application fee of $90 (U.S.). The graduate admissions application fee has increased by $5.00 to $90.00 for all programs beginning on or after autumn 2025.
