Welcome to the Pardee RAND Graduate School

Tomorrow’s toughest and most urgent problems need a new kind of problem solver. They need Pardee RAND — and you.

What Sets Us Apart

The Pardee RAND Graduate School in Santa Monica, California, is the nation’s largest public policy Ph.D. program. It’s also the only program based at an independent public policy research organization—the RAND Corporation.

  • Tools and Technology

    Acquire a wide range of data collection and analytic skills to address complex policy challenges, and harness technology to develop creative solutions.

    Learn more about Tools and Technology

  • Experience

    Gain two years of full-time policy research experience at the independent, nonpartisan RAND Corporation and develop a professional portfolio.

    Learn more about Experience

  • Real-World Impact

    Apply your expertise to research, inform, influence, and lead smart decisionmaking in diverse policy and research careers.

    Learn more about Real-World Impact

  • Freedom

    Graduate with little or no debt, thanks to generous scholarships and research fellowships that cover tuition and living expenses and let students work on RAND research of their choice.

    Learn more about Freedom

Join Us

Pardee RAND students share two attributes: a passion to help change the world for the better, and the discipline to master intellectual tools that will help them do so.

How to Apply

Pardee RAND Insights

The latest research, news, and events from students and faculty.

  • Patients in a busy waiting room

    Research Brief

    New York's Proposed Single-Payer Plan Could Expand Coverage Without More Spending

    Aug 1, 2018

    The New York Health Act could provide insurance to all New York State residents without increasing overall spending if administrative costs are reduced and growth in provider payment rates is restrained, according to research by alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12), student Jamie Ryan ('17), and professors Christine Eibner, Sarah Nowak, and Chapin White. New taxes, instead of premiums and out-of-pocket payments, would finance the program.

  • A desk with 3D printing technology on top

    Commentary

    Downloadable Guns and Other 3-D Printing Security Threats

    Jul 31, 2018

    Americans may soon be able to legally access blueprints for 3D-printed guns. But the growing opposition to them shows that potential security threats do not have to be inevitable, write student Luke Irwin (cohort '16) and professors Troy Smith and Trevor Johnston. The security challenges inherent in 3D printing could be addressed, while the development of industry norms can still be shaped.

  • Ducklings and a swan gather on a sandbank in the Jamaica Bay neighborhood of New York City

    Report

    Building Resilience in an Urban Coastal Environment

    Jul 31, 2018

    Research by alum Jordan Fischbach (cohort '04) examines the potential effects of climate change and sea level rise on flood risk, ecosystems, and water quality in New York City's Jamaica Bay, and how flood risk can be reduced while also improving water quality, restoring habitat, and improving resilience to extreme weather events.

  • wifi

    Tool

    Developing a Manual for Cultural Analysis

    Jul 9, 2018

    Drawing from cognitive and evolutionary anthropology traditions, the authors describe a set of tools capable of dealing with cultural data at various emergent levels. Many techniques are known in the published literature, but this is the first time they have been organized into a single manual structured around a formally theorized notion of culture.

Upcoming Events

Our Graduates at Work

Wang Helps School Foster Ties with China

With the support of alum Hui Wang (cohort '88), Dean Susan Marquis visited academic and nongovernmental institutions in China to establish and strengthen relationships with Pardee RAND. Wang is the outgoing alumni member of the Pardee RAND Board of Governors.

Learn more about Wang's impact

Find out if Pardee RAND is right for you

Fill out a brief pre-application and we'll reply with personalized feedback on your potential fit with our Ph.D. program. We look forward to hearing from you!

Submit a Pre-Application