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.

Application Deadline

8 Jan

Apply Now

Pardee RAND Insights

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

  • Pavan Katkar (cohort '14) presents research on Blockchain to the Pardee RAND Board of Governors

    Pardee RAND Receives STEM Designation

    Nov 12, 2018

    Thanks to the school's new designation, international students who receive a Pardee RAND Ph.D. may now be eligible to work in the U.S. for three years before needing an H-1B visa. The Department of Homeland Security allows F-1 visa students who receive STEM degrees to apply for a 24-month extension of their visa.

  • Jodi Liu

    Committed to Improving Health Care Policy: Q&A with Jodi Liu

    Oct 23, 2018

    Alum Jodi Liu (cohort '12), an associate policy researcher at RAND, studies how to deliver high-quality care and how to pay for it. She discusses her assessment of a single-payer health care proposal in New York State and the supply-and-demand challenges that might arise if an Alzheimer's treatment became available.

  • A doctor talks to a girl whose arm is in a sling

    A Threat to Immigrant Health Care with Potential Consequences for All

    Oct 12, 2018

    The proposed changes to the “public charge” rule could jeopardize decades of progress towards improved health care access and health for immigrants and U.S. citizens. Prof. Kathryn Pitkin Derose says negative effects may include worse health outcomes, increased use of emergency rooms, and increased prevalence of communicable diseases.

  • Doctor and patient discussing medication

    Alum: In Opioid Policy, One Size Does Not Fit All

    Oct 12, 2018

    Congress is addressing the opioid epidemic through new legislation intended to increase access to treatment using medications such as methadone and buprenorphine. Alum Bradley Stein (cohort '97) says further investments may be required to make counseling more available, increase Medicaid reimbursement for drug treatment, and reduce the stigma associated with mental health treatment.

Upcoming Events

Our Graduates at Work

Schuster Sees Parallels between Pardee RAND and His New School

As the founding dean of the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine, alum Mark Schuster (cohort ’91), sees similarities between his school and Pardee RAND: both are freestanding schools, take a hands-on approach, and are redesigning education in their fields.

Learn more about Schuster and all our alumni

Find out if Pardee RAND is right for you

Pardee RAND seeks students with superior communication, logical reasoning and quantitative skills, who also exhibit intellectual power, creativity, and a practical bent.

The Ideal Candidate

Admissions Events