Master's Degree in Public Policy with a Concentration in Poverty and Inequality
As poverty and inequality are increasingly understood as major social problems, graduate student interest in studying them has taken off, and there is, accordingly, much demand for a Stanford University degree in public policy, poverty, and inequality. The Center, in collaboration with the Department of Sociology, has submitted a proposal for an interdisciplinary two-year Master's Degree in Public Policy (MPP) with a concentration in the analysis of poverty and inequality. The proposed degree, which is currently under consideration by the Stanford University Committee on Graduate Education, would be granted by the School of Humanities and Sciences and administered by the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR) in conjunction with the undergraduate interdisciplinary Public Policy program.
Eligibility and Timing
The proposed MPP program is principally intended for Stanford University students who have been admitted to a Ph.D. program. The joint MPP would entail an additional year of courses that would be taken mainly, but not entirely, in the second year at Stanford University. Although most additional coursework would occur in the second year, MPP students would also be required to take a research practicum course in their third year.
Core Courses
The core MPP courses taken in the second year at Stanford University would cover such topics as economics, benefit-cost analysis, organizations, econometrics, cognitive psychology, law and economics, and political philosophy.
Concentration Courses
In addition to completing these core courses, all MPP students would be expected to choose a concentration from among dozens of possible concentrations, one of which would be in Poverty and Inequality. This concentration may be completed by taking three additional courses from among an approved list of electives. These additional courses would, for most students, count toward the MPP and Ph.D., meaning that taking them would not slow progress toward securing the Ph.D.
The typical student would begin study in the Poverty and Inequality concentration with one of the overview courses ( SOC 340, SOC 241, SOC 240) and then follow up with any two of the more specialized courses. It bears noting that some of the electives, particularly those in Economics, have many prerequisites and may not be feasibly taken save by students with much prior training in the field.
Overviews of Poverty and Inequality Analysis
- SOC 340. Social Stratification
- SOC 241. Controversies About Inequality
- SOC 240. Introduction to Social Stratification
Labor Markets, Institutions, and Inequality
- ECON 145. Labor Economics
- ECON 246. Labor Economics I
- ECON 247. Labor Economics II
- SOC 314. Economic Sociology
Poverty
- SOC 249. The Urban Underclass
- SOC 237. Homelessness: Its Causes, Consequences, and Policy Solutions
- SOC 241A. Social Class, Race, Ethnicity, Health
Discrimination, Prejudice, and Inequality
- PSYCH 178. Stigma and Marginality
- PSYCH 180. Social Psychological Perspectives on Stereotyping and Prejudice
- SOC 243. Prejudice, Racism, and Social Change
Globalization, Development, and Inequality
- ECON 106. World Food Economy
- ECON 118. Development Economics
- ECON 214. Development Economics: Microeconomic Issues
- ECON 216. Development Economics and Growth: Macroeconomics
- ICA 143. Nongovernmental Organizations and Development in Poor Countries
- ICA 203. Issues in International Economics
- POLISCI 140. Political Economy of Development
- POLISCI 441. Politics of Development
Race, Ethnicity, and Inequality
- SOC 342A. Race and Ethnic Relations
- SOC 344. Changing Ideologies of Race in the U.S.
- SOC 234. Seminar in Comparative Race and Ethnic Relations
- SOC 244. Race and Crime in America
- SOC 245. Race and Ethnic Relations
- SOC 248. Racial Identity
Gender and Inequality
- SOC 342B. Gender and Social Structure
- SOC 261B. Women in Organizations
- SOC 242. Sociology of Gender
- SOC 165. Power, Gender, and the Professions
Schooling and Inequality
Ethics, Justice, and Inequality
