Application Procedures
AMCAS application to Duke deadline: OCTOBER 15, 2018
Duke MSTP secondary application deadline: NOVEMBER 15, 2018
The supplemental application for Duke MSTP and all supporting documents, including letters of recommendation, are due no later than November 15.
While the final deadline is November 15, applicants are advised to complete and submit the application as early as possible in order to facilitate review by both the MSTP and School of Medicine admissions committees.
Interview decisions: The MSTP admissions committee will start reviewing application in July/August and interview decisions will happen starting the middle of August.
The applicant will meet with a small group of MSTP admissions committee members: Dr. Chris Kontos, director, Dr. Anne West, associate director, Andrea Liu, assistant director and two-three others.
At least three weeks prior to the visit, the list of fifteen preferred faculty interviewers should be sent to the Tiwonda Johnson-Blount, johns194@duke.edu, 919-668-5528
Invited applicants should contact Tiwonda Johnson-Blount, Administrative Coordinator, 919-668-5528, johns194@duke.edu
Admission decisions: Duke MSTP will make decision in December for those applicants who interview between September and December and in late February for all remaining applicants.
MCAT
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) should be taken, if possible, no later than April of the year in which the application is submitted: American College Testing Programs and Services, Post Office Box 414, Iowa City, Iowa 52240. The test is given at various times throughout the year in numerous locations. Check the schedule on the MCAT web site. MCAT scores dated earlier than four years prior to the year of entry into medical school will not be considered.
AMCAS
The first segment of the application is submitted through The American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS): Association of American Medical Colleges, Suite 201, 2450 N Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037-1131. https://www.aamc.org/ The AMCAS Student Submission Deadline is October 15, 2018.
Duke supplemental application
The Duke portion of the application is completed online. After receiving the AMCAS applications, Duke University School of Medicine contacts applicants with invitations to access and establish an account on Duke's Supplemental Application and DukeMed Application.
Duke MSTP designation
In the Duke supplemental application, applicants have the option to choose MSTP only or MSTP and MD when asked to indicate the program to which they are applying.
If you choose MSTP only, your application will not be considered by the MD Program.
If you choose MSTP and MD you will be applying simultaneously to MSTP and Duke University School of Medicine, however, your application will be first review by MSTP. Applicants who are not admitted to MSTP remain eligible for admission to the School of Medicine.
Letters of recommendation
Duke participates in the AMCAS letter submission system. All letters of recommendation must be submitted through the AMCAS letter service.
Four letters of recommendation are required. Applicants may submit more than four letters, if more are needed to support the application adequately.
We will be interested in comments from recommenders with experience of the applicant's interpersonal skills. In addition, we are interested in letters from scientists who can comment knowledgably on the applicant's research background and potential for success in a research career.
Applications will not be reviewed until all related documents, including all expected letters, have been received. All letters must be received by November 15.
Sanford School of Public Policy Ph.D. Program
The PhD in Public Policy at Duke University enables students to collaborate with Duke’s top-rated faculty in public policy and with Duke’s departments of economics, political science, and sociology, among others, all on the beautiful Duke campus.
The Sanford School is a national and international leader in the dynamic field of public policy studies, with numerous interdisciplinary centers exploring vital policy questions in the field and in the classroom. Members of our faculty are experts in fields ranging from aging, education, and the environment to international affairs, media and democracy, and welfare reform.
Students in the Sanford School pursue doctoral-level public policy research with the goal of working in domestic and international public agencies, research organizations and policy consulting firms. Others seek academic positions in public policy, public administration and policy-oriented schools. They are united by their passion for public policy and their desire to have a positive impact on the world.
Duke’s PhD in Public Policy is distinguished by its truly interdisciplinary nature. The program offers a unique balance of depth by offering concentrations in one of four disciplines:
Economics
Political science
Psychology
Sociology
Students also have the opportunity to focus on a particular policy area such as social policy, global policy, health policy, or environmental policy. Within Sanford and across campus, PhD students interact with leading scholars and numerous interdisciplinary centers such as:
Duke Global Health Institute
Duke Center for Child and Family Policy
Duke Social Science Research Institute
Duke's Nicholas School of the Environment
The relatively low number of students matriculated each year (6-8) enables each public policy PhD student to receive individual faculty attention in courses and in research. In addition to working with Duke’s world-class faculties of public policy, economics, history, political science, psychology, and sociology, PhD students interact with leading scholars from Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, and Duke’s Law and Medical Schools.
For more information about our program, please visit us at the Duke Sanford School of Public Policy.
MSTP applicants interested in applying to one of the PhD programs in Public Policy will follow the standard MD/PhD application procedures. No GRE test or PhD application is required.