Undergraduate backgrounds are also quite varied. Economics and political science majors are most common, but many students come from history, humanities, and science backgrounds. What they share is a commitment to public service, and the ability and determination to get further education that will help them make a difference. The Institute is committed to recruiting minority students into the program. In addition, over half of our students in the last four years have been women.
Students come from all over the United States and abroad to attend our graduate program.
We recommend that you consult with your colleagues or undergraduate advisors, and with current graduate students and alumni of our program, to assess whether the Institute's graduate program will further your professional goals. A campus visit may also help, and we encourage you to make one. The Sanford Institute is committed to providing an intellectually open environment, where people from a variety of backgrounds can benefit from each others' perspectives. The Institute especially seeks students from groups under-represented in the public sector. A student body that is diverse with respect to race, ethnicity, nationality, and gender is essential to the Institute's mission of training outstanding policy analysts, public managers, and political leaders for the future.