The Judgment and Decision Making track of the PhD in Public Policy Program provides rigorous interdisciplinary training in psychological science, behavioral economics, and decision science, with a focus on understanding and improving public policy.  

red judgement icon.A typical program of study includes emphasis on descriptive and normative approaches as well as on prescriptive interventions. HKS has a strong core of faculty specializing in judgment and decision-making research as well as applied policy domains. In addition, the program offers teaching and research opportunities with leading scholars at HKS and elsewhere at Harvard. 

Graduates will be prepared for academic teaching and research positions in public policy schools, interdisciplinary programs (e.g., management, decision science), and traditional behavioral science departments (e.g., psychology), as well as for analytic positions in industry, think tanks, government, and international institutions.

Judgment and Decision Making Track Prerequisites

To demonstrate that you are prepared for our rigorous curriculum, you must have successfully completed and excelled in the following:

  • A university-level course in social or behavioral science (e.g., psychology, economics, behavioral economics) or equivalent research experience
  • A university-level course in quantitative analysis (e.g. statistics, calculus)
  • One solo-authored paper you have written that is grounded in a social and/or behavioral science discipline (e.g., psychology, economics, political science), and which contains implications for public policy

Judgment and Decision Making Track Core Requirements

  • Two courses in economics for Judgment and Decision-Making
  • One course in psychological science for Judgment and Decision-Making
  • One course in Normative Theory
  • Two courses in Empirical Methods and Descriptive Theory
  • Two doctoral research seminars (API 901 and API 902) 

You are required to stay on the declared track while working toward your doctorate and must meet the core requirements above. If your research focus changes to a different track, you are required to speak with the Doctoral Programs Office regarding the procedures to apply to change tracks.