Make a Difference in the World With a PhD in Public Policy and Administration From Walden

In the public sector today, the emphasis on corporate social responsibility (CSR) is growing. Companies publish annual reports documenting their progress. Government organizations, nonprofits, and businesses of all kinds strive for diversity, equity, and inclusion. People want to lead and work for socially conscious companies. And consumers want to support organizations that model social responsibility.

If you are committed to social change, earning a PhD in Public Policy and Administration can prepare you to become an impactful leader creating and administering public policy. This respected degree can prepare you to work for the greater good at the highest level. Here are four ways public policy and administration professionals are making a difference, locally and globally.

1. Create Policies That Support Social Change

   With public policy as a career focus, you can use the doctoral research skills you acquire in your PhD program to identify, analyze, and explore critical issues. As a policymaker, you can create policies and write legislation that promotes positive social change. In a public administrator role, you can help implement and administer progressive measures.

   Here’s one example of how public policy can promote positive social change: Congress passed the U.S. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, which earmarked $1.2 trillion for public projects. Local, state, and federal policymakers and other key stakeholders came together to propose measures to ensure the funds are used in ways that support gender and racial equity.¹

2. Conduct Life-Changing Research

   In your online public policy PhD program, you’ll build next-level research skills as you move through your coursework. You’ll use these skills in preparing your dissertation and can use them to build a career in public policy research.

   Public administration PhD grads who choose careers in research can effect positive social change through work in academic institutions, government, think tanks, consulting firms, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs).

3. Lead With Social Responsibility

   You can use you the expertise you gain in your PhD program to become a social entrepreneur. Lead or build your own socially responsible company or nonprofit organization.

   Globally, more than 7,500 companies in 92 countries are Certified B Corporations (B Corps).² The nonprofit B Lab awards this designation to businesses that meet rigorous standards, especially for their social and environmental impact. There are businesses of all kinds and sizes in the B Corp roster. You can combine your public policy background and sense of social responsibility to create an organization that serves the greater good.

4. Prepare Others for Public Service

   Many public policy and administration professionals make a difference in the world by sharing their knowledge and experience in jobs in academia. The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) reports that 54% of its members are academics, working in roles such as faculty members, lecturers, or leaders in college administration.³

Become a Social Change Leader

How will you make a difference in the world with a PhD in Public Policy and Administration? The possibilities are endless. And choosing the right PhD program is the best way to start.

Walden University’s PhD in Public Policy and Administration online degree program can prepare you to effect positive social change at the highest levels of practice in academic, government, private, and nonprofit career fields.

The accredited university is known for its social change model. For more than 50 years, Walden has offered a diverse community of working professionals the opportunity to transform themselves as scholars-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change.

The curriculum in your online public policy PhD program supports that mission through courses like Ethics and Social Justice. In this online course, you’ll examine the philosophy of ethics, responsibility, and social justice.

Walden, the No. 1 granter of doctoral research degrees in the United States, gives you a wide range of doctoral services to help support through your academic and dissertation journey. PhD candidates have access to tools like our Doctoral Peer Mentor Program, Walden’s Writing Center, and the interactive Doctoral Degree Coach™. At four residencies, you’ll have the chance to build skills and network with peers and faculty.

Following a path designed for student success, you can prepare for a career finding innovative solutions that advance the greater good. You can use your PhD in Public Policy and Administration to become a respected leader, with a career rooted in social responsibility.

Walden University is an accredited institution offering an online PhD in Public Policy and Administration degree program. Expand your career options and earn your degree in a convenient, flexible format that fits your busy life.

¹Source: https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/113075/CORNELL_EquityinFocus_FIN_2_508.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y
²Source: www.bcorporation.net/en-us/
³Source: www.aspanet.org/ASPA/ASPA/About-ASPA/About-ASPA.aspx

Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, www.hlcommission.org.