Pardee RAND Graduate School information sessions provide an overview of the Ph.D. in Policy Analysis, the admissions process, and our degree requirements.

In addition, attendees have an opportunity — at both the in-person and online sessions (webinars) — to hear current students describe their experiences and share their own perspectives on the program. Our webinars are interactive and we encourage questions.

Information sessions will be held at RAND offices in October and November 2016.

Thanks to generous funding from our donors, since 2013 the Pardee RAND Graduate School has been able to offer a full tuition scholarship for the first year to every incoming student, plus a research-based fellowship to all students. The entering level for research fellowships (which come with a work requirement) is $20,500 per year. Pardee RAND also pays the full cost of the student's health insurance coverage. Dependents may be included in this subsidized health insurance coverage at the student's expense.

Pardee RAND fellowships are based on students' participation in RAND research projects. This on-the-job training (OJT) is valuable both educationally and financially. (For more on OJT, please see On-the-Job Training). Pardee RAND students learn policy analysis by doing it, as part of interdisciplinary RAND research teams working on problems that range from the inner city to outer space. Students thereby accumulate unique, practical experience that employers in academia, government, business, and non-profit organizations value highly.

At the same time, by doing policy research, students are able to support themselves at levels that equal or exceed most Ph.D. programs. To receive their full research fellowships, students must perform different minimum amounts of OJT as their careers at RAND progress: 65 days (or 480 hours) in the first year, 135 days in the second year, and 135-155 days in years 3-5.

If a student works more than the minimum number of research days in the first year, that number of days is subtracted from the required minimum in subsequent years. If a student works more than the minimum number of research days in year two and thereafter, the student may be able to earn a larger fellowship.

In the first year of the program students are required to work only 65 days.

▶ RAND Fellowship application will be opend around mid-November and it will announced through KDI School homepage