PhD in Population Studies at Princeton University

Princeton University

United States of America, Princeton

University Rank:#25

Princeton University offers the PhD of Population Studies as a full-time degree delivered on campus at its main campus in Princeton , United States of America. Taught in English and completed over 5 years, the program equips students with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for population studies and related professional fields. The next available intake begins on September 5, 2027.

About PhD in Population Studies

The Office of Population Research (OPR), founded in 1936, is the demographic research and graduate training center at Princeton University. The field encompasses a wide range of specializations that span substantive and methodological subjects in the social, mathematical, and biological sciences. Building on its historical strengths in signature fields such as demographic methods, fertility, health and mortality, OPR researchers have embraced fields that are currently prominent in population studies, such as international migration and development, children, youth and families, biosocial interactions, health and wellbeing, poverty and inequality, as well as various aspects of social and economic inequality. In addition, OPR researchers are involved in new fields of inquiry such as epigenetics, biodemography, social epidemiology, and web-based experimentation.

The graduate training program in population studies offers four types of certification. First, the Program in Population Studies (PIPS) offers a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in demography that is designed for students who wish to specialize in the core substantive topics and technical methods.

Second, students may obtain a joint degree in Demography and Social Policy (PIPS/JDP) via a collaborative training program through the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. The Joint Degree Program (JDP) in Social Policy includes the Departments of Politics, Psychology, Sociology, and Population Studies. Students interested in the joint degree in Demography and Social Policy (PIPS/JDP) can apply to be admitted to the joint degree program by choosing this option in their initial application from to the Graduate School. The JDP follows a "discipline-plus" structure in which all students complete a Ph.D. in a basic social science, and also study economic insecurity and inequality in advanced postindustrial societies and the developing world. Students can also be admitted to PIPS/JDP after their first or second year of graduate study with the permission of the director of graduate studies for the Program in Population Studies.

Third, the program offers a general examination in demography that is accepted by the Department of Sociology as partial fulfillment of their Ph.D. degree requirements. Students from Sociology who elect to specialize in population studies write their dissertation on a demographic subject under the supervision of core faculty in population studies.

Fourth, the program offers a non-degree Certificate in Demography to those who successfully complete four graduate courses in population studies: POP 501/SOC 531, POP 502/SOC 532, and two elective courses pertaining to some aspect of population (approved by the director of graduate studies for the Program in Population Studies). The certificate program is intended primarily for training scholars from other disciplines and does not lead to an advanced degree at Princeton.

Requirements and Admission Criteria for PhD in Population Studies at Princeton University

Entry Requirements

Requirements: Application materials should only be uploaded online in the appropriate spaces provided and under the additional information section of the application. Princeton does not accept paper application materials, with the exception of architecture portfolios. Please refer to the file upload requirements for specific instructions. Also, please be sure to review any additional department or program requirements.
Test Scores: All test scores must be sent directly from the test center to Princeton University. Department codes are not used at Princeton and are not required by Educational Testing Services (ETS). Please refer to the Required Tests page for specific information on the tests. Please allow extra time for test scores to be received and reflected on the application checklist.
Recommendations: Do not delay submitting your application because you are waiting for recommenders to submit their recommendations. See the Recommendation Letters page for more information.
Revisions: Before submitting an application, double-check it. No revised documents will be accepted after the deadline.
International Students: There is only one application, which can be used by U.S. citizens, permanent residents or international applicants for any academic department or program.
Application fee: The application fee of $75 is nonrefundable. View information regarding application fee waivers.

Tuition and Fee Information for PhD in Population Studies at Princeton University

Application Fee 75

How to Apply for PhD in Population Studies at Princeton University

Understand the basics of Princeton University’s online application, and then manage it with our Application Checklist. The application and all materials submitted to the Graduate School become the property of Princeton University and will not be returned under any circumstances.

PhD in Population Studies at Princeton University

Princeton University

United States of America, Princeton