David Listokin

Professor and Director, Doctoral Program

Since its first graduate in 1971, the doctoral program in planning and public policy development has educated innovative people who wish to combine social concerns with analytical skills. This preparation relates to traditional as well as emerging roles for planners and policy makers alike. Since the program's inception, the Ph.D. program has graduated approximately 150 students from throughout the U.S. and all over the world.

Diverse disciplines—reflected in the backgrounds of incoming students, in the positions filled by graduates, and in the academic and professional pursuits of the faculty—exemplify the flexibility of the doctoral program in planning and public policy at Rutgers. This intentional diversity sets the direction of our program: to seek a variety of approaches in exploring the dimensions of planning and policy questions and in preparing responses to those questions. The program enables its graduates to competently respond to socioeconomic problems and political opportunities and to teach others to engage in the same.

The doctoral program encourages inquiries from potential students. Feel free to visit and talk with our students and faculty. We admit approximately 5 to 10 students annually, and as admission is most competitive, we encourage students to apply early and fully describe their backgrounds and interests through the application process.