Our two-year, professional Master of Public Policy (MPP) program offers students outstanding preparation for dynamic careers as analysts, leaders and managers at various levels of government, nonprofits and corporations – both domestically and internationally. Sanford alums are changing the world. Holding influential positions in many countries, our graduates are addressing the most pressing issues faced around the globe. They share a spirit of optimism and a confidence that allows them to be creative, think big, and solve problems. The MPP program offers great flexibility. Students may choose to specialize in a particular policy area or to pursue a more general program. Two-year students have five electives, an internship, and a master's project through which they address specific areas of interest. Close relationships between the Sanford School program and other schools and departments across the University allow students to customize their courses of study. In addition to the electives offered by the Sanford School, MPP students may choose from a wide array of courses offered by other schools and departments at Duke and by neighboring universities. Population Studies Public policy priorities are closely tied to the demographic features of a country or region, such as the age structure of the population and the forces that determine it. The scope of population studies at Duke encompasses the traditional areas of demographic inquiry; fertility, mortality, and migration, but extends to a much broader range of issues, including environmental change, health, gender, family structure, schooling, and economic development. Policy students at Duke focus on the intersection of population studies and policy. Toolkit courses introduce students to methods of analysis in the fields of demography, survey research methodology, and econometrics. Substantive courses focus on topics such as family and child well-being, poverty and inequality, economic development, health over the life course, and population and the environment.