NYU Wagner

Doctoral Program

Fields of Study

• Research Methods (Required)
• Finance *
• Policy *
• Management *
• Health Policy
• Urban
• Customized (with permission)

Customized Field Guidelines

1. First of all, there are several important questions you should ask yourself when considering a customized field. They include:
1. Why is this important for your line of study?
2. How does this proposed field relate to and/or differ from our existing fields to warrant approval?
3. Why is this a "field" (as opposed to a "topic")?
4. How would you define/characterize the field? What are the critical issues? Main areas? Big questions?
5. What preparatory coursework have you done in the field?
2. Before you get too far into your proposal, the board recommends that you circulate among some faculty a one-paragraph synopsis of what your anticipated customized field proposal will contain. This way you can assess whether they think your proposed idea appears to be comparable in breadth and scope with our established fields and is worth pursuing. Please note that a customized field is not just a literature search for your dissertation topic.
3. Overall, the board requires that three readers approve each proposal. You must have a Wagner Faculty member as your sponsor as s/he will be responsible for coordinating the writing and grading of your comprehensive examination. The readers' approval assures the board that the proposed field is comparable in breadth and scope to the Program's other existing fields.
4. Requests for a customized field must be made at least one semester prior to the term in which the student plans to take this customized comprehensive exam. All proposals should ultimately be submitted to the Program Director who will then seek board approval and grant or deny your proposal.
5. The proposal should include (but is not limited to) the following:
1. A paragraph summarizing why this new field is more relevant to your plan of study than the existing fields.
2. A description of the field, mapping out the critical issues and/or big questions. Your proposal should include evidence that there is a coherent body of literature and a group of scholars who view themselves as part of the field (i.e.: include what you consider the classics, journals, associations, etc.).
3. A list and description of the coursework that you have undertaken to prepare for the field.
4. A reading list that is organized by some coherent structure that mirrors the critical issues and/or big areas.
5. A final section with three faculty signatures. These signatures certify that this new field is comparable in breadth and scope to our existing fields (policy, management, and finance). They also confirm that these faculty assume the responsibility of coordinating the writing and grading of the comprehensive examination.

The Doctoral Board is also now considering expanding the list of existing fields in the program to include recurring areas of interest such as Education, Urban Policy, Poverty and Inequality, and International Development. We will inform you more as this process unfolds next term. If you are interested in any of these areas and would like to participate in the design of the field description, please let us know as soon as possible.