School of Social Sciences and Social Policy

Developing Evidence-Based Solutions to Society’s Greatest Challenges

Since its earliest years, Brandeis University has pioneered evidence-based solutions to the great social challenges of our time. The School of Social Sciences and Social Policy leads this core mission. In housing, healthcare, sustainable development, disability rights and other critical areas affecting diverse communities locally and globally, our graduates are working to increase equity and implement lasting solutions.

Our students become leaders in their chosen careers because they enter the workforce with the intellectual and theoretical frameworks, analytical tools, professional experiences and collaborative mindset designed to make an impact. Evaluating complex data, managing differences and understanding complex social institutions are just a few of the essential career skills students acquire.

Our graduates lead nonprofits and government agencies and pursue high-impact careers in fields such as public health, education, human rights, journalism and law. As policy makers, advocates, researchers, scholars and other social-impact professionals, our graduates lead with evidence-based knowledge, inspired by social justice.

What We Offer

• A comprehensive academic program that includes anthropology, history, politics and sociology, as well as interdisciplinary programs in public health, journalism, legal studies, women’s and gender studies, American and African American studies and American studies
• Graduate programs in Brandeis’ Heller School for Social Policy and Management, ranked among the nation’s top graduate schools of public affairs
• World-class research institutes and centers specializing in a variety of fields and disciplines, including the Schneider Institutes for Health Policy and Research, the Institute for Economic and Racial Equity and the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy
• Location in suburban Boston, close to numerous internship, research, teaching and employment opportunities
• Internationally recognized faculty that include Carnegie Fellows, Guggenheim Fellows and National Academy of Education/Spencer Postdoctoral Fellows

Departments and Programs

The School of Social Sciences and Social Policy brings together departments and programs that prepare students to address critical social challenges through evidence-based research, policy and practice.