Where People Count
Since 1992, Penn State has had an internationally-recognized training program in demography. Our esteemed alumni currently work at major research universities, the U.S. Census Bureau and other government agencies, major corporations, large think tanks and numerous non-governmental agencies.
Demographic perspectives and analytical tools significantly enhance graduates' competitiveness for both academic careers and professional careers beyond academia.
In the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings, Penn State ranks third for best graduate training in demography.
Noted recently in Forbes Magazine, Penn State ranks in the top five among US universities for research expenditures in "sociology, demography and population studies" according to the latest Higher Education Research and Development Survey by the National Science Foundation. Our success in aquiring external and internal research funds translates into a cutting-edge education in demography.
Penn State's interdisciplinary Demography graduate program delivers expert training in demographic content, methodology and policy applications. This STEM-designated program serves as a valuable second degree option for students in six core disciplines, as follows:
M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthropology and Demography
M.S. and Ph.D. in Energy, Environmental, and Food Economics, and Demography
M.S. and Ph.D. in Health Policy and Administration and Demography
M.S. and Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies and Demography
M.S. and Ph.D. in Rural Sociology and Demography
M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology and Demography
Students can also earn a doctoral minor in Demography in one of the above disciplines, as well as in Biobehavioral Health, Criminology, Educational Theory and Policy, or Geography.
Students interested in joining the dual-title graduate program in Demography must first apply and be admitted to one of the affiliated graduate programs at Penn State.
See our dual-title Demography flyer for an overview of the benefits of our program.