Pardee RAND History & Accreditation

Students of the (then-)RAND Graduate Institute, with founding dean Charles Wolf, in 1978

Pardee RAND Graduate School is unique in American higher education.

Founded in 1970 as one of the original eight graduate programs in public policy analysis, it is the only program based at a public policy research institute—the Santa Monica, California-based RAND Corporation—which invented many of the analytical methods and tools of public policy analysis.

Accreditation

The Pardee RAND Graduate School (then RAND Graduate Institute) received its first accreditation from the Western Associate of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in 1975 and it has been reaccredited continuously since then. Most recently, Pardee RAND was re-accredited through 2030, following a review in 2021 from the WASC Senior College and University Commission.

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Timeline

1970: RAND Graduate Institute (RGI) is founded at the RAND Corporation in Santa Monica, CA; first cohort has 11 students
1970: Charles Wolf Jr. becomes Dean (1970-1998)
1974: The first doctorate degree is awarded
1975: School receives official accreditation from Western Association of Schools and Colleges
1979: RGI is a founding member of the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management (APPAM)
1985: Accreditation is reaffirmed
1987: RGI becomes the RAND Graduate School (RGS); entering cohort has 12 students, total enrollment is 81
1990: Accreditation is reaffirmed
1998: RAND Corporation celebrates its 50th anniversary
1998: Robert Klitgaard becomes Dean (1998-2005), later succeeded by interim Dean Rae Archibald (2005-2006)
2000: Accreditation is reaffirmed
2004: RGS becomes the Frederick S. Pardee RAND Graduate School to honor the vision and contributions of Frederick S. Pardee, a former RAND researcher and philanthropist; entering cohort has 25 students; total enrollment is 92
2004: Pardee RAND and the RAND Corporation move into a new, state-of-the-art LEED certified building (U.S. Green Building Council's "Gold" designation) at 1776 Main Street
2006: John Graham becomes Dean (2006-2008), later succeeded by interim Dean Molly Selvin (2008)
2008: RAND Corporation celebrates its 60th anniversary; total enrollment exceeds 100
2009: Susan L. Marquis becomes Dean (2009-2021)
2010: Pardee RAND celebrates its 40th anniversary with a gala celebration including students, alumni, current and former staff members, and many other guests
2011: Accreditation is reaffirmed (until 2020)
2012: Pioneering political scientist James Q. Wilson bequeaths his complete archive of papers, books, and correspondence to the school; the James Q. Wilson Collection is dedicated in January 2013
2013: A generous gift from Frederick S. Pardee begins the Pardee Initiative for Global Human Progress, a multi-year program to improving the future human condition with a focus on Asia and Africa
2013: Inaugural Summer Faculty Workshop, later renamed the Faculty Leaders Program, is offered as part of the Next Generation Initiative to increase diversity among policy leaders and analysts
2014: A legacy gift establishes the John and Carol Cazier Environmental and Energy Sustainability Initiative
2015: School begins a multiyear process of reimagining its curriculum for the 21st century
2020: School celebrates 50th anniversary; first cohort of students begins three policy engagement streams
2021: Accreditation is reaffirmed (until 2030), including institutional approval for distance education; Nancy Staudt named fifth Dean
2022: School receives approval to offer stand-alone M.Phil. in Policy Analysis