Public Affairs

The doctoral program is designed to address the strong demand for the services of people who are skilled in the theory, concepts, and research areas of public administration, public policy, public management, and criminal justice.  It is a research-oriented degree.  The program develops the conceptual, research, and analytic skills and knowledge of its students so that they will be able to advance the study and practice of public affairs in their subsequent careers.  Graduates are able to generate and execute state of the art research on complex public and non-profit systems.  The program requires an intensive commitment of time and effort and takes an average of 6 years to complete.  Students must complete the required core classes, electives, and the dissertation.

Upon completion of the program, you will have demonstrated:

1. The ability to effectively communicate your knowledge and skills orally and in writing;

2. Your ability to formulate and implement a high-quality research design and effectively analyze and communicate the results of your research to your peers and to faculty;

3. Extensive background knowledge and analytical skills in areas relevant to public administration, public management, and public policy, specifically:

• The historical and comparative foundations of public administration
   
• Contemporary literature, concepts, and theories of public management
   
• Contemporary literature, concepts, and theories of public policy
   
• Emerging topics of public administration, policy, and management
   
• Advanced social science research methods and tools used in public affairs research

International PhD Degree Applicants for admission to the School of Public Affairs must submit:

• Application for Grad​uate Admissions​

• ​(3) Recommendation Forms

• Declaration of Program Form    

• Applicat​ion Fee​

• GRE Scores 

• Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or its equivalent

• Two Official​ Transcripts

• Current Resume

• Essay - 500-1000 word statement of educational and career goals, focusing on research interests(3) Recommendation Forms

Each year the School of Public Affairs will choose certain students to receive a full tuition waiver and a research assistantship stipend of approximately $15,000 for the academic year. Funding may also be available during the summer for up to $5000 for research assistants. This award may be renewed for three years based on funding availability, but out of state funding is only available for one year (resident tuition is available to graduate students after one year if they meet University criteria).  The awards are based on merit and awarded by the PhD committee as part of the application process.  No additional application materials are needed to be considered for this award.