Doctoral Program Curriculum

Degree Requirements

multiple students holding rolled up diplomas.

Required Courses Summary

92 hours of graduate credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree are required. This includes 21 hours of core courses, 12 hours of research courses, six hours of specialization courses, two 1-hour workshops on teaching and research skills, 15 hours of dissertation coursework, and 36 hours of additional graduate-level coursework. The 36 hours of additional graduate-level coursework may be earned from an accredited institution toward a Master of Public Administration degree or a master’s degree (MA or MS) in a related academic discipline or field.

View the full list of degree requirements and courses in the Academic Catalog.

Professional Skills Workshops

There are two required 1-credit hour workshops focused on teaching and research (PA 9920 and PA 9930) doctoral students typically take in year two and three of the program. A team of faculty facilitates discussions on topics related to teaching, publishing, job search, and other areas.

Specializations

The faculty offers five areas of specialization. Doctoral students choose two courses (6 hours) in one area of specialization. The specialization courses are drawn from the graduate curriculum in Public Administration or a related academic unit in the university system. The seven specialization areas are:

Public and Nonprofit:

Policy
Theory
Management
Budgeting & Finance
Technology & Data Analytics

Dissertation

The dissertation represents an original contribution to knowledge development in the field of Public Administration. Following successful completion of all course work and field exams, doctoral students apply for Candidacy for the Degree and then defend a dissertation proposal before their supervisory committee. Following successful defense of the proposal, students work under the guidance of their supervisory committee chair until the project is complete. Two readers from the student's supervisory committee then review the entire document and may recommend further work or changes. After the committee chair and readers agree that the dissertation is ready for defense, the student schedules a public defense.

For more information, please see the Dissertation Format.

Path to a Ph.D.

This is a typical timeline but may be shorter or longer for each student.

Year	Description
Years One & Two	Students typically begin their first semester (fall) by taking two core seminars (PA 9000 and PA 9300) and a research design course (PA 9800). They also work with a Supervisory Committee Chair and the Doctoral Program Committee Chair to submit a Doctoral Program Committee and Course Plan by the end of the second semester. See the Ph.D. Course Checklist for help with mapping out classes. Over the next three semesters, students typically complete the remaining core seminars (PA 9200, PA 9400, PA 9500, PA 9600 and PA 9700). research methods courses (PA 9950, PA 9960), a 1-credit hour Teaching & Professional Skills Workshop (PA 9920), Research and Professional Skills Workshop or Design (PA 9930) and two specialization courses. Field Exams are typically taken in the summer at the end of year two (or can also be done by the end of year three). Before taking Field Exams, students work with their Supervisory Committee Chair to form a Dissertation committee (submit Appointment of Supervisory Committee form) who writes exam questions. Upon successful completion of field exams, students apply for Application for Candidacy for the Doctoral Degree.
Continuous Enrollment & Good Standing	Once doctoral students begin their program, they may not stop out for one or more semesters without an approved leave of absence from the Doctoral Program Committee. Students must also remain in good standing, maintaining a minimum GPA 3.33 average for all Ph.D. course work.
Years Three & Four	Students work with their Supervisory Committee Chair to develop a Dissertation Proposal (while enrolled in PA 9970, Directed Research). Once the Supervisory Committee Chair has approved the Dissertation Proposal, it is sent to the rest of the Supervisory Committee. Defense of the proposal will occur before a majority of the members of the Supervisory Committee, and the Chair of the Doctoral Program, no earlier than two weeks after the proposal has been distributed. Upon completion of the proposal defense, students should submit the Proposal Defense Form. Once the Dissertation Proposal has been successfully defended, students proceed with submitting their Institutional Review Board (IRB) paperwork (if necessary), and then begin the data collection and analysis phase of the dissertation. As doctoral candidates are writing their dissertation, they should work closely with their Supervisory Committee Chair. The defense of the dissertation will be scheduled only when the Chair of the Supervisory Committee and Readers indicate that it is ready for the defense. Supervisory Committee member must sign off on the Application Form for Final Oral Examination, which should be submitted at least 3 weeks before the defense. The defense will be conducted by the Supervisory Committee and Doctoral Program Chair, and will be open to the public. Refer to the Dissertation format here.
Application for Graduation	Once the dissertation has been successfully defended, the doctoral candidate will work with the Supervisory Committee Chair to complete the necessary steps for graduation, as well as to file the Report on Completion of Degree Form. Doctoral Candidates should be mindful of the degree deadlines (Academic Calendar) if interested in participating in Graduation Ceremonies.

Students should be mindful that they have eight years from the date of filing the Program of Study to earn the Ph.D. On rare occasions this deadline may be extended for one or more semesters at the discretion of the Dean of Graduate Studies upon the recommendation of the Doctoral Program Committee.