Doctor of Public Administration (DPA)
Prerequisites
Applicants should possess a master’s degree, ideally in Public Administration or a closely related field. Applicants must also have a minimum of five years of work experience.
Admission
Applicants are evaluated in a two-stage process: First stage applicants are initially screened based on undergraduate GPA, graduate GPA, Statement of Purpose and letters of recommendation. Applicants advancing to the second stage may be required to schedule a personal interview. A standardized test score (e.g. GMAT or GRE) may be required, if recommended by the Faculty Admissions Committee. The department considers all of these measures in making a decision on admission.
Students accepted into the DPA program will begin their coursework in the fall.
The program requires a minimum time commitment of three years of coursework (which includes nine units each semester) and at least an additional year to produce and defend a dissertation of publishable quality (which includes 5 semester hours each semester). Additional semesters (five semester hours each) beyond the fourth year may be needed to complete the dissertation.
Students must also take and pass the DPA Comprehensive Exams (after successfully completing all coursework for year two).
Program Coursework
64 semester hours
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Hours | |
| PSAP 600 | Scope of Public Administration | 3 |
| PSAP 610 | Public Policy Making | 3 |
| PSAP 620 | Nature of Inquiry | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSAP 601 | Emerging Perspectives in Public Administration | 3 |
| PSAP 611 | Selected Topics in Public Administration & Policy | 3 |
| PSAP 621 | Research Methods for Public Administration and Policy | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSAP 602 | Organizational Development | 3 |
| PSAP 612 | Public Administration and Policy Theory | 3 |
| PSAP 622 | Applied Research Methods and Techniques I | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSAP 603 | Ethics and Decision Making | 3 |
| PSAP 613 | Policy Analysis and Evaluation | 3 |
| PSAP 623 | Applied Research Methods and Techniques II | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSAP 624 | Research Specialization I | 3 |
| PSAP 630 | Dissertation Seminar I | 3 |
| PSAP 631 | Dissertation Seminar II | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 9 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSAP 625 | Research Specialization II | 3 |
| PSAP 632 | Dissertation Seminar III | 3 |
| PSAP 633 | Dissertation Colloquium | 3 |
| Semester Hours | 9 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PSAP 640 | Dissertation Hours I | 5 |
| Semester Hours | 5 | |
| Spring | ||
| PSAP 640 | Dissertation Hours I | 5 |
| Semester Hours | 5 | |
| Total Semester Hours | 64 | |
Additional Dissertation Units
Students must be continuously enrolled in PSAP 641 Dissertation Hours II until they have successfully completed their dissertation and it has been posted.
One of the added features of the Doctor of Public Administration program is the possibility for students to obtain a Master of Arts in Policy Studies, while completing their doctoral studies. The Master of Arts in Policy Studies is intended to recognize work completed during the DPA program as added value.
Students will complete a total of 36 semester hours--12 semester hours each--in the three core areas (Public Administration, Public Policy and Research Methods) of the DPA program in order to be eligible for the Master of Arts in Policy Studies.
Degree Conferral Requirements
Students must obtain a B grade in each of the courses that compose the Master of Arts in Policy Studies. Additionally, students must pass the comprehensive examinations with an 80% grade on each section of the exams. In a case where a student is unable to pass the comprehensive examinations, as an alternative, students could enroll in PADM 596 Graduate Seminar and obtain a grade of B to earn the Master of Arts in Policy Studies.