Doctor of Public Administration (DPA)

Program Director: Marcia Godwin

Program Length: 3 Years of Coursework

The Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) is designed to develop scholarly practitioners as leaders. Students learn to consciously integrate and apply current theoretical, ethical, and institutional perspectives that contribute to the disciplined analysis and resolution of organizational and community issues.

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. 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 an admissions decision.

Program Structure

Students accepted into the DPA program will begin their coursework in the fall. Courses are generally scheduled on Saturdays and in person. 

The program requires a minimum time commitment of three years of coursework (which includes three courses each semester) followed by additional dissertation units while working on the dissertation. Students continue to register for dissertation units each semester until the dissertation is defended and posted. All requirements for the DPA degree are required to be completed within eight years.

Program Coursework

51 semester hours. The order of courses and schedule are subject to change.

Plan of Study Grid

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 601	Emerging Perspectives in Public Administration (OR)	3
PSAP 611	Selected Topics in Public Administration & Policy
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	2
PSAP 630	Dissertation Seminar I	3
PSAP 631	Dissertation Seminar II	3
	Semester Hours	8
Spring
PSAP 625	Research Specialization II	1
PSAP 632	Dissertation Seminar III	3
PSAP 633	Dissertation Colloquium	3
	Semester Hours	7
	Total Semester Hours	51

Fourth Year (Dissertation Research)

Plan of Study Grid

Fourth Year
Fall		Semester Hours
PSAP 640	Dissertation Hours I	5
	Semester Hours	5
Spring
PSAP 640	Dissertation Hours I	5
	Semester Hours	5
	Total Semester Hours	10

Additional Dissertation Units

Students must be continuously enrolled in PSAP 640 Dissertation Hours I (1 unit each semester) in the fourth year and then PSAP 641 Dissertation Hours II (2 units each semester) until they have successfully completed their dissertation and it has been posted.

DPA students who have advanced to candidacy are eligible to apply for no more than two Leaves of Absences while working on their dissertations and the eight-year time limit will not be extended. DPA candidates remain eligible to appeal to the DPA program and Graduate Appeals Committee for approval for any additional Leaves of Absence and/or time extensions.