Ph.D. Curriculum
Doctor of Philosophy Courses
A minimum of 90 credit hours is needed for the Doctor of Philosophy degree. Ph.D. students take courses in five Core Areas: context of public administration, organization, policy, management, and ethics. Within the five Core Areas, courses are taken at three levels of increasing complexity:
- Foundation Courses, which survey sub-fields of public administration
- Advanced Topics, which examine specialized areas at a deeper level; and
- Capstone Seminars, which push back the frontiers of theory and/or empirical knowledge.
Students must take at least three Advanced Topics and two Capstones. Alternatively, student may take two Advanced Topics and three Capstone seminars. At least six credit hours must be completed or transferred in at the Foundation level in each core area except Ethics, which requires three credits.
Alexandria students participate in a Doctoral Mentoring Program (Click Here).
| Required Courses |
| Core Area |
Foundation Courses
(27 hours) |
Advanced Topics
(6-9 Hours)* |
Capstone Topics
(6-9 Hours)* |
| Context |
PAPA 6014:
Public Admin Theory |
None Given |
PAPA 6984:
Special Study |
PAPA 6024:
Context of Public Administration |
| Organization |
PAPA 6114:
Complex Public Organizations |
PAPA 6154:
Advanced Topics in Public Organizations |
PAPA 6194:
Capstone in Public Organizations |
PAPA 6124:
Behavior and Change in Organizations |
| Policy |
PAPA 6214:
Public Policy Processes |
PAPA 6254:
Advanced Topics in Public Policy
|
PAPA 6294:
Capstone in Public Policy |
PAPA 6224:
Design, Implementation Evaluation of Public Policy and Programs |
PAPA 6264:
Advanced Topics in Policy Systems Management |
| Management |
PAPA 6314:
Public Budgeting Processes |
PAPA 6354:
Advanced Topics in Public Management |
PAPA 6394:
Capstone in Public Management |
PAPA 6324:
Public Personnel Processes |
| Ethics |
PAPA 6414:
Normative Foundations of Public Admin. |
PAPA 6454:
Advanced Topics in Ethics & the Public Sector |
PAPA 6494:
Capstone in Ethics & the Public Sector |
| * A total of 15 semester hours of combined Advanced Topics & Capstone Seminars |
| Other Elements |
| Measurement & Analysis Tools (6 Credit Hours) |
Research Concentration |
| PAPA 6514: Public Administration & Policy Inquiry Intermediate/Advanced Statistics or other quantitative or qualitative skills |
9 semester hours of coursework which may include
Independent Study (PAPA 5974)
Internship and/or Field Studies
--Plus--
3 semester hours of PAPA 7964: Concentration Lecture
|
Preliminary Examination in the
Following 5 Core Areas: |
Dissertation Hours (not required for C.A.G.S.) |
- Context
- Organization
- Policy
- Management
- Ethics
|
30 semester hours PAPA 7994
-- 3 semester hours of which are dedicated to professional development seminar
(Proseminar in Blacksburg; Mentoring Program in Falls Churchs)
|
|
