The Ph.D. in Public Affairs and Policy is an interdisciplinary program designed to prepare individuals to pursue research, teaching, advocacy, public service, and/or consulting in a variety of settings ranging from universities to policy research organizations, public agencies, and private consulting firms. The degree may be pursued on a full- or part-time basis.
The degree program is administered by the Hatfield School of Government, but draws on faculty from the entire College of Urban and Public Affairs. Faculty members are drawn from public administration, political science, economics, policy sciences, and urban studies.
The curriculum focus is governance, the integrated study of political, administrative, and policy processes. This curriculum is taught against the backdrop of globalizing economies and political systems seeking to recognize governance in a modern world characterized by both cooperation and conflict among the public, private, and non-profit organizations.
The doctoral program in Public Affairs and Policy is designed to enable students to approach governance as an applied area of knowledge in which theory informs and is informed by real-world practice.
Admission requirements
More information about the public affairs and policy Ph.D. program and all application forms are available at www.pdx.edu/hatfieldschool and https://cupa.pdx.edu/apply-now. Applications are accepted for fall admission only; the application deadline is 31 December and there is a late application deadline of 30 April. An early admission deadline for December 1 is offered for outstanding candidates seeking early admission.
Only one application will need to be submitted to apply to the PAP Program. The following materials should be submitted through the application link found on the Graduate School's website.
- Non-refundable $65 application fee (no cash)
- One transcript from each post-secondary institution attended (both sides need to be uploaded)
- Statement of Financial Support and Declaration of Finances (if International)
- International Applicants who currently reside in the United States with an F-1 or J-1 visa must fill out the SEVIS form
- Official TOEFL scores if the applicant does not speak English as a native language and has not received a graduate or undergraduate degree in an English-speaking territory
- A statement of intent up to 1,000 words. The statement should address the following: 1) Professional goals; 2) Planned area of study (policy specialization); 3) Desired employment sector; 4) How the degree furthers achievement of your professional goals
- A policy-oriented or academic writing sample.
- Three recommendation letters from individuals familiar with the applicant's academic and/or professional capabilities. Preferably, two of the three letters should be from former instructors or from individuals with knowledge of your professional performance and potential.
- A current resume
- The scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). Please note that you should make arrangements to take the GRE well in advance of the application deadline.
Degree requirements
Award of the Ph.D. is the culmination of a sequential process of coursework, comprehensive examinations, and the research, writing, and defense of a doctoral dissertation. In addition to the department core coursework, each field has additional specialization requrirements. The total number or credit hours required for the degree is 107, distributed as follows:
- Core Coursework-- 18 credits
- Research Methods-- 24 credits
- Field Coursework-- 38 credits
- Dissertation-- 27 credits
As a cohort, first-year students take a series of six courses commonly referred to as “the core” and are examined on this material upon completion. During their second and third years, students complete their field and research methods coursework. The comprehensive examination that follows the satisfaction of all course requirements typically asks students to think prospectively about the application of this material to their dissertation work. After the completion and defense of a dissertation proposal, students advance to Ph.D. candidacy. The last remaining hurdle is the dissertation.
Prerequisites
All students entering the doctoral program must have completed a basic course in statistics either upon entering or within the first year of study. No degree credit will be awarded for this coursework.
Credit requirements
The Ph.D. in public affairs and policy requires 80 credit hours of required and elective coursework. In addition, the student enrolls in 27 credits for dissertation research and writing.
The credits are distributed as follows:
| | Core Coursework | 18 |
| | Field of Specialization (Tracks-1-3) | 38 |
| | Research Methods | 24 |
| | Dissertation credits | 27 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 107 |
To meet these credit requirements, relevant past academic coursework is recognized in these ways:
Up to 40 credits of coursework related to governance or research methods completed at the master's level may be counted toward the Ph.D. degree.
In addition, students with extensive academic background and/or experience in using quantitative or qualitative research methods may substitute one or more required research methods courses with other coursework with permission of their academic adviser.
Core courses and Credits
Core courses
| PAP 611 | Normative Foundations of Governance | 3 |
| PAP 613 | Organization Theory and Behavior | 3 |
| PAP 614 | Contemporary Governance | 3 |
| PAP 616 | Policy Process | 3 |
| PAP 620 | Seminar on American Political Institutions | 3 |
| PAP 621 | Comparative Political Institutions | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 18 |
Specialization fields (Tracks 1-3)
Students must choose one of the following three tracks as their primary domain of study.
1. Public Administration and Policy (38 credit hours)
Students focus on the functioning, management, and leadership of organizations in the public sector as well as the analysis of public policy. Required courses:
2. Politics and Public Policy (38 credit hours)
Students focus on the political and economic determinants as well as the analysis of public policy at the local, national, and international levels. Required courses:
3. Economics and Public Policy (38 credit hours)
Students focus on the understanding and application of economic theory to contemporary public policy and governance challenges, especially economic, fiscal, financial and commercial issues. Required courses:
| Ec 571 | Advanced Econometrics | 4 |
| Ec 575 | Applied Advanced Econometrics | 4 |
| Ec 580 | Mathematical Economics | 4 |
| Ec 581 | Advanced Microeconomics | 4 |
| Ec 584 | Applications of Advanced Microeconomic Theory | 4 |
| Ec 590 | Advanced Macroeconomics | 4 |
| Ec 592 | Applications of Advanced Macroeconomic Theory | 4 |
Ec 571,
Ec 575 and
Ec 580 may be waived as Track courses if used as Research Methods elective. Students must still complete 38 total field credits.
Research Methods
Coursework in research methods is normally completed concurrently with field specialization coursework. Approved substitutes for methods coursework will be listed in the PAP Course Planner each year.
Methods courses and credits
| PS 593 | Philosophy of the Social Sciences | 4 |
| PAP 690 | Research Design for Politics and Policy | 4 |
| PS 595 | Research Methods for Political Science | 4 |
| | or | |
| Ec 570 | Econometrics | 4 |
| | Electives | 12 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 24 |
Dissertation Research
Students must register for a minimum of 27 credits of PAP 603 Dissertation to represent the work of researching and writing the doctoral dissertation.
Comprehensive examinations
In order to evaluate one’s ability to integrate, analyze, and critique the diverse materials and ideas presented in the PAP curriculum, students are required to complete a two-part comprehensive examination. Part A of the examination (core exam) covers the 18 credit hours of foundational core courses. Part B (field exam) covers all coursework done in the student’s specialization field (Tracks 1-3).
Dissertation requirements
The dissertation process is designed to evaluate the student’s ability to successfully conduct a significant, independent applied research project. The dissertation thesis represents the culmination of a student’s doctoral studies.
Program Rules
A more comprehensive set of rules governing satisfactory completion of field area examinations, presentation of dissertation, and timely completion of doctoral program requirements appear in the General Handbook for the Public Affairs and Policy Doctoral Program issued to incoming students and available online.
Limitation on graduate/undergraduate courses
Students in the PAP program are strongly advised to use no more than 12 credits of courses offered simultaneously at the 400- and 500-level in support of their degree programs. These courses must be an integral part of the student’s program, and courses with the same content must not be available on a purely graduate basis.
Limitation on by-arrangement courses
Admitted Ph.D. students may utilize no more than 12 credits of Research and/or Reading and Conference credits (501/601 and 505/605). In cases where more than 12 credits are needed because of the lack of regularly scheduled classes, the student must submit a written request waiver to their adviser for approval.
Continuous enrollment and leave of absence
All students admitted to the Ph.D. program in public affairs and policy must be continuously enrolled until graduation, except for periods in which they are absent for an approved leave. Taking a minimum 3 credits per term during the regular academic year will constitute continuous enrollment. Failure to register without an approved leave may result in termination of a student’s admission. Students may have no more than six terms of approved leave.
Grade requirement
A student who receives more than 9 credits of C+ or below in all coursework attempted after admission to the Ph.D. program will be dropped from the program.
Performance in core courses
A grade of C+ or below received for work performed in a core course is not considered passing. A PAP doctoral student who receives a grade of C+ or below in one of the core course offerings during fall or winter terms may not proceed to take the core course offerings in the subsequent term until the course in which a failing grade was received has been repeated, and the failing grade is replaced with a passing grade of B- or better.
Research and Teaching Opportunities
The doctoral degree in public affairs and policy offers a number of research and teaching opportunities.
Hatfield Residency Program
This program, conducted in cooperation with the Hatfield School’s Executive Leadership Institute, places qualified doctoral students in public and not-for-profit agencies as paid residents. Agency placements provide students opportunities to conduct dissertation research, gain advanced research experience, and receive assistance in financing their educational objectives.
Graduate research assistantships
Dependent on available funds, a number of graduate research assistantships are available each year. Students must apply for these by February 1 of the academic year in which the assistantships are desired. Assistantships pay tuition and a small additional stipend.
Teaching opportunities
All doctoral students in the program are strongly encouraged to teach prior to completing their Ph.D. programs. There are a number of opportunities available in this regard.
Teaching apprenticeships with a university faculty member
These duties can include teaching one or more class sessions, assistance in preparing courses, and correction of examinations.
Teaching in the University Studies Program
Advanced doctoral students may also teach in sophomore inquiry coursework sponsored by the Hatfield School of Government. This coursework deals largely with citizen participation and leadership. Advanced doctoral students may also propose and teach a senior Capstone course at the undergraduate level. These are interdisciplinary community-based courses required of all PSU seniors. These students will develop and implement strategies to deal with a community issue in cooperation with one or more community organizations.