Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration and Public Policy
About This Program
The Doctor of Philosophy in Public Administration and Public Policy (PAPP) program prepares future academicians and practitioners with research, policy, and administrative skills to help shape policy and improve communities, locally and globally. This interdisciplinary program provides rigorous training in the theoretical, analytical, historical, and practical foundations in public administration, public policy, and nonprofit management.
The PAPP PhD program provides students with a strong theoretical foundation, empirical rigor, and substantive and procedural knowledge concerning the field. It offers students an interdisciplinary perspective to examining administrative and policy issues. Graduates of this program continue to become future leaders who address complex community challenges with evidence-based, equitable, sustainable, and effective solutions in academia, government, the nonprofit, and for-profit sectors.
Competencies
- Upon completion, students will be able to identify problems and determine their relevance.
- Upon completion, students will be able to design field specific, rigorous, and valid research questions and utilize their understanding of theoretical foundations, research design, and data sources to answer their research questions.
- Upon completion, students will be able to leverage qualitative and quantitative research methods in order select the correct research tools to measure or assess research questions.
- Upon completion, students will be able to engage in independent research and advance their data gathering and preparation techniques.
- Upon completion, students will be able to engage in impactful communication and learning experiences that address the norms of the professions including explicit understanding of the writing process in submitting works for publication, grant funding, conference presentation, and professional networking.
Admissions Criteria
Along with the Office of Graduate Studies application requirements, a complete application includes:
- Official transcripts from colleges and universities attended. Students who obtained their master’s degree at UT Arlington are not required to submit separate copies of transcripts as their information will be available to the CAPPA advisors online. Information about submitting transcripts is available in the University Catalog.
- Official test score reports for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) and, for international applicants, the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Information about submitting official test scores is available from the University Catalog.
- Essay by applicant (minimum 500 words, maximum 1000 words). The essay is considered both for its content and writing quality. The essay should discuss: (1) tentative research topic, (2) how your undergraduate and graduate studies have prepared you for doctoral study in Public Administration and Public Policy; (3) identify your potential research area and Public Affairs faculty whose area relates to your research interests; and (4) the reasons for wanting to earn the doctoral degree.
- Three Letters of Recommendation. Letters should attest to the applicant’s ability to do doctoral-level work and successfully complete the dissertation. Letters from references who hold a Ph.D. degree are strongly preferred.
- Samples of applicant's written work (e.g., thesis, publication, professional report) that demonstrates graduate level English writing proficiency as compared to the writing proficiency of students who have successfully completed the program.
- Applicant's Curriculum Vitae.
Official transcripts and test scores must be sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by the institution and ETS respectively. The ETS code for UTA is 6013.
Letters of recommendation should be sent directly via email to cappa.advising@uta.edu or by postal service, to: CAPPA Program - Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy (PAPP), Box 19108, Arlington TX 76019.
It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure all application materials are received by the priority deadline of February 1st . Incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline may be deferred.
CAPPA primarily admits doctoral students for the Ph.D. in Public Administration and Public Policy for fall semester. Spring admissions are rare and there are no summer admissions.
Applicants who wish to be considered for graduate teaching/ research assistant positions or other financial assistance, must submit their applications by their first week in February for full consideration. Only complete applications (including GRE scores and letters) will be considered for financial assistance. Students must also complete the university application for financial aid in the Mav ScholarShop.
Unconditional Admission
Applicants may be admitted unconditionally with a graduate GPA of 3.6, a Verbal GRE score of at least 153 (500 if taken before August 1, 2011 and a Quantitative GRE score of at least 144 (500 if taken before August 1, 2011). International applicants are required to have a score of 213 or higher on the TOEFL (550 or higher on the written TOEFL; 79 or higher on TOEFL iBT). Strength of letters of recommendation and quality of personal statement and master’s degree field of study are also considered.
or
Applicants may be admitted unconditionally with a graduate GPA of 3.7, a Verbal GRE score of at least 153 (500 if taken before August 1, 2011 and a Quantitative GRE score of at least 140 (500 if taken before August 1, 2011). International applicants are required to have a score of 213 or higher on the TOEFL (550 or higher on the written TOEFL; 79 or higher on TOEFL iBT). Strength of letters of recommendation and quality of personal statement and master’s degree field of study are also considered.
The admissions committee may defer the admission decision when a component of the application is incomplete. It may also admit a student provisionally when an applicant is unable to supply all required documentation prior to the admission deadline but who otherwise appears to meet admission requirements.
Probationary Admission
Applicants not admitted unconditionally may be considered for admission on probation based on factors mentioned above as well as multilingual proficiency, first generation graduate student and applicant’s community service experience. Applicants with a 3.0 graduate GPA or better and based on the strength of admission requirements (personal statement, letters of recommendation and scores on standardized tests). Under Probationary Admission, special course requirements or other conditions may be imposed by the Admissions Committee (e.g., applicants who meet all the standards for Unconditional Admission, except for required Writing GRE score, will be considered for Probationary Admission conditioned on completing an approved writing course).
Foreign applicants with low TOEFL or IELTS scores may be accepted probationary on the condition of successfully completing the Pathway Admission Program. More information about that program may be found in the Graduate Admissions section of this catalog.
Deferred Admission
Applicants who are unable to supply required application materials, or who must complete additional preparatory work before their admissibility can be determined, may be deferred until records are complete.
Provisional Admission
Applicants who are unable to supply all required documentation prior to the admission deadline, but who otherwise appear to meet admission requirements may be granted Provisional Admission pending submission of complete and satisfactory credentials before the end of the semester in which they have registered in a provisional status.
Denial of Admission
Applicants who fail to meet more than one of the admission requirements and for whom the PAPP PhD Admission Committee finds there is insufficient basis to justify any other kind of admission. GRE performance will not be the sole factor leading to a decision to deny admission. As the admission process is competitive, applicants meeting basic admission requirements who are less well qualified than other applicants may also be denied admission.
Continuous Enrollment and Readmission
UTA Continuous Enrollment Policy requires students to remain enrolled throughout the duration of their studies. PAPP students must comply with this policy by enrolling in at least three or six credit hours each fall and spring semester, depending on the stage in their program of studies. Enrollment in summer sessions is not required.
Students who are unable to continue their PhD studies due to legitimate reasons can petition a leave of absence by following university policies. Students who are granted a leave of absence are subject to the university’s policy on readmission.
Students who have been absent without approval of leave of absence, but wish to resume their graduate work, will need to follow the university’s readmission policy.
Students who have been absent from the program for four or more long semesters will, in addition to the university policies, be subject to the program's admission criteria and the program's new procedures, guidelines, curriculum and degree requirements existing at the time of the readmission application. PAPP readmission policy and application instructions can be obtained from the PAPP graduate advisor.
Curriculum
| Foundations | ||
| PAPP 5306 | THE URBAN ECONOMY | 3 |
| or PLAN 6307 | URBAN GEOGRAPHY | |
| PAPP 6309 | INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS IN THE ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY | 3 |
| PAPP 6315 | PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION THEORY | 3 |
| PAPP 6320 | ADVANCED ORGANIZATION THEORY | 3 |
| PAPP 6311 | ADVANCED PUBLIC POLICY FORMATION AND ANALYSIS | 3 |
| PAPP 6326 | PUBLIC BUDGETING & FINANCE | 3 |
| Research Courses | ||
| PAPP 5344 | HUMAN SERVICES | 3 |
| or PLAN 6347 | QUALITATIVE METHODS | |
| PAPP 5342 | INTERMEDIATE DATA ANALYSIS | 3 |
| or PLAN 6317 | INTERMEDIATE DATA ANALYSIS | |
| PAPP 6301 | RESEARCH FOUNDATIONS AND PH.D. WORKSHOP | 3 |
| PLAN 6346 | ADVANCED DATA ANALYSIS IN URBAN AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS | 3 |
| Specialization | ||
| Select one of the following areas of emphasis. | 9 | |
| Public and Nonprofit Management | ||
| NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT AND SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP | ||
| STRATEGIC PUBLIC AND NONPROFIT HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT | ||
Select an approved elective such as: | ||
| STRATEGIC MGT AND PLANNING IN PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT SERVICES | ||
| ETHICS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE | ||
| Budget, Finance, and Economic Policy | ||
| PUBLIC BUDGETING | ||
| FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IN THE PUBLIC AND NON-PROFIT SERVICES | ||
Select an approved elective such as: | ||
| URBAN PUBLIC FINANCE | ||
| PAPP 5348 | COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS | 3 |
| Policy Design and Evaluation | ||
| EVALUATION RESEARCH | ||
| PAPP 5343 | APPLIED URBAN ANALYSIS | 3 |
Select an upper-level graduate course approved by advisor | ||
| Community Development and Social Equity | ||
| NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN PUBLIC POLICY | ||
| COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | ||
or PLAN 5324 | COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT | |
Select an approved elective such as: | ||
| EVALUATION RESEARCH | ||
| ETHICS IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE | ||
| Dissertation | ||
| Complete at least 9 hours in the following: | 9 | |
| DISSERTATION | ||
| DISSERTATION | ||
| DISSERTATION | ||
| DOCTORAL DEGREE COMPLETION | ||
| Total Hours | 54 | |
PAPP Students
| First Year | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Session | Hours | Spring Semester | Hours | First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours |
| PAPP 6309 | 3 | PAPP 6342 | 3 | PAPP 5306 or PLAN 6307 | 3 | PAPP 6311 | 3 |
| Emphasis course | 3 | PAPP 6315 | 3 | ||||
| PAPP 6320 | 3 | PAPP 5342 or PLAN 6317 | 3 | ||||
| 3 | 3 | 9 | 9 | ||||
| Second Year | |||||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||||
| PAPP 5344 or PLAN 6347 | 3 | PAPP 6301 | 3 | ||||
| PAPP 6346 | 3 | PAPP 6326 | 3 | ||||
| Emphasis course | 3 | Emphasis course | 3 | ||||
| 9 | 9 | ||||||
| Third Year | |||||||
| First Semester | Hours | Second Semester | Hours | ||||
| PAPP 6399, 6699, or 6999 | 3-9 | PAPP 6399, 6699, or 6999 | 3-9 | ||||
| 3-9 | 3-9 | ||||||
| Fourth Year | |||||||
| First Semester | Hours | ||||||
| PAPP 6399, 6699, or 73991 | 3-6 | ||||||
| 3-6 | |||||||
| Total Hours: 51-66 | |||||||
- 1
Student must complete 9 hours of dissertation and/or enroll in PAPP 7399 (Final Dissertation) which must be taken in the final graduating semester.
Program Completion
Students are assigned an initial faculty adviser based primarily on their research interests and they add two additional diagnostic committee members within their first year to help guide them through their course of study.
A full-time student can expect to complete the required courses within two academic years. Upon completing all required courses (30 hours), students sit for their written comprehensive examination. The comprehensive examination is an integrative exam that blends public policy issues with public administration.
Diagnostic Evaluation
During the student's first year of doctoral program work, the student must demonstrate potential to successfully complete a degree program. The diagnostic evaluation assesses the student's potential and is in the form of an oral examination/ presentation to the diagnostic committee members. Results of the diagnostic evaluation may be 1) approval to continue in the doctoral program; 2) approval to continue with specified remedial work; 3) failure, but with permission for assessment through a second diagnostic evaluation after a specified period; or 4) failure and termination in the program. The student must be enrolled in the graduate program in the term in which he/she completes the diagnostic evaluation. The results of the diagnostic evaluation must be filed in the Office of the Registrar no later than after completion of 18 credit hours of coursework while enrolled in a doctoral program at UT Arlington.
Comprehensive Exam
Students are eligible to take the comprehensive examination after having completed all coursework requirements for a degree. The comprehensive examination usually marks the end of formal coursework and the beginning of concentrated work on dissertation research and preparation. The student must be enrolled in the term in which he/she takes the comprehensive examination. A student who fails to pass a comprehensive examination is allowed to retake the examination once. In this case, the exam must be retaken the following semester (excluding summer semester). If the student fails to pass the examination a second time, the student is not permitted to continue in the doctoral program.
Dissertation Proposal
Upon successful completion of the written comprehensive examination, students form a three-member dissertation committee and prepare their dissertation proposal. Given the research topic and preparedness of the student, the faculty committee may recommend that the student take additional courses that contribute to the student’s dissertation. Students must also work closely with their dissertation supervisor and committee to develop their dissertation proposal. A formal oral proposal defense must be held, and the proposal must be formally approved by the dissertation committee before the student may continue to complete the dissertation. Guidelines for the dissertation proposal are available in the PhD Student Handbook. Successful completion of the dissertation proposal advances the student to the status of candidacy (ABD).
Dissertation
The dissertation represents the culmination of the student’s academic efforts and so is expected to demonstrate original and independent research activity and be a significant contribution to knowledge. Upon the successful defense of their dissertation proposal, the student is required to submit an application to the UT Arlington’s Institutional Review Board if their research involves human subjects. The student continues to work closely with her/his dissertation committee to the completion of the dissertation.
Doctoral students must enroll in a minimum of three dissertation hours PAPP 6399) every long semester (Fall & Spring). The student must accumulate a minimum of nine dissertation hours to graduate. Once the student’s committee has reviewed the completed dissertation and agree that the student is ready to defend, the student enrolls in Doctoral Degree Completion (PAPP 7399) in the term designated as their completion term. The Dissertation Completion course (7399) may only be taken two times. Doctoral students who do not graduate at the end of their second attempt in 7399 will receive a grade of R, W or F and must enroll in a minimum of six hours of dissertation research (PAPP 6699) every term until graduation.
The Office of Graduate Studies offers Dissertation Seminars each semester and encourages all Dissertation students to attend.
The dissertation defense is a public oral examination open to all members (faculty, students, and invited guests) of the University community. Questioning of the candidate will be directed by the student’s dissertation committee. All members of the student’s committee must be present at the defense. Although the defense is concerned primarily with the dissertation research and its interpretation, the examining committee may explore the student’s knowledge of areas relevant to the core of the dissertation problem.
The dissertation defense may result in a decision that the candidate has:
- passed unconditionally.
- passed conditionally with remedial work specified by the committee.
- failed, with permission to be re-examined after a specified period, or
- failed and dismissed from the program.
The dissertation must be approved unanimously by the student’s dissertation supervising committee. All doctoral students must be aware of requirements and deadlines associated with the dissertation, final defense, and submission of the final copy of the dissertation.
Dissertation Manuscript Format, Final Submission and Archiving
Students pursuing a doctoral degree must submit an acceptably formatted manuscript to the UTA Library before the degree can be conferred. Details regarding dissertation formats can be found on the UT Arlington Library website.
Time Limit
All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within four years after the student unconditionally passes the comprehensive exam. Students who exceed the published time limits for completing the graduate degree but wish to graduate, must petition the Academic Dean for an exception to the time limit policy.
CAPPA Inadequate Academic Progress Point System
A student may be subject to dismissal from the program if they accumulate 4 deficiency points during their graduate studies. Students who complete a master’s degree at CAPPA will not carry deficiency points into their PhD work. Deficiency points may not be removed from a student’s record by repeating a course or additional coursework.
D = 2 deficiency points
F = 3 deficiency points
I = 1 deficiency point
W = 0.5 deficiency point
A graduate student, whose cumulative grade point average (GPA) falls below a 3.000 in all graduate courses, be they graduate or undergraduate level and taken while enrolled as a UT Arlington graduate student, may be subject to dismissal from the program.
PhD students who do not complete dissertation proposal within two years of passing comprehensive exam will accrue 2 deficiency points.
PhD students who do not complete all requirements for the Doctoral degree within four years after passing the comprehensive examination will accrue 1 deficiency point per year beyond the four year mark.
Advising Resources
The College of Architecture, Planning and Public Affairs (CAPPA) at UT Arlington equips students with skills and knowledge to address real-world challenges in design, public policy, and research. Our Advising Office supports academic and career success. Explore our Future Students page to connect with an Academic Advisor and shape your future.
Location:
203 CAPPA Building
Email:
cappa.advising@uta.edu
Phone:
817-272-2801