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Department of Political Science
Program & Curriculum

The degree requires a total of seventy-five (75) credit hours beyond an undergraduate degree. The program requires forty-nine (49) credit hours of Ph.D. coursework: 14 courses (39 credit hours) and 10 dissertation hours. The curriculum includes seven required core courses, plus seven electives. The required core courses include Seminar in Public Administration, Seminar in Public Policy, Research Design, Quantitative Methods, Qualitative Methods and Professional Development Seminar Part I and II. Other methodology courses are strongly recommended. Students take additional elective coursework in two field areas of their choice. See the Ph.D. director for additional course advising. 

Once the core, elective, and dissertation hours are complete, the remaining course hours needed to reach 75 total hours will be transferred in from a related master’s degree.

Ph.D. elective courses may be found in the AU course schedule on AU Access. A full listing of courses may be found in the AU Bulletin. Students, with the approval of their advisor, may also take electives in other departments depending on their chosen area of specialization.

 

CORE REQUIREMENTS (18 hours)

All PhD candidates must take the following core courses. Full-time students can complete the core and track courses in 4 semesters.

  • POLI 8000 Seminar in Public Administration (3) Nature of public administration as a field of study and different theoretical perspectives as reflected in current research.
  • POLI 8020 Seminar in Public Policy (3) Advanced study of the nature of public policy development and implementation.
  • POLI 8010 Research Design & Analysis (Methodology I) (3) Development and testing of causal models in political and social science. Students will develop a complex research design under the close supervision of the instructor.
  • POLI 8130 Quantitative Analysis (Methodology II) (3) In-depth analysis of the use of quantitative methods in political science research.
  • POLI 8120 Qualitative Analysis (Methodology III) (3) In-depth analysis of the use of qualitative methods in political science research.
  • POLI 8210 and 8220 Professional Development Seminar Part I (1) and Part II (2) Two-part class that introduces doctoral students to the academic profession.

ELECTIVES (21 hours) 

Students choose 7 courses (21 credit hours) in two of the following fields of study. Students should have at least three classes in each field they select; the final class can come from any field.

  • American Politics & Policy
  • Applied Research
  • Community Planning
  • Election Administration
  • Global (IR/Comparative)
  • Nonprofit Organizations & Community Governance
  • Public Administration

DISSERTATION HOURS (10 hours)

  • POLI 8990 Dissertation (3) Research related to writing the dissertation.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The PhD program has six key programmatic student learning outcomes (SLOs). Students graduating from the PhD Program in Public Administration and Public Policy will:

  1. Explain, analyze and critique the literature including current scholarship and its strengths and weaknesses in the relevant subfields of the political science, public policy and public administration disciplines (Literature)
  2. Explain and identify methodological approaches used to address disciplinary problems and questions (Methodology)
  3. Design and execute original research on contemporary disciplinary problems and questions, including connecting literature, theory and methodology (Original Contribution)
  4. Apply the most appropriate methodological approaches to advance understanding of a specific disciplinary problem or question (Analysis)
  5. Clearly and effectively communicate in written and verbal forms disciplinary material in the comprehensive examination, the dissertation prospectus and the dissertation (Communication)
  6. Model and display behavior consistent with professional norms and objectives (Professionalism)

These SLOs are comprehensive and commensurate with the expectations of similar and higher ranked doctoral programs in the disciplines of political science generally, and public administration and public policy more specifically.

Once the core and elective course hours are complete, remaining course hours needed will be transferred in from a related master’s degree. Ph.D. elective courses may be found in the AU course schedule on AU Access. A full listing of courses may be found in the AU Bulletin. Students, with the approval of their advisor, may also take electives in other departments depending on their chosen area of specialization.