CPAP Blacksburg and Alexandria
While the core of the Ph.D. program is the dissertation, the Doctor of Philosophy degree formally requires a minimum of 90 credit hours. CPAP Ph.D. students take a series of Foundation courses in five Core Areas: context of public administration, organization, policy, management, and ethics; and five advanced courses we call Advanced Topics courses and 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. Ph.D. students also participate in the Doctoral Mentoring Program in Alexandria or Blacksburg.
Foundation Courses (27 hours)
- PAPA 6014: Public Administration Theory
- PAPA 6024: Context of Public Administration
- PAPA 6114: Complex Public Organizations
- PAPA 6124: Behavior and Change in Organizations
- PAPA 6214: Public Policy Processes
- PAPA 6224: Design and Evaluation of Public Policies
- PAPA 6314: Public Budgeting Processes
- PAPA 6324: Public Personnel Processes
- PAPA 6414: Normative Foundations of Public Administration
Advanced Courses (15 hours)
- Advanced Topics (6-9 hours)
- Capstone Seminars (6-9 hours)
Measurement and Analysis (6 hours)
- PAPA 6514: Public Administration & Policy Inquiry
- Intermediate/Advanced Statistics or other quantitative or qualitative skills
- Please Note: Completion of an introductory statistics is required to enroll in PAPA 6514
Research Concentration (12 hours)
- 9 credit hours coursework related to the development of the dissertation prospectus, which may include Independent Study (PAPA 5974), Internship and/or Field Studies
- PAPA 7964: Concentration Lecture
Qualifying Examination
- Complete qualifying exams in three of the five core areas of Complex Organizations, Ethics, Public Management, Theory and Context of Public Administration, and Public Policy.
Dissertation Hours
- 30 hours of PAPA 7994; 3 hours of which are dedicated to the Doctoral Mentoring Program in Alexandria or Blacksburg.
See the Policy Guide for additional information about CPAP’s Ph.D. Program in Alexandria and Blacksburg.
