New admissions to this track have been suspended effective Fall 2021. Prospective students interested in this track are encouraged to apply directly to the Public Affairs PhD program. Students are able to select or create specializations that best align with their research interests.
The Doctoral Program in Public Affairs is an interdisciplinary program drawing from the strengths of faculty in Criminal Justice, Health Management and Informatics, Public Administration, and Social Work. The Criminal Justice Track prepares students for academic positions in colleges and universities as well as research and leadership positions in public, nonprofit and private agencies. The dynamic mix of an interdisciplinary faculty with students of varied backgrounds creates a stimulating environment to examine contemporary organizational, institutional and community problems and issues. Graduates possess the theoretical, analytical and ethical foundation to produce new knowledge that impacts policies and programs and enhances institutional and community performance.
Students must complete 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree distributed in the following manner:
- a three-course, 9-credit hour required Public Affairs substantive core
- a six-course, 18-credit hour required Public Affairs methodological and statistical core
- a three-course, 9-credit hour required discipline-specific specialization
- a two-course, 6-credit hour unrestricted elective requirement
- a one course, 3-credit hour required Public Affairs practicum
- 15 credit hours of dissertation minimum
Total Credit Hours Required: 60 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Master's Degree
Track Prerequisites
Applicants must hold a master's degree from an accredited institution, preferably in criminal justice, health, public administration or social work. Applicants with a master's degree in a field not directly related to public affairs may be required to take courses at the master's level in preparation for doctoral level study.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses
45 Total Credits
Public Affairs Substantive Core
9 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- PAF7000 - Foundations of Public Affairs: People, Places, Policies and Paradigms (3)
- PAF7230 - Strategic Change and Management for Public Affairs (3)
- PAF7317 - Social Inquiry and Public Policy (3)
Methodological and Statistical Core
18 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete the following:
- PAF7802 - Advanced Research Methodology for Public Affairs (3)
- PAF7804 - Advanced Statistics for Public Affairs I: Multivariate Analysis (3)
- PAF7805 - Advanced Statistics for Public Affairs II: Survey of Statistical Methods (3)
- PAF7820 - Qualitative Methods for Public Affairs (3)
- PAF7325 - Policy and Program Evaluation for Public Affairs (3)
- Complete at least 1 of the following:
- PAF7868 - Public Affairs Mixed Methods Research (3)
- PAF7856 - Applications of Structural Equation Modeling in Public Affairs (3)
Community-based Research
3 Total Credits
- Earn at least 3 credits from the following types of courses: PAF 7947 - Public Affairs Community-Based Research At the end of the required coursework, students will take the Community-Based Research course (PAF 7947). Led by a professor, the course provides the student with the opportunity to work within an interdisciplinary team to use their substantive learning and apply their methodological and statistical tools to a real community problem. This experiential learning brings the student out to the community while bringing the community into the university.
Track Specialization
15 Total Credits
- Complete all of the following
- Complete at least 3 of the following:
- CJE6456 - Seminar in Policing Urban Communities (3)
- CJE6320 - Seminar in Police Administration (3)
- CJE6706 - Seminar in Police Socialization and Culture (3)
- CJC6135 - Seminar in Institutional Corrections (3)
- CJC6165 - Seminar in Community Corrections (3)
- CJC6486 - Seminar in Correctional Effectiveness (3)
- CJJ6546 - Seminar in Policing and Prevention in the Juvenile Justice System (3)
- CJJ6124 - Seminar in Prosecuting Juvenile Offenders (3)
- CJJ6126 - Seminar in Juvenile Corrections (3)
- CJL6568 - Law and Social Control (3)
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Choose two additional courses from the following list: See adviser for appropriate methodological elective - 3 Credit Hours Directed independent study - 3 Credit Hours Or other course that will add to the student's course of study. Requires approval of adviser - 3 Credit Hours
Dissertation
15 Total Credits
- Earn at least 15 credits from the following types of courses: PAF 7980 - Dissertation Research
Grand Total Credits: 60
Application Requirements
For information on general UCF graduate admissions requirements that apply to all prospective students, please visit the Admissions section of the Graduate Catalog. Applicants must apply online. All requested materials must be submitted by the established deadline.
Applicants must hold a master's degree from an accredited institution, preferably in criminal justice, health, public administration or social work. Applicants with a master's degree in a field not directly related to public affairs may be required to take courses at the master's level in preparation for doctoral level study. Any requirements for preparatory coursework will be communicated at the time of acceptance into the program and will generally be taken prior to beginning doctoral-level coursework. These courses, if required, will not substitute for the listed doctoral degree requirements. Admission is offered for fall semester only.
In addition to the general UCF graduate application requirements, applicants to this program must provide:
- One official transcript (in a sealed envelope) from each college/university attended for both bachelor's and master's degrees.
- Official, competitive GRE score taken within the last five years.
- A narrative statement of 1000 words or less addressing the following:
- What is your reason for pursuing a doctoral degree in Public Affairs in our program? Be sure to include future goals and plans.
- What research areas, pertaining to Public Affairs are you interested in researching?
- What will be your contribution as a student to the program?
- Résumé.
- A writing sample. An academic paper is preferred, but the program will consider writing samples that demonstrate analytical writing (i.e. grant applications, position papers, etc.)
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty or professionals who can assess the applicant's ability to succeed in a doctoral program. Academic references are strongly preferred.
The Public Affairs Program Admissions Committee will begin reviewing applicant files once the student has submitted all of the above documents. Admission to the Doctoral Program in Public Affairs is granted on a competitive basis. Meeting minimum UCF admission standards does not guarantee program admissions. The Admissions Committee will base final admission on the evaluation of the applicant's abilities, past performance, recommendations, match to the program, correspondence of the applicant's career and academic interests with those of the core and affiliated faculty, and potential for completing the degree and making a significant contribution to Public Affairs.
Financial Information
Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.
Fellowship Information
Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.
