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 Governance and Policy Track in the Public Affairs PhD program prepares students to perform high-quality policy-relevant research concerned with governance and public policy issues, primarily those with national and global implications. Students are empowered to provide unbiased, evidence-based information that is directly relevant to real public-policy problems.
Students must complete 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree, including 15 courses (45 credit hours) above the master's level distributed in the following manner:
- a three-course, 9-credit required Public Affairs substantive core
- a six-course, 18-credit required Public Affairs methodological and statistical core
- a three-course, 9-credit required discipline-specific specialization
- a two-course, 6-credit hour electives (may be taken outside the student's discipline)
- a one course, 3-credit required Public Affairs Community-based Research
- 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 who do not have a master's degree in a field 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
9 Total Credits
- Complete the following:
- PAF7055 - Seminar in State and Local Government Policy Research (3)
- PAF7510 - Seminar in Policy Evaluation and Performance Measurement (3)
- PAF7858 - Advanced Seminar in Governance and Policy Research (3)
Elective
6 Total Credits
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Choose two additional courses from the following courses: - PAF 7757 - Seminar in Global Governance and Policy Research 3 Credit Hours - 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 who do not have a master's degree in a field directly related to public affairs may be required to take courses at the master's level in preparation for doctoral level study. This preparatory course work requirement will be communicated at the time of acceptance into the program. These courses will not substitute for the doctoral degree requirements and will generally be taken prior to beginning the doctoral level course work. 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 describing the applicant's educational expectations, career aspirations, level of computer skills, and any special qualifications or experiences that may enhance the overall learning environment of the PAF program.
- Résumé.
- A writing sample, i.e., academic paper, report, etc.
- Three letters of recommendation from faculty or professionals who can assess the applicant's ability to succeed in a doctoral program.
Admission to the Doctoral Program in Public Affairs is granted on a competitive basis. Meeting minimum UCF admission standards does not guarantee program admissions. Final admission is based on 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.
