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 that includes the professional and academic expertise of faculty in the fields of Criminal Justice, Health Management and Informatics, Public Administration, and Social Work. The Public Administration Track prepares students for academic positions in colleges and universities as well as research and leadership positions in public, nonprofit and for profit agencies and organizations.
The Public Administration Track integrates the historical evolution of the public administration field, the current challenges in theory and practice in our increasingly interconnected society, and the future directions needed as a discipline and society to achieve responsive solutions to complex public problems.
Students must complete 60 credit hours beyond the master's degree 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 unrestricted elective requirement
- 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 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 the following:
- PAD7026 - Advanced Seminar in Public Administration (3)
- PAD7057 - Advanced Public Management (3)
- PAD7827 - Network Governance (3)
- Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Choose two additional elective courses from the following: PAD 7317 - Program Design and Management 3 Credit Hours PAD 7707 - Advanced Research in Public Administration 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
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.
A maximum of 6 credit hours of Independent Study may be used as electives with adviser's approval.
Transfer work will only be accepted by the Public Affairs PhD program if taken as part of an approved plan of study for a doctoral program at UCF or elsewhere. A maximum of 6 credit hours taken at the doctoral level may be considered for transfer. The acceptance of transfer credit into the track specialization and a general elective component is dependent upon the approval of the Track Coordinator in consultation with the PAF Director. Transfer work will not be accepted into the PAF substantive or methodological core components.
A grade of B- or better is required in all courses, including Substantive Core, Methodological Core and Track Specialization/Elective courses. Students receiving a grade of C+ or below in the Substantive Core or Methodological Core courses must repeat the course and receive an acceptable grade prior to taking the Research Proficiency Exam and Qualifying Exam. Any student who receives more than one "C" in their doctoral coursework may be dismissed from the program.
A minimum of 3.0 graduate status GPA and program of study GPA is required to maintain graduate student status and for graduation. Students with a GPA less than 3.0 may be dismissed from the program.
Any student who receives an "F" grade in their doctoral coursework will be dismissed from the program.
Assignment of Faculty Advisers
Upon acceptance of a student into the program, the program director provides students with an initial orientation and a general advising session. The Track Coordinator in conjunction with the PAF Director helps the student throughout the foundation stage of the program, assisting in the clarification of interests and goals and facilitating the introduction of students to faculty and research interests that can advance the student's program of study. Public Administration Track students will be advised by the Public Administration Track Coordinator. The Track Coordinator assists the student in selecting elective courses, finalizing the program of study, and facilitating discussion with faculty members who have similar research interests. Discussion and review of dissertation topics should take place with the faculty member who has agreed to chair the dissertation committee. The dissertation chair is to be selected by the student prior to commencing the dissertation prospectus.
Research Proficiency Exam and Qualifying Exam
Upon successful completion of the first year of substantive and methodological required courses, students are required to take a Research Proficiency Exam (RPE) and Integrative Qualifying Exam (IQE). These exams assess a student's ability to integrate the curriculum knowledge and apply it in the realm of community problem solving as it relates to policy, administration, governance, and organizations. Students are expected to demonstrate proficiency in the PAF Core Competencies.
Students are given two opportunities to pass the RPE and the QE. Students who fail any section twice are dismissed from the program. Any student who fails any the RPE twice or the QE twice will not be readmitted into the PAF program. This policy includes all tracks and/or any master's to PhD program(s) within the PAF program. Please refer to the student handbook for further information.
Candidacy Status
Students can officially obtain candidacy status when they have successfully completed all course work, passed the research proficiency and qualifying exams, formed their Dissertation committee, have no more than six required courses remaining (electives included) and all required paperwork has been completed and submitted. In addition, students admitted to their UCF doctoral program in Fall 2011 or a later term must complete all CITI Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training. Once they have obtained Candidacy status, students can register for dissertation hours.
Students officially enter candidacy when the following work has been accomplished:
- Pass Integrative and Research Proficiency Qualifying Exams
- Form an appropriate Dissertation Committee by established university deadline:
- Chair (Graduate Faculty member who is eligible to chair a dissertation committee)
- Minimum of four committee members (all must hold a Graduate Faculty or Graduate Faculty Scholar appointment)
- At least three, and a majority of the committee, must be members of the Graduate Faculty
- At least one member must be from outside the department (or college, if a college-wide program)
- At least one member must have served previously on a thesis or dissertation committee that graduated a student, either at UCF or at another accredited institution. If the Chair does not have this experience, another graduate faculty member who has this experience may serve in this role as Vice Chair. Under certain circumstances (see page 2), a graduate faculty scholar who has previous committee experience may serve as Vice Chair.
- Have no more than 6 total credit hours of coursework remaining (including electives)
- Complete all required RCR Workshops and CITI Integrity Trainings
- Complete PAF Notification of Doctoral Candidacy form
Equipment Fee
Full-time students in the Public Affairs Program pay a $40 equipment fee each semester that they are enrolled. Part-time students pay $20 per semester.
