Public Policy, Ph.D.

Program Requirements

To earn the Ph.D., a student must satisfactorily complete seven general requirements:

1. Core master’s-level curriculum or its equivalent;
2. The doctoral core curriculum;
3. Seven 3-credit hour core courses in areas of specialization (four in the major field and three in the minor field);
4. This program requires a minimum of 42 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree;
5. Full-time enrollment for one academic year;
6. Doctoral qualifying examinations; and;
7. Defense of a dissertation.

Core Master’s Program Curriculum

The core master’s program curriculum consists of nine 3-credit hour courses in the six areas that follow. Students may document completion of the core curriculum through coursework taken elsewhere or may select from the courses listed in the current master’s program of the Department of Public Management and Policy, AYSPS. Alternative courses can be taken with permission of the program director.

Policy Analysis: Two courses covering the policy process, policy formulation and implementation, and an introduction to policy analysis. Options include: PMAP 8011 - Politics and Policy  (3), PMAP 8111 - Public Management & Democracy  (3), and PMAP 8531 - Policy Analysis  (3).

Organizational Analysis: One course offering broad coverage of the theories and concepts of organizational behavior and administrative theory and the analysis of organizational processes. Options include: PMAP 8171 - Public Management Systems and Strategies  (3) and PMAP 8151 - Leadership and Organizational Behavior  (3).

Techniques of Analysis: Two courses that cover basic statistical analysis (descriptive and inferential statistics to include multiple regression analysis), research design, and an applied research experience. Options include: PMAP 8121 - Applied Research Methods and Statistics I  (3) and, PMAP 8131 - Applied Research Methods and Statistics II  (3).

Economics and Public Finance: Two courses that cover the theories and concepts of micro- and/or macroeconomics and an introduction to public finance. Options include: PMAP 8141 - Microeconomics for Public Policy  (3), PMAP 8161 - Public Budgeting and Finance , and ECON 8460 - Economics of the State and Local Public Sector  (3).

Calculus: One course covering differential and integral calculus and matrix algebra. Options include: ECON 6030 - Introduction to Mathematics for Economists  (3) and MATH 2211 Calculus of One Variable I (3).

Program of Study

Graduate Assistantship

Graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. These credit hours consist of course required for the prescribed 42 credit hours program of study, as well as additional hours of PMAP 9901 - Dissertation Research . PMAP 9901  involves faculty -supervised research.

Full-time Residency Requirement

Doctoral Qualifying Examination and Major Area Paper

Students must pass a core comprehensive qualifying examination within one year of completing the prescribed coursework. The comprehensive qualifying examination will consist of:

1. Written Qualifying Examinations
   Students will take one written examination in the theory and methods of public policy studies. The exam will be given twice per year, and students must notify the program director in writing of their intention to take the examinations one month before they occur.
2. Oral Qualifying Examination.
   At the discretion of the Examining Committee, an oral examination may be required as part of the qualifying examination process prior to a determination as to whether the written examination is satisfactory.
3. Students will only be permitted a second attempt to pass any qualifying examination they fail upon the recommendation, by majority vote, of the group of faculty members who graded the examination. A maximum of two attempts is permitted.
4. Students must pass a major area paper after completing their field coursework according to the timeline described below. Also, in some cases, as identified in the grading rubric, students will be allowed to revise a major area paper that does not initially receive a passing score within a 2 month timeframe. 

After finishing the classes in their major field, students are required to write a major area paper. This paper should identify an area in the major field defined in the student’s program of study that is of interest to the student. The student should not review this major field in its entirety but instead focus on a single area. The student should provide a critical review of the literature in this area. The review should not simply summarize the findings from individual studies but instead seek to synthesize them, allowing the student to identify in their discussion well-supported findings as well as potential gaps in the literature. This paper is broader in scope than a dissertation proposal, seeking to provide an overview of one area in their major field and a synthesis of the literature rather than a proposal that supports the investigation of a particular research question. This exercise is expected to be productive - the gaps and questions identified should help to identify potential dissertation topics. The text of this major area paper should be double-spaced and about 25-30 pages in length. In addition, it should include an additional discussion of about 5 pages that presents 2 or 3 potential research questions drawn from this literature review. These questions may form the basis for a dissertation proposal.

This paper will be reviewed by a committee formed by the group of tenured/tenure-track faculty who have taught the student courses in their major field. At the discretion of the committee, an additional faculty member with relevant expertise may be asked to become a member. In some cases, this additional faculty member may replace one of the faculty who have taught a course in the student’s major field. When relevant, the student should use insights from courses taken in the major field in their MAP. In some cases, only a few such connections will occur.  This is acceptable since the scope of our coursework is limited. While the committee may work with the student in identifying a particular area of focus, the remainder of the project (the identification of the relevant studies, the synthesis of this material, and the identification of potential research questions) must be done by the student on their own. The committee will evaluate the student according to whether the paper successfully meets the following 5 criteria:

1. Adequately identifies important components of study within this area
2. Successfully identifies key findings in the literature
3. Successfully identifies potential shortcomings in the literature
4. Provide a sophisticated synthesis of the literature rather just a summary of the results of previous research in a piecemeal fashion.
5. Successfully identifies and provides support for 2 or 3 potential research questions

In each of these areas, students will receive a rating from 1 (lowest) to 5 (highest), with the following designations: (1) unsatisfactory (2) needs improvement in many areas (3) needs improvement in a few areas (4) meets expectations (5) exceeds expectations. Students must receive an overall score of at least 15 to receive a passing grade on this paper. Students receiving an overall score below 10 will receive a failing grade. Those students receiving an overall score that ranges from 10 to 14 will be allowed once to revise and resubmit their paper for an additional review by the committee.  This major area paper must be completed 4 months from the start of the following semester after students complete their final course in their major field. Thus, if a student completes their final course in their major field in the fall, then they will have 4 months from the start of the spring semester to complete this paper. If students receive a score allowing a revision of the paper, they then will have an additional 2 months to complete this paper. This 2 month period begins as soon as the student is notified of their score.  If students fail to complete this paper within this timeframe, then they will receiving a failing grade. If students are still required to successfully complete their core comprehensive exams after completing their courses in their major field, then this 4 month time limit will begin at the beginning of the following semester. Under extraordinary circumstances, students are allowed to petition the doctoral committee to request additional time to complete this paper.

The Dissertation

The dissertation allows the Ph.D. candidate to demonstrate his or her ability to conduct a research program leading to a significant contribution to the candidate’s discipline. Students must obtain approval of their dissertation proposal within one calendar year after completing their comprehensive exams. Dissertation guidelines are available at aysps.gsu.edu/oaa/dissertation-guidelines.

At the time the electronic version of the student’s dissertation (ETD) is posted on the Georgia State University Library server, students must choose the availability option, “Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide,” unless they have received approval to restrict distribution from the AYSPS Associate Dean. A letter showing this approval, which will be granted only for a maximum of one year, must be on file in the Office of Academic Assistance prior to graduation.

1. The Dissertation Committee.
   After successfully completing the two qualifying examinations, the student forms a Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus three or four additional members. Students are encouraged to include outside members on their committees as appropriate. Students will choose a committee chair with the advice and approval of the program director and will choose the remaining members of the committee with the advice and approval of the committee chair and program director. Once the committee is chosen, the student may change the membership of the committee only with the advice and approval of the program director.
2. The Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defense.
   1. In consultation with the Dissertation Committee, the student will develop a dissertation proposal. The proposal should include a summary of the following: the purpose of the study; the nature of the subject to be investigated and its importance; a brief review of the literature; the nature of the hypotheses to be developed or tested; the empirical methodology, techniques, and data sources, if any, to be used; and a time frame for completion of the dissertation. Normally, the proposal should not exceed 40 pages.
   2. The student will present and defend the dissertation proposal in a public presentation that will be open to faculty and graduate students from both schools and announced two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled. The Dissertation Committee will question the student in a two-hour oral examination, and then vote to determine whether the student has a satisfactory research topic and design. A unanimous decision by the student’s Dissertation Committee is required. The approving members will sign the dissertation proposal defense approval form. Upon submission of the proposal defense approval form, the student is admitted to candidacy for the degree.
   3. Submission of the approval form does not constitute a contractual agreement between the students and the Dissertation Committee. It is within the scope and function of the Dissertation Committee to recommend modifications to the research as it proceeds.
3. The Final Dissertation Defense.
   When the candidate’s Dissertation Committee judges that the dissertation is complete, the student must defend it orally in a final dissertation defense, subject to rules governing Georgia State University graduate study. At least two weeks before the final dissertation defense, the student must submit an abstract of the dissertation to the program director, who will issue an announcement of the scheduling of the candidate’s dissertation defense. Any interested faculty member or graduate student may attend the examination and participate in the discussion. At the completion of the oral defense, members of the dissertation committee will vote on the dissertation’s approval or disapproval. Unanimous approval is required.

Regulations for the Degree

1. Oversight.
   An Admissions and Coordinating (A & C) Committee, consisting of five tenure-track faculty, four from the Department of Public Management and Policy and one from the Department of Economics, has jurisdiction over and is chiefly responsible for policy relating to admissions, program curriculum, rules and regulations, and operations of the degree program. The faculty of the Department of Public Management and Policy, in accordance with its procedures and bylaws, select members of the A & C Committee.
2. Scholastic Warning and Termination.
   The doctoral grade-point average (GPA) is defined as the GPA for all courses numbered 6000 or higher taken after admission to the doctoral program. Each student must maintain a 3.30 doctoral GPA (B average). The doctoral GPA could differ from the GPA calculated by the university and reported on the student’s official transcript, since the university GPA could also include the grades from all courses taken at Georgia State before admission to the doctoral program. For graduation, a student may have a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or above in all courses at Georgia State taken at the graduate level, regardless of the degree program.
3. Standards of Performance.
   To continue in the program, a student must make reasonable and timely progress toward the degree in terms of coursework completed and examinations. A determination that a student is not making satisfactory progress and should be terminated from the program may be made at several points in his or her program, including failure to achieve and maintain a doctoral GPA of at least 3.30, failure to pass 12 credit hours within a twelve-month period, failure of the comprehensive qualifying examination, or failure to successfully defend a dissertation proposal or dissertation. In all such cases, a recommendation of dismissal must be made to the Admissions and Coordinating Committee, which will review the case and issue a final decision regarding termination from the program.
4. Appeals.
   All student appeals regarding grades and other faculty actions affecting students will be adjudicated through the appeals process governing the Andrew Young School. If the appeal concerns an Admissions & Coordinating Committee action, the student must appeal the action to the Chair of the Department of Public Management and Policy, then to the Academic Program Committee of the school (with approval required to overturn the action), then to the Dean of the school.
5. Time Limits for the Degree.
   These time limits should be interpreted as the maximum amount of time students may take to complete each of the degree requirements. It is anticipated that most students will complete the requirements much earlier than the maximum time limits specified below:
   1. All required coursework and both written examinations must be completed within four years from the semester of entry into the doctoral program.
   2. Both qualifying examinations must be successfully completed within one year after completion of coursework.
   3. The Dissertation Committee must be appointed and the dissertation proposal must be defended and approved within one year after completion of comprehensive examinations.
   4. All requirements for the degree, including the dissertation, must be completed within seven years from the semester of entry into the doctoral program.

Program Requirements

To earn the joint Ph.D., a student must satisfactorily complete eight general requirements:

1. A core master’s-level curriculum or its equivalent;
2. The doctoral core curriculum;
3. Seven courses in two elective fields (areas of specialization);
4. Full-time enrollment for one academic year;
5. This program requires a minimum of 42 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree;
6. At least three courses with faculty from each school;
7. Doctoral qualifying examinations;
8. Defense of a dissertation.

Core Master’s Program Curriculum

The core master’s program curriculum consists of nine courses in the following areas. Students may document completion of the core curriculum through coursework taken elsewhere or may select from the listed courses offered in the master’s program at either institution. Alternative courses can be taken with permission of the program director.

Policy Analysis: Two courses covering the policy process, policy formulation and implementation, and an introduction to policy analysis. Options include: PMAP 8011 , PMAP 8111 , PMAP 8531 , [PUBP 6012], and [PUBP 6018].

Organizational Analysis: One course offering broad coverage of the theories and concepts of organizational behavior and administrative theory and the analysis of organizational processes. Options include: PMAP 8171 , and [PUBP 6014].

Techniques of Analysis: Two courses that cover basic statistical analysis (descriptive and inferential statistics to include multiple regression analysis), research design, and an applied research experience. Options include: PMAP 8121 , PMAP 8131 , PMAP 8521 , PMAP 8551, [PUBP 6112], and [PUBP 6114].

Economics and Public Finance: Two courses that cover the theories and concepts of micro- and/or macroeconomics and an introduction to public finance. Options include: PMAP 8141 , PMAP 8161 , ECON 8460 , [PUBP 6116], and [PUBP 6118].

Calculus: One course covering differential and integral calculus and matrix algebra. Options include: ECON 6030 , MATH 2211.

Program of Study

Full-time Residency Requirement

Joint Enrollment Residency Requirements

Doctoral Qualifying Examinations

Students must pass all parts of a comprehensive qualifying examination within one year of completing the prescribed coursework. The comprehensive qualifying examination will consist of:

Written Qualifying Examinations. Students will take two written examinations, one in the theory and methods of public policy studies and one in their major area of specialization (elective fields). Examinations will be given twice per year, and students must notify the program director in writing of their intention to take the examinations one month before they occur.

Oral Qualifying Examination. At the discretion of the Examining Committee, an oral examination may be required as part of the qualifying examination process prior to a determination as to whether the written examination is satisfactory.

Students will only be permitted a second attempt to pass any qualifying examination they fail upon the recommendation, by majority vote, of the group of faculty members who graded the examination. A maximum of two attempts is permitted.

The Dissertation

The dissertation allows the Ph.D. candidate to demonstrate his or her ability to conduct a research program leading to a significant contribution to the candidate’s discipline. Students must obtain approval of their dissertation proposal within one calendar year after completing their comprehensive exams. Dissertation guidelines are available at aysps.gsu.edu/oaa/dissertation-guidelines.

At the time the electronic version of the student’s dissertation (ETD) is posted on the Georgia State University Library server, students must choose the availability option, “Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide,” unless they have received approval to restrict distribution from the AYSPS Associate Dean. A letter showing this approval, which will be granted only for a maximum of one year, must be on file in the Office of Academic Assistance prior to graduation.

The Dissertation Committee. After successfully completing the two qualifying examinations, the student forms a Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus four additional members. At least three members must be core faculty of the joint doctoral program, meaning faculty of the School of Public Policy at Georgia Institute of Technology or the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. The committee must include at least one member from each School. Students are encouraged to include outside members on their committees as appropriate. Students will choose a committee chair with the advice and approval of the program director and will choose the remaining members of the committee with the advice and approval of the committee chair and program director. Once the committee is chosen, the student may change the membership of the committee only with the advice and approval of the program director.

The Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defense.

1. In consultation with the Dissertation Committee, the student will develop a dissertation proposal. The proposal should include a summary of the following: the purpose of the study; the nature of the subject to be investigated and its importance; a brief review of the literature; the nature of the hypotheses to be developed or tested; the empirical methodology, techniques, and data sources, if any, to be used; and a time frame for completion of the dissertation. Normally, the proposal should not exceed 40 pages.
2. The student will present and defend the dissertation proposal in a public presentation that will be open to faculty and graduate students from both schools and announced two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled. The Dissertation Committee will question the student in a two-hour oral examination, and then vote to determine if the student has a satisfactory research topic and design. A unanimous decision by the student’s Dissertation Committee is required. The approving members will sign the dissertation proposal defense approval form. Upon submission of the proposal defense approval form, the student is admitted to candidacy for the degree.
3. Submission of the approval form does not constitute a contractual agreement between the students and the Dissertation Committee. It is within the scope and function of the Dissertation Committee to recommend modifications to the research as it proceeds.

The Final Dissertation Defense. When the candidate’s Dissertation Committee judges that the dissertation is complete, the student must defend it orally in a final dissertation defense, subject to rules governing Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University graduate study. At least two weeks before the final dissertation defense, the student must submit an abstract of the dissertation to the program director, who will issue an announcement of the scheduling of the candidate’s dissertation defense. Any interested faculty member or graduate student may attend the examination and participate in the discussion. At the completion of the oral defense, members of the dissertation committee will vote on the dissertation’s approval or disapproval. Unanimous approval is required.

Regulations for the Degree

Joint Oversight. An Admissions and Coordinating (A & C) Committee, consisting of six tenure-track faculty, three from Georgia State University and three from Georgia Institute of Technology, has jurisdiction over and is chiefly responsible for policy relating to admissions, program curriculum, rules and regulations, and operations of the joint degree program. The faculties of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and the School of Public Policy, in accordance with their procedures and bylaws, select members of the A & C Committee.

Scholastic Warning and Termination. The doctoral grade-point average (GPA) is defined as the GPA for all courses numbered 6000 or higher taken after admission to the doctoral program. Each student must maintain a 3.00 doctoral GPA (B average). The doctoral GPA could differ from the GPA calculated by the universities and reported on the student’s official transcript, since the university GPA could also include the grades from all courses taken at Georgia State or Georgia Tech before admission to the doctoral program. For graduation, a student may have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above in all courses at Georgia State taken at the graduate level, regardless of the degree program.

Standards of Performance. To continue in the program, a student must make reasonable and timely progress toward the degree in terms of coursework completed and examinations. A determination that a student is not making satisfactory progress and should be terminated from the program may be made at several points in his or her program, including failure to achieve and maintain a doctoral GPA of at least 3.00, failure to pass 12 credit hours within a twelve-month period, failure of the comprehensive qualifying examination, or failure to successfully defend a dissertation proposal or dissertation. In all such cases, a recommendation of dismissal must be made to the Admissions and Coordinating Committee, which will review the case and issue a final decision regarding termination from the program.

Petitions. Where a student believes that unusual circumstances invalidate any of the regulations or requirements relating to the degree in his or her particular case, the student may write to the A & C Committee and request exemption from or change in the policy. The petition by the student must be submitted with accompanying justifications. In all such cases, the A & C Committee will review the case and issue a final decision regarding the petition.

Appeals. All student appeals regarding grades and other faculty actions affecting students will be adjudicated through the appeals process governing the School where the action occurred. If the appeal concerns an A & C Committee action or other joint program action, the student must appeal the action first to the faculties of both schools (with approval from both required to overturn the action), then to the graduate committees of both institutions (with approval from both required to overturn the action).

Time Limits for the Degree. These time limits should be interpreted as the maximum amount of time students may take to complete each of the degree requirements. It is anticipated that most students will complete the requirements much earlier than the maximum time limits specified below:

1. All required coursework and both written examinations must be completed within four years from the semester of entry into the doctoral program.
2. Both qualifying examinations must be successfully completed, the Dissertation Committee must be appointed, and the dissertation proposal must be defended and approved within one year after completion of coursework.
3. All requirements for the degree, including the dissertation, must be completed within seven years from the semester of entry into the doctoral program.