Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Public Affairs, with a Concentration in Community Development
The curriculum for the doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) in public affairs with a concentration in community development consists of the following courses totaling 66 credits:
Core Curriculum (24 credits)
Theory Courses (9 credits)
56:824:701 Theory and History of Community Development (3)
56:824:703 Logic of Social Inquiry (3)
56:824:710 Planning, Markets, and Community Development (3)
Methods Courses (12 credits)
56:824:702 Quantitative Methods I (3)
56:824:709 Quantitative Methods II (3)
56:824:714 Qualitative Research Methods (3)
One additional methods course offered by the public affairs program.
Research Design Course (3 credits)
56:824:713 Research Design (3)
Elective Courses (27 credits)
Nine graduate-level courses relevant to community development and/or the student's core research interests. Students may transfer up to 12 of these credits from relevant graduate coursework completed outside the program within the past three years.
Dissertation (15 credits)
The dissertation adviser and committee guide the student toward completion of the doctoral dissertation. Students are expected to identify a dissertation adviser as soon as possible upon admission to the program, and by the time students take the written examination.
Comprehensive Qualifying Exam
The comprehensive or qualifying examination consists of two components, a two-part written exam, and an oral defense of the student's dissertation proposal. Students take the written exam after completing the eight-course core curriculum. The written exam is administered in two parts--community development theory and practice, and research design and methods--over two days in the week prior to the beginning of each semester, and serves to consolidate material from the core curriculum.
Upon passing the written examination, the student develops a dissertation proposal under the supervision of a faculty adviser, and defends the proposed project in an oral examination conducted by the members of his or her dissertation committee. The dissertation proposal defines the student's doctoral research. It should contain the student's rationale for conducting the research, research hypotheses, a preliminary literature review, a proposed research design, and work plan.
The faculty adviser serves as the chair of the student's dissertation committee and works with the student to select the other committee members. Dissertation committees consist of not less than three and not more than five faculty members. The chair must be a tenured member of the Rutgers University-Camden Department of Public Policy and Administration. One member may be from another Rutgers University school or department, or from outside of Rutgers University. Exceptions to these requirements must be approved in writing by the Ph.D. graduate director.
Upon successful passage of both the written and oral parts of the qualifying exam, students are promoted to doctoral candidacy. It is at this stage that students may begin to register for the required 15 dissertation credit hours under the supervision of their committee.
Master of Science (M.S.) in Public Affairs, with a Concentration in Community Development
The curriculum for the master of science (M.S.) in public affairs with a concentration in community development consists of the following courses totaling 30 credits:
Core Curriculum (21 credits)
Theory Courses (9 credits)
56:824:701 Theory and History of Community Development (3)
56:824:703 Logic of Social Inquiry (3)
56:824:710 Planning, Markets, and Community Development (3)
Methods Courses (12 credits)
56:824:702 Quantitative Methods I (3)
56:824:714 Qualitative Research Methods (3)
Two additional methods course offered under the public affairs program.
*Those
students planning on applying to the Ph.D. program after completing the M.S. are
strongly advised to take 824:709 Quantitative Methods II as one of these two courses.
Elective Courses (6 credits)
All elective courses in the Ph.D. curriculum are open to M.S. students.
Practical Experience (3 credits)
56:824:706 Practicum/Capstone (3)
Graduate School-Camden 
