The School of Public Affairs and Administration doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) program in public administration consists of the knowledge foundations of the field of public administration and the research skills needed to make original,
scholarly contributions to theory and new knowledge in the field. Faculty evaluation of curriculum takes place throughout the academic year in both formal and informal meetings and discussions sometimes generating formal
proposals and sometimes leading to informal adjustments. Ongoing measures of curriculum and program performance are:
- qualities of faculty who teach in the program as measured by scholarly, professional, and service contributions;
- curriculum proposals and changes in the context of program and student goals;
- faculty
teaching, assignments and feedback to students as measured by teaching evaluations and other feedback from students;
- evaluation of students'
understanding of knowledge foundations and emerging research in the field, as measured
by grades and faculty feedback;
- timely student completion of curriculum components (such as coursework and exams);
- feedback from professional colleagues about students based on conference presentations and professional interactions;
- successful employment in the academy where that is the graduate's goal; and
- effective participation in selected areas of the academy (papers, publications, and professional associations).
PROGRAM GOALS
Learning Goal 1: Development and attainment of research, scholarship, and teaching skills in the field of public
administration
Assessment of student achievement, Goal 1:
- Grades in graduate courses
- Successful completion of the general comprehensive
examination upon completion of all core courses
- Successful completion of a
specialization examination upon completion of elective courses
- Successful
completion and defense of a dissertation proposal
- Annual review of students by the Ph.D. program committee
- Successful teaching reviews for those students engaged in teaching and pedagogy
- Attainment of employment in positions requiring the expertise obtained with the degree, including tenure-track positions in academia
Role of the program in helping students to achieve
Goal 1:
- Close advising by Ph.D. director and other faculty mentors to ensure that students are being prepared in a coherent and academically rigorous fashion
- Effective monitoring of student progress at every
stage
- Mentoring of students who receive low reviews during the annual review of Ph.D. students
- Assisting students with information and support,
including funding, to make paper presentations at research conferences in public administration and related fields
- Encouraging students to join professional associations, including funding to join leading association in the field
- School newsletter that highlights the publications,presentations, grants, awards and achievements of both faculty and students in
the public administration program, which serves to illustrate the importance of
communicating research and scholarship to the scientific community and the general
public
- Working with instructors to improve effectiveness if it is below expectations
- Reviewing curriculum by the Ph.D. program committee to ensure that course offerings are sufficient and current in content
- Providing guidance on job market preparation
Learning Goal 2: Conducting and producing original research
Assessment of student achievement, Goal 2:
- Attendance and presentations (posters or talks) at regional, national, and international conferences during the graduate career.
- Submission and acceptance of peer-reviewed articles.
- Attainment of internal and external grants/fellowships for research.
- Attainment of awards for research.
- Completion and defense of Ph.D. proposal
Role of program in helping students achieve Goal 2:
- Introducing students to research possibilities during orientation and in the first year of the program
- Organizing a biweekly research colloquium where students can learn from the work of experienced scholars, including Ph.D. faculty as well
as visiting scholars, and to provide students with a forum for presenting and discussing their own research
- Assisting students in preparing paper presentations for regional, national, and international conferences
- Providing funding for students to attend conferences
- Encouraging students to turn their specialization exam essays into publishable papers, in part by providing detailed reviews and requiring revisions as part of the examination process
- Tracking publications and presentations, and nominating
eligible student candidates for awards
- Providing advising and mentoring at every stage of the program, from the student's adviser, field experts and the Ph.D. director.
- Nominating eligible dissertations for "Best
Dissertation Award" in the field
- Advising students on avenues and opportunities for
publishing the dissertation, including articles and books
- Encouraging opportunities to write and submit grants for external funding
Learning Goal 3: Professional career preparationAssessment of graduate student achievement, Goal 3:
-
Student teaching opportunities and evaluations
- Preparation of updated curriculum vita
- Advisement on relevant places to submit job applications
- Track number of publications, presentations, and
outreach activities
- Placement of students upon completion of degree
Role of graduate program in helping students to
achieve Goal 3:
- Providing students with an academic culture that fosters professionalism by treating students as junior colleagues
- Providing students with access to teaching experiences and mentoring
- Fostering networking opportunities by providing access to seminar speakers, visiting scholars, and professional organizations
- Keeping students informed of academic and other job
opportunities available to them
- Keeping students informed of professional development
opportunities as they become available through the university
