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Ph.D. in Public Policy Degree Requirements

Requirements and Regulations Specific to the Degree:

  1. Program Requirements

    To earn the joint Ph.D., a student must satisfactorily complete seven general requirements
    • A core master’s-level curriculum or its equivalent;
    • Eight core courses in the Ph.D. program;
    • Seven courses in two elective fields (areas of specialization);
    • Full-time enrollment for one academic year;
    • At least three courses with faculty from each school;
    • Doctoral qualifying examinations;
    • Defense of a dissertation.

  2. 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: PAUS 8541, PAUS 8531, PUBP 6012, 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: PAUS 8111, PUBP 6014.
    Philosophical and Ethical Foundations of Public Policy: One course that covers in-depth the major ethical issues in policy analysis and administration. Options include: PAUS 8461, PUBP 6010.
    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: PAUS 8121, PAUS 8131, PAUS 8521, PAUS 8551, PAUS 8581, PUBP 6112, 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: PAUS 8141, Econ 8460, PUBP 6116, PUBP 6118.
    Calculus: One course covering differential and integral calculus and matrix algebra. Options include: Econ 6030, Math 2211.

  3. Program of Study

    a. Core Curriculum.

    Building on skills developed at the master’s level, the core doctoral curriculum provides students with an in-depth survey of public policy theory and research; a firm grounding in the philosophy of science; rigorous training in econometric and other quantitative methods, microeconomics, program evaluation, and policy analysis; practical experience in designing and conducting empirical research; and a capstone class to prepare for the dissertation. Core courses are generally offered once a year and can be taught on either campus. All courses are three semester hours. Students must earn a grade of B or higher in all core courses to maintain their doctoral candidacy.
    Required courses (24 hrs.):
    PAUS 9111/PUBP 8200  Advanced Research Methods I
    PAUS 9121/PUBP 8205  Advanced Research Methods II
    PAUS 9171/PUBP 8510  Logic of Policy Inquiry
    ECON 8100/PUBP 8211  Applied Microeconomic Analysis
    PAUS 9131/PUBP 8500  Research Seminar in Public Policy
    PAUS 9141/PUBP 8813  Advanced Topics in Program Evaluation
    PAUS 9151/PUBP 8520  Scope and Theory of Public Policy
    PAUS 9181/PUBP 8590  Dissertation Colloquium
     

    b. Major Fields of Study.

    All doctoral students must complete a minimum of four courses (12 hours) in their major field of study. At least one course must be taken at the doctoral level. The major field must be chosen from the following specializations:
    •  Environmental Policy
    •  Health Policy
    •  Policy Design and Evaluation
    •  Public Finance and Budgeting
    •  Public and Nonprofit Management
    •  Science and Technology Policy
    •  Urban and Regional Economic Development

    All doctoral students must also complete a minimum of three courses (9 hours) in their minor field of study.  At least one course must be taken at the doctoral level.  They are strongly encouraged to construct their minor field in one of three ways:
    •  Select a minor field from the specialty fields described above.  One might, for instance, use Policy Design and Evaluation as a methods field.
    •  Select a minor field in a different substantive policy area, such as education policy or emergency management.
    •  Select a minor field in a discipline that supports their main course of study, such as economics, political science, or psychology.

    Environmental Policy:

    Environmental issues increasingly confront policymakers and affect economic development. This program of study is designed to prepare students to evaluate the impact of various environmental policies and acquire the necessary tools to develop new policies that address environmental issues and needs.

    Doctoral courses (choose at least one):
    ECON 9310  Environmental and Resource Economics I
    ECON 9320  Environmental and Resource Economics II
    ECON 9520  Special Topics in Economics: Experimental Laboratory
    PUBP 8540  Advanced Topics in Environmental Policy

    Master’s courses:
    PAUS 8271  Disaster Policy and Emergency Management
    PAUS 8331  Urban Development and Growth Management
    PAUS 8371  Environmental Policy, Planning, and Evaluation
    PUBP 6300  Earth Systems
    PUBP 6310  Environmental Issues
    PUBP 6312  Economics of Environmental Policy
    PUBP 6314  Policy Tools for Environmental Management
    PUBP 6320  Sustainable Systems: Concepts and Measures
    PUBP 6324  Environmental and Technological Risk Management
    PUBP 6326  Environmental Values and Policy Goals
    PUBP 6329  Environmental Policy and Implementation
    PUBP 6330  Environmental Law

    Health Policy

    The courses in this specialization link health-related research, policy, and programs by focusing on knowledge utilization, policy implementation, and outcome evaluation. Central issues are contributors to health, issues of equity, and understanding of social and economic contexts of health. Prerequisite: master’s level health economics course (HA 8250 or equivalent).

    Doctoral course:
    PAUS 9211  Applying Research to Policymaking: Examples from Health Care Policy

    Master’s courses:
    HA 8190   Health Policy and Ethics, or
    POLS 870   Studies in Public Policy: Health Policy and Politics

    Electives at Georgia State:
    HA 8450   Legal Environment of Health Care
    HA 8630   Managed Care and Vertically Integrated Systems
    PH 7530   Prevention Effectiveness and Economic Evaluation 
    PSY 8200   Introduction to Community Psychology
    SOC 7110   Aging Policy and Services
    SOC 8430   Medical Sociology
    HHS 8000  Trends Affecting Health Policies, Practices, and Laws
    NURS 8000  Human Environment Interactions and Health
    LAW 7239*  Health Law: Liability and Bioethics
    LAW 7240*  Health Law: Regulation
    LAW 7241*  Seminar in Health Law

    Electives at Georgia Tech:
    PUBP 6324  Environmental and Technological Risk Management
    HS 4001   Introduction to Health Systems
    HS 6000   Introduction to Healthcare Delivery
    HS 6100   Healthcare Delivery Systems Models
    HS 6200   Healthcare Financial Management
    HS 6300   Healthcare Information Systems
    HS 6400   Health Systems Practice
    MGT 6788  Legal Issues in Biomedical Engineering
    MGT 6789  Technology Transfer in Biomedical Engineering
    * Law courses have the first year of law school as a prerequisite, so they will not be appropriate for most students.

    Policy Design, Analysis and Evaluation

    This specialization prepares students to conduct research on the design, analysis, and evaluation of public policies.  The design of public policies encompasses the choice of tools for pursuing policy goals, the assessment of the influence of the larger economic, political, and governmental context on public policies, as well as an understanding of the larger economic, political and governmental context on public policies, as well as an understanding of the effect of policies on target groups, institutions, and society more generally.  Policy analysis, which includes program evaluation, involves the use of theoretical frameworks and empirical methods to answer questions applied to substantive policy issues about the potential and actual effects of public policies as well as the valuation of policy alternatives.

    Doctoral courses (choose at least one):
    PAUS 9341  Policy Design and Implementation
    PAUS 9381  Public Budgeting Theory and Research

    Master’s courses:
    PAUS 8010  Social Policy
    PAUS 8521  Evaluation Research:  Design and Practice
    PAUS 8531  Policy Analysis
    PAUS 8551  Survey Research Methods
    ECON 8230  Experimental Economics
    ECON 8300  Urban Economic
    ECON 8310  Economics of Educational Policy
    ECON 8320  Environmental and Natural Resource Economics and Theory
    ECON 8730  Econometrics I:  Statistical Foundations
    ECON 8750  Econometrics II
    ECON 8760  Advanced Econometrics
    ECON 8770  Topics in Econometrics

    Public Finance and Budgeting

    This specialization provides students with the theoretical and empirical tools necessary to analyze the adequacy of tax expenditure policies on income and other disparities; and the fiscal role of governments at different levels.

    Doctoral courses (choose at least one):
    ECON 9450  Advanced Public Economics I
    ECON 9460  Advanced Public Economics II
    PAUS 9381  Public Budgeting Theory and Research

    Master’s courses:
    ECON 8460  Economics of the State and Local Public Sector
    ECON 8470  International Public Economics 
    PAUS 8161  Public Budgeting and Finance
    PAUS 8261  Nonprofit Financial Management
    PAUS 8351  Local Government Management
    PAUS 8501  Managing Public Money

    Public and Nonprofit Management

    This specialization encompasses the legal and political context of public and nonprofit management, the governance and management of public and nonprofit organizations, the management of volunteer and charitable resources, the economics and financing of public and nonprofit organizations, and the process of advocacy and public policy development.  Emphasis is given to the roles and relationships of government and nonprofit organizations in civil society, democracy, the delivery of public services and the functioning of a market economy.

    Doctoral courses (choose at least one):
    PAUS 9331  Foundations of Public Administration
    PAUS 9341  Policy Design and Implementation
    PAUS 9381  Public Budgeting Theory and Research

    Master’s courses:
    PAUS 8161  Public Budgeting and Finance
    PAUS 8761  Public Management Systems and Strategies
    PAUS 8201  International NGOs
    PAUS 8210  Introduction to the Nonprofit Sector
    PAUS 8211  Nonprofit Management
    PAUS 8221  Fundraising for Voluntary Nonprofit Organizations
    PAUS 8231  Nonprofit Leadership and Management
    PAUS 8241  Marketing in the Nonprofit Sector
    PAUS 8251  Practice of Community Organizing
    PAUS 8261  Nonprofit Financial Management
    PAUS 8351  Local Government Management
    PAUS 8431  Leadership and Organizational Behavior

    Science and Technology Policy

    Through this program of study, students examine the interaction between science, technology, and the policy process. Students will explore the range of policies used by the governments in promoting and regulating science, technology, and innovation across the globe. Coursework will cover the sources and stimuli for innovation, the roles of universities, industry-government agreements, joint R&D ventures, and technology transfer. Students will also examine science and technology as social institutions. Particular attention is given to understanding the production and diffusion of scientific and technological knowledge.

    Doctoral course:
    PUBP 8530  Advanced Topics in Technology and Science Policy

    Master’s courses:
    PUBP 6401  Science, Technology, and Public Policy
    PUBP 6402  Research Policy and Management
    PUBP 6414  Technological Innovation and Government Policy
    PUBP 6415  Technology, Regions, and Policy
    PUBP 6417  Critical Perspectives on Science and Technology
    PUBP 6418  Comparative Science and Technology Policy
    PUBP 6421  Development of Large-Scale Socio-Technical Systems

    Urban and Regional Economic Development

    At the heart of this program is an exploration of government policies designed to stimulate economic development. Particular emphasis is given to exploring the competitiveness of small business and the modernization of manufacturers. Students will also explore the physical urban infrastructure such as water, sewer, transportation, and waste disposal systems. They are also presented the policy tools for analyzing this class of public issue.

    Doctoral courses (choose at least one):
    Econ 9300   Seminar in Urban Economics
    PUBP 8550  Advanced Topics in Urban and Regional Economic Development Policy

    Master’s courses:
    ECON 8300  Urban Economics
    PAUS 8021  Scope and Theory of Planning
    PAUS 8031  Urban Political Economy
    PAUS 8311  Urban Demography and Analysis
    PAUS 8331   Urban Development and Growth Management
    PUBP 6600  Foundations of Local Economic Development Planning and Policy
    PUBP 6602  Economic Development Analysis and Practice
    PUBP 6604  Methods of Urban Policy Analysis and Planning
    PUBP 6606  Urban Development Policy

  4. Full-time Residency Requirement:

    Before taking the final written qualifying examination, a student must complete one year (two consecutive semesters) of full-time residency. For this requirement, full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours per semester and must include three credit hours of research assistantship or directed research experience. In addition, throughout the period before completing the prescribed coursework, a student must take at least 12 credit hours in every twelve-month period.

  5. Joint Enrollment Residency Requirements

    Students must satisfactorily complete (with a grade of “B” or better) at least nine credit hours of coursework taught by Georgia State faculty and at least nine credit hours of coursework taught by Georgia Tech faculty (exclusive of dissertation credit). Courses taught jointly by Georgia Tech and Georgia State faculty may be counted toward fulfillment of either requirement. Courses that are simply cross-listed in both schools will not meet the standard of being jointly taught.

  6. 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:
    a. 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.
    b. 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.
    c. 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.

  7. 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 all prescribed coursework.  Dissertation guidelines are available at http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwsps/acassist/resources/dissertationguide/index.htm.
    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. 

    a.  The Dissertation Committee

    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.

    b. The Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defense

    • 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.
    • 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.
    • 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.

    C. 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.

  8. Regulations for the Degree

    a. 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.

    b. 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.

    c. 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.

    d. 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.

    e. 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).

    F. 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.

 

Doctoral Assistantships

Doctoral students in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies are eligible for Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) and Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs). All students who receive an assistantship stipend also receive a tuition waiver.

Almost all doctoral students requesting it receive some type of financial assistance. After admission to the doctoral programs, the Office of Academic Assistance will inform newly admitted students who are seeking a GRA or GTA of the type and number of appointments, if any, which they have been awarded.

Second-year students and beyond are also eligible for research and teaching assistantships, and the program has a history of continuing to fund students who are demonstrating progress in the program at a level of support equal to or greater than what they received during the first year.

Students hired as graduate research assistants work with faculty members in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies on research projects in their area of interest. (Students in the joint Ph.D. in Public Policy may also work with faculty in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech.) The partnerships between the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, its research centers and a number of nonpartisan, nonprofit research organizations give students working as GRAs the opportunity to perform research which can have immediate application to problems of city, county, state, and federal policy makers. Additionally, a number of GRAs have been involved in international policy projects, most recently on tax reform in Russia and environmental issues in South America.

For further information or to apply for a research or teaching assistantship in the school, contact the Office of Academic Assistance.

Profile of Accepted Applicants: Ph.D. in Public Policy

To provide guidance in assessing your possibility of admission to the Ph.D. program in Public Policy, a profile of recently accepted applicants follows. Meeting this profile will not guarantee admission. Admission is not precluded if the profile is not met. This profile is provided to encourage you to consult with the Office of Academic Assistance or the program director prior to submission of your application if you have concerns regarding the competitiveness of your academic credentials.

Scores Averaged

Verbal Quantitative Analytical
GRE:
80%
70%
72%
Undergraduate Grade Point Average: 3.32
Graduate Grade Point Average: 3.78
TOEFL: 630 (paper-based test)