College of Health and Public Affairs

Doctor of Philosophy in Public Affairs

Dean and Interim Director: Belinda R. McCarthy, Ph.D.
College of Health and Public Affairs, HPA 365A, (407) 823-0170.
E-mail: phdpa@mail.ucf.edu

The Ph.D. in Public Affairs at the University of Central Florida provides a unique focus on public policy, planning, and administration. This interdisciplinary program draws from the strengths of faculty in four disciplines (Criminal Justice, Health, Public Administration, and Social Work) in its preparation of mid-career professionals (for leadership and/or research positions in public, nonprofit, and private agencies) and more traditional students (for positions in colleges and universities). The integration of this dynamic mix of students creates a stimulating environment in which to examine contemporary organizational, community, and regional problems and issues.

The mission of the program is an important one: The complex social, economic, and demographic issues that compromise the health and welfare of the citizens of Central Florida and the nation require a new breed of professionals who are able to think and work across traditional boundaries with colleagues similarly committed to tackling the complex social challenges of tomorrow. UCF’s interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Public Affairs strives to fulfill that need and to meet the challenges of the future.

More specifically, the program brings together disciplines which address important and interrelated social problems that confront all communities. Too often, in the past, the interrelated problems of crime and justice, health services and social welfare delivery, and the administration of organizations that deal with these problems are approached in a discipline-specific and fragmented way. By integrating knowledge base and intervention approaches, more realistic resolutions to social problems can be identified and implemented.

The program will match career goals of students through the interdisciplinary nature of course content, the interaction with faculty from all four disciplines, and the flexibility inherent in the choice of electives. Those seeking advancement within public agencies or nonprofit organizations can choose a mix of electives, including course work from other UCF programs, while those seeking to teach at the college or university level can concentrate their course work more within a single discipline.

To accommodate the needs of both traditional students and working professionals, Public Affairs students may pursue the program on a full-time (9-12 credits per semester) or part-time (3-6 credits per semester) basis. Significant support is available for selected full-time students. All course work is offered in the evening hours.

Degree Requirements

Students must complete 58 hours beyond the master’s degree, including fourteen courses (42 credit hours) above the master’s level distributed in the following manner: (1) a five-course, 15-credit interdisciplinary core; (2) a three-course, 7-credit research tool; and (3) a seven-course, 21-credit interdisciplinary specialization component that will be tailored to meet students’ individual goals. Fifteen credit hours of dissertation must also be completed.

To ensure that students more fully experience the interdisciplinary nature of the program, completion of no more than five elective courses from one discipline will be permitted. Among the elective choices offered to students will be a series of research courses that will also be interdisciplinary.

If students receive grades below a “B” in core courses, they may be reverted to non-degree status. All students who receive a grade of “C” or lower in a required core course must repeat the course prior to taking the qualifying examinations.

Application Deadline

Fall admission	February 7*
Fall admission	March 15

* Students applying for fellowships or assistantships must apply for the fall semester by this date.

Admission

Applications for admission into the Ph.D. program in Public Affairs will be submitted to the UCF Office of Graduate Studies. The deadline for fall admission is April 3. Admission decisions will be made only once per academic year. Admission to graduate programs is based on minimum State of Florida Board of Regents criteria but may include higher GPA or GRE standards or other factors such as work or internship experience, community service, research interests of prospective student, letters of recommendation, or personal interviews.

A complete packet for admission includes all of the following:

An official admission application form
Official copies of undergraduate and graduate transcripts
Official results of the Graduate Record Examination (score of 1000, math and verbal combined, are required, taken within the last five years) and sent from ETS directly to UCF
A narrative statement of 1000 words or less describing the applicant’s educational expectations, career aspirations, level of computer skills, and any special qualifications or experiences that may enhance the overall learning environment of the program
A current resume
Three letters of reference from professionals who can assess the applicant’s ability to succeed in a doctoral program
International students and students whose native language is not English must score at least 220 (computer-based test; or equivalent score on the paper-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).

It is important that applicants return all materials in the single packet to facilitate admission decisions.

Financial Support

A limited number of graduate teaching/research assistantships and fellowships, funded in amounts up to $15,000 per year, are available for full-time students (9 credit hours per term). In addition, opportunities to assist in faculty research projects as well as to work in an agency or nonprofit setting may be available.

Transfer Credit

Course work accepted for transfer must be part of an approved plan of study for a doctoral program at UCF or elsewhere. The acceptance of transfer credit will be determined by the Ph.D. Coordinator on a case-by-case basis. A maximum of six hours may be transferred.

Assignment of Faculty Advisers

Upon acceptance of a student into the program, the Ph.D. Coordinator will provide an initial orientation and general advising session. The Coordinator will continue to advise the student throughout the first year, assisting the student in the clarification of interests and goals and facilitating the introduction of the student to faculty with research interests that can facilitate the student’s program of study. By the end of the first year, the student will be assigned a faculty adviser, who will work with the student in selection of elective courses, finalize the program of study, and facilitate the discussion and review of dissertation topics. The dissertation chair should be selected by the end of the student’s second year of study.

Qualifying Examination

Following successful completion of the seven required foundation courses, a student is required to pass a qualifying examination. This examination will test the student’s knowledge of the material in the seven foundation courses only. The examination will be given once each fall and spring semester.

Candidacy Examination

Students who pass the qualifying examination, once all of their course work has been completed, are entitled to write and defend a dissertation proposal. Successful completion of the candidacy examination will consist of 1) achieving a 3.5 GPA for all elective courses; and 2) successful defense of the dissertation proposal.

Curriculum

Required Courses

Foundation
PAF 7000 Foundations of Public Affairs (3 hours)
PAF 7110 Ethics and Public Affairs (3 hours)
PAF 7230 Strategic Change and Management in Public Affairs (3 hours)
PAF 7250 Social Justice and Public Policy (3 hours)
PAF 7300 Policy Analysis in Public Affairs (3 hours)

Research
PAF 7802 Advanced Research Methods in Public Affairs (3 hours)
PAF 7804 Advanced Quantitative Research Methods in Public Affairs (3 hours)
PAF 7XXX Seminar in Quantitative Methods (1 hour)

Electives

Disciplinary Electives

Criminal Justice Track
CCJ 6938 Special Issues in Criminal Justice (3 hours) (Course may be repeated with different content.)
CCJ 7457 Seminar in Criminal Justice Theory (3 hours)
CCJ 7930 Seminar in Criminal Justice Policy Analysis (3 hours)

Public Administration Track
PAD 6207 Advanced Public Budgeting and Finance (3 hours)
PAD 6934 Special Issues in Public Administration (3 hours) (Course may be repeated with different content.)
PAD 7026 Advanced Seminar in Public Administration (3 hours)
PAD 7419 Advanced Public Human Resource Management (3 hours)

Social Work Track
SOW 6386 Seminar in Social Welfare Planning and Implementation (3 hours)
SOW 6399 Advanced Administration in Social Welfare (3 hours)
SOW 6492 Theory Building in Social Work (3 hours)
SOW 6938 Special Issues in Social Work (3 hours) (Course may be repeated with different content.)

Research Electives
PAF 7XXX Advanced Quantitative Methods II (3 hours)
PAF 7510 Seminar in Program Evaluation in Public Affairs (3 hours)
PAF 7810 Seminar in Survey Research in Public Affairs (3 hours)
PAF 7820 Seminar in Qualitative Methods (3 hours)
PAF 7840 Seminar in Secondary Data Analysis in Public Affairs (3 hours)

Note: Other 6000-level courses may be accepted as electives.

PAF 7982 Dissertation Seminar in Public Affairs (2 hours)

Dissertation—15 Semester Hours
PAF 7980 Dissertation Research

Minimum Hours Required for PhD—58 Semester Hours

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