Degree Overview
The principal objective of the Ph.D. in Public Administration and Urban Policy is to assure that graduates become content area experts with 48 hours of doctoral level course work and 12 hours of dissertation credit. Specifically, students will learn a common body of knowledge in three areas: foundation in public and urban policy (12 hours of core courses), one of either of two tracks with courses specific to Public Administration or Urban Policy (12 hours of concentration courses), and the foundation in research (12 hours of quantitative and qualitative research courses). Each student will also complete 9 hours of unique cognate courses selected by the student with advice and consent of the Ph.D. Program Director. Each student will also complete three hours of dissertation seminar. Through this approach, all program graduates will have the opportunity to develop a substantive knowledge of a body of work in public administration and urban policy as well to acquire analytical and research skills that will enable them to become educators, leaders and researchers in their chosen specialty areas. The Ph.D. program in Public Administration and Urban Policy, therefore, will focus on: (1) developing effective public, non-profit sector and urban policy leaders throughout Hampton Roads the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation who have both content knowledge and research skills; 2) educating individuals who intend to pursue teaching as a vocation in colleges and universities in Virginia as well as nationally and internationally; (3) building collaborative research and demonstration initiatives with community and state agencies that link research initiatives to public management and urban policy improvement and economic development, and (4) providing the linkages among content knowledge, research, and field experiences for all doctoral students.
Course Offerings
Students are required to complete a minimum of 45 hours of course work and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or better. Up to 12 hours of appropriate course work beyond the master's degree and with a grade of B or better may be transferred into the program with the approval of the Ph.D. Program Director. In addition to course work, students are required to take three hours of dissertation seminar and a minimum of 12 hours of dissertation credit.
Applicants who have insufficient background in any of the prerequisite competency areas (PADM 651 Introduction to Public Administration, ELS 732 Quantitative Research Design or CHP 640 Data Interpretation Methods for Health Care) will be required to enroll in courses in the area(s) of deficiency. Such courses must be completed with a grade of B or better. These prerequisite courses will not be included in the required credit hours to complete the doctoral program.
Financial Aid
Old Dominion University offers financial assistance to graduate students. Types of aid include research assistantships, fellowships, grants, scholarships and part-time employment. Nearly all forms of aid require that the student be engaged in full-time graduate study, and in the case of assistantships, students are required additionally to work 20 hours per week with an assigned faculty member.
Students may receive an assistantship or fellowship or sometimes a combination of both. Amounts for assistantships are typically $5,000 to $10,000 and fellowships from $5,000 to $12,000. College funds affect fellowship and assistantship amount. Tuition is waived for research assistantships.
In addition to financial aid offered by the University, graduate students may be eligible for aid administered by other agencies. For information about part-time employment, scholarships and student loans, contact the Office of Student Financial Aid, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529-0052, (757) 683-3683.
