Doktor der Philosophie in Public Affairs

The Ph.D. in Public Affairs program is a rigorous, research-oriented degree offered through the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences.

The skills and knowledge gained in the Public Affairs doctoral program will allow students to interface between the traditions of public management, public policy, and organizations while providing a strong theoretical and a practical appreciation for the challenges of maintaining and building institutions of governance and civic culture in a complex democratic world.

Mission

The mission of the Ph.D. in Public Affairs program is to prepare students for research-oriented careers in academia, policy analysis, and executive public/nonprofit management positions. The rigorous core curriculum provides advanced conceptual and theoretical training in the principal areas of public administration and management, including human resource management, nonprofit management, public policy, government finance, leadership, and organizational theory.

Objectives

Through a faculty-guided program of instruction, research, and mentoring, students in the Public Affairs doctoral program develop a firm understanding of the broad intellectual tradition of public administration and related fields. The guiding philosophy of the degree is that "public affairs" involves more than merely functional administration, policy implementation, or quantitative policy analysis. Rather, doctoral education in public affairs requires an interface between the traditions of public management, public policy, and organizational theory with a practical appreciation for the challenges of maintaining and building institutions of governance and civic culture in a complex, democratic society.

The Ph.D. in Public Affairs begins as a cohort program where entering students remain together through the completion of a core curriculum and the qualifying examination. This structure produces shared experiences that enrich student learning and research.

Faculty Commitments

The faculty of the Ph.D. program in Public Affairs is committed to assist students in meeting a set of clear and specific education- and research-related goals. The specific objectives for all graduates of the Ph.D. in Public Affairs program are to:

• Demonstrate Comprehensive Knowledge. Students will demonstrate their knowledge in core areas of public administration and management, including theoretical foundations of public administration, public policy, organization theory, budgeting, and governmental finance, and human capital.
• Understand and Apply Theories and Processes of Knowledge Acquisition. Students will demonstrate familiarity with key theories in each of the principal fields of public administration and management and will apply this theoretical knowledge in the development of research projects ranging from course assignments to their dissertation research projects.
• Produce Scholarly Manuscripts and Publications. Students, as scholars, will have the ability to conduct research projects that use state-of-the-art methodologies to produce scholarly manuscripts that are worthy of publication in the journals of the field.
• Develop, Present, and Defend Complex Ideas. Students will have the ability to develop, present, and defend both orally and in writing complex ideas based on in-depth scholarly research.

The University of Texas at Dallas is a rising research powerhouse with eight schools and more than 140 academic degrees including top-ranked programs in business, engineering, science, audiology and arts, and technology. The campus community is enriched by a commitment to the arts, service-learning opportunities, and an athletics program with new esports teams. UTD students, faculty, staff, and alumni continue to rise to new challenges, proving that Comets shine bright.

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Mission

The University of Texas at Dallas provides the State of Texas and the nation with excellent, innovative education and research.

The University is committed to graduating well-rounded citizens whose education has prepared them for rewarding lives and productive careers in a constantly changing world; to continually improving educational and research programs in the arts and sciences, engineering, and management; and to assist the commercialization of intellectual capital generated by students, staff, and faculty.

Vision and Goals

At UT Dallas, our vision is to be one of the nation’s best public research universities and one of the great universities in the world. We are ideally positioned to accomplish this goal as a global leader in innovative, high-quality science, business, and engineering education and research.

As president, every decision I make is intended to further this vision and to support UT Dallas’ mission to produce graduates prepared for life, work, and leadership; to advance our educational and research programs; and to transform ideas into actions that benefit the citizens of Texas.

UT Dallas’s exponential growth has put us on a trajectory to achieve several key goals that will also help us to fulfil our greater vision.

We aspire to be:

• A first-rank public research university with focused centres of excellence that is prepared to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing, technology-driven global society.
• A global force in innovative, transdisciplinary research and education in emerging areas of technology, science, and learning.
• A groundbreaking leader both in framing and answering the questions faced by business, policymakers, and the public.
• A synergistic partner with local industry, government, and cultural organizations as well as local K-12 schools, colleges, and universities.
• One of the most creative, innovative universities in the nation and world.

UT Dallas can achieve these goals because we are a young, agile university located in one of the nation’s largest, most vibrant metropolitan areas. Our talented students and faculty have the benefit of many innovative programs, and they are surrounded by businesses that have a track record of collaboration with the University. We are also backed by the strength and reputation of The University of Texas System, and we enjoy collaboration opportunities with our nearby sister organizations, UT Southwestern Medical Center, and UT Arlington.

This combination of focus, youth, quality, location, and collaboration makes UT Dallas an ideal candidate to evolve from a small, young, very good university into a nationally pre-eminent, top-tier research university — an asset that the Dallas area urgently needs.

We must respond to new opportunities and challenges without limitations, explore new ways to engage our community, and further these goals, which will enrich life for us all.

“UT Dallas is different by design. The differences are our defining characteristics. We are the school where the ‘rock stars’ do things like make animated films, build robots and play chess. We’re the school where students regularly win at the national level in the debate, engineering design, and competition for business ideas. And UTD is the proud home to fine student-athletes, more than a few of whom have achieved Academic All-American status. For those reasons and many more, students are choosing UTD in ever-increasing numbers.”

Dr. Richard C. Benson, President of UT Dallas