The mission of the Ph.D. in Public Affairs is to be the nexus between the academic community and the world of service and practice in the private, non-profit, and public sector.
The degree will prepare individuals to study issues facing society in the context of public, private, and non-profit organizations and institutions. The program is interdisciplinary and draws upon faculty from across the college.
The degree program is designed to prepare students to enter the academic world at the college or university level or to conduct research as an analyst within a public, private or nonprofit organization.
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Apply theories from the social, political, and managerial sciences to explain government’s role in society.
Evaluate the literature from a topic relevant to public affairs and create a research question.
Identify and apply an appropriate research methods and data analysis to answer a research questions in public affairs.
Demonstrate knowledge of ethical principles in research.
Clearly communicate their knowledge in public affairs to different audiences such as other students, academicians, policymakers, and members of the general public.
Possess the skills to teach college courses.
Career Possibilities
The Ph.D. in Public Affairs program is designed to prepare students for several career options. First, students will be prepared for work in an academic career at the college or university level. Second, the degree provides students with the opportunity to work in a variety of organizations as a research analyst.