Program type:
Major
Format:
On Campus
Est. time to complete:
4 years
Credit Hours:
57-60
Develop innovative ideas and concepts in the field of public administration through research and theoretical inquiry.
The program admits a selective number of students (8-10) each Fall semester, prioritizing collaboration with faculty and optimizing students' research and academic career success. Students are trained for research-oriented scholarly careers in the field of public administration with specializations in urban management, nonprofit management, public financial management and emergency management.
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Why Earn a Ph.D. in Public Administration and Management?

Both faculty and students benefit from access to the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, which presents a superb laboratory for research into the complex and compelling issues facing the public today. Our collegial and distinguished faculty have established research agendas, excellent reputations and a collaborative spirit that provides a strong foundation for students who want to become the academic leaders and scholars of the future.

The program has an emerging national reputation propelled by faculty members engaged in cutting-edge research. We offer specializations in public administration, financial management, nonprofit management or urban management.

Marketable Skills
  • Convergence and knowledge transfer
  • Conduct scientific inquiry and research
  • Analyze practical/theoretical questions
  • Explain/implement public service perspectives
  • Promote social justice/diversity issues

Public Administration and Management Ph.D. Highlights

Our faculty members have professional and relevant work experience, are involved in many professional associations, and also have published numerous books and articles in leading journals.
Our faculty members also sponsor a monthly Chester Newland’s Ph.D. Colloquium Series that engages students in a vigorous discussion of current research and competing viewpoints on public administration issues.
The Public Administration Student Association and the Ph.D. Student Association provide networking opportunities and insightful discussions.
The Department of Public Administration offers approximately $100,000 in scholarships and research assistantships each year.
The department also proudly provides a small number of funded fellowships to well-qualified applicants as part of the Newell Fellows Program. Newell Fellows work toward their Ph.D. in Public Administration and Management while completing important research projects with the department’s world-class faculty and assisting with course instruction.
Courses focus on timely and critical topics such as city and county management, economic development and growth management, management of nonprofit organizations and smart city technology, among others.

Career Outlook

Recent graduates are employed as:

  • Professors
  • Analysts
  • Public Sector Specialists
  • Education Directors
  • Senior Analysts

Recent graduates are employed by:

  • The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
  • Mississippi State University
  • Incheon Development Institute, South Korea
  • Georgia State University
  • University of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Public Administration and Management Ph.D. Courses You Could Take

Public Organization Research and Theory (3 hrs)
Addresses organizations as units of analysis. Examination of major theoretical and empirical research on the structure and process of public organizations.
Public Management (3 hrs)
Introduction to organization and management theories and practices as they concern federal, state and local governments.
Institutional Context of Public Administration (3 hrs)
Examines government bureaucracies and other formal institutional arrangements as key elements in modern social systems. Evaluates the role of society in shaping institutions and how these institutions influence and structure public policy making and administration.
Social Science Inquiry (3 hrs)
Designed to provide a thorough introductory overview of social science research methods. The objectives are to develop understanding of the basic elements of an empirical social science study, how to produce an empirical study and the major methodological approaches used by contemporary social scientists. Research design and the structure of inquiry, the role of theory in empirical research, argument construction, causal inference, ethics, sampling, approaches to inquiry (quantitative, qualitative, experimental, evaluation), and reporting and reviewing research.
Financial Accountability in Government (3 hrs)
Introduction to financial control in government, including fund accounting, financial reporting, internal controls and auditing. Particular emphasis is given to the public manager’s use of accounting information in such contexts as budget decision making, pricing government services, cash planning and municipal bond ratings.
Nonprofit Management (3 hrs)
Characteristics of and leadership in nonprofit organizations, with emphasis on the chief executive, the board and volunteers in activities such as governance, planning and fundraising.

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College of Health and Public Service
Department of Public Administration
940-565-2165
phd.padm@unt.edu
Chilton Hall, Room 204