arizona state university phd political science

Public Administration and Policy, PhD

Phd program.

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration and Policy is a cohort-based program that prepares students to conduct theoretically informed research through the application of social science methods that build knowledge and inform public action. Most students in the PhD program are interested in academic careers, although some find work as researchers at think tanks, government agencies and nonprofit organizations. The PhD degree is designed for students who are committed to a four-year, full-time degree.

The PhD program supports all full-time students financially during the first three years of study – funding includes tuition, benefits and stipend. Students have many options to fund their final year of study through teaching, fellowships or research projects. Throughout their degree, students work directly with nationally distinguished faculty on research activity with the expectation that students contribute intellectually both to the PhD program and to the academic community through presentations at national conferences and publication of journal articles. 

Our goal is to provide a stimulating and collegial academic environment where students learn to formulate compelling research questions, develop analytical skills to rigorously address them and produce high-quality academic work that contributes to the field.  All students gain nationally recognized qualifications in core knowledge in public administration and policy as well as in an area of research specialization. In their fourth year, students also have opportunities to teach in the undergraduate programs, if desired. PhD graduates are able to compete nationally and internationally for coveted entry positions that require both teaching and research experience.

Applicants are admitted for the fall only and should generally have a Master’s degree before enrollment, though exceptional applicants with only a Bachelor’s degree may also be considered. 

Specializations include:

• Civil Society & Civic Engagement 
• Energy and Environment Policy & Management
• Governance & Urban Affairs
• Information Technology & Policy Informatics
• Public Finance, Budgeting, & Economics
• Public Management
• Science, Technology & Innovation
• Social & Education Policy

Application

The application deadline is January 6, 2025.

Applicants are admitted for fall only.   More on the application process .

View our PhD Promotional Video

View the phd new student guide.

Arizona State University

Ranked in 10 program s and 10+ specialt ies

ASU 's Graduate School Rankings

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• # 8 in International
• in Management
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• # 9 in Project Management
• in Real Estate
• # 3 in Supply Chain / Logistics
• # 28 in Part-time MBA  (tie)
• # 12 in Curriculum and Instruction  (tie)
• in Education Policy
• in Educational Administration and Supervision
• # 9 in Elementary Teacher Education
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• # 47 in Business/Corporate Law  (tie)
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• # 26 in Best Nursing Schools: Doctor of Nursing Practice  (tie)
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• # 10 in Environmental Policy and Management  (tie)
• # 2 in Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• # 3 in Information and Technology Management
• # 3 in Local Government Management
• # 5 in Nonprofit Management
• # 16 in Public Finance and Budgeting
• # 5 in Public Management and Leadership
• # 17 in Public Policy Analysis  (tie)
• # 9 in Urban Policy
• # 20 in Social Work  (tie)
• # 70 in Sociology  (tie)
• # 21 in Speech-Language Pathology  (tie)
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• NAU > -->
• PIA > -->

Political Science, Doctor of Philosophy

Contact the graduate program coordinator for the ma and phd programs, application deadline.

• October 15 for early submissions for the next academic year
• February 15 for regular admission for the next academic year

GRE Requirement

Academic catalog, join our graduate program.

This doctoral plan prepares students for a career in higher education, research, or public service with a choice of emphasis. This plan requires the research, writing, and oral defense of an approved dissertation.

Degree Info Tab Open

Faculty tab closed, requirements tab open, overview tab closed, details tab closed, availability tab closed, requirements accordion open.

To receive a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses, from one or more disciplines, ranging from at least 60 - 109 units of graduate-level courses. Most plans require research, a dissertation, and comprehensive exams. All plans have residency requirements regarding time spent on the Flagstaff campus engaged in full-time study. The full policy can be viewed here.

Overview Accordion Closed

In addition to University Requirements:

• Complete individual plan requirements.
• Fulfill Northern Arizona's residency requirements
• Qualifying Paper Exam required

Purpose Statement The Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science degree provides students with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to understand and participate in the political systems of the United States and the world.  This degree provides a broad perspective on experiences, international and domestic, from both theory and practice.   This degree builds a strong foundation in the expert knowledge of the political world.  The emphasis area of American Politics and Public Administration analyzes political science through the American context.  It focuses on institutional characteristics, behavioral aspects, bureaucracy, and management.  The emphasis area of Comparative Politics and International Relations compares countries and regions and examines the international system and its processes.  The emphasis area of Public Policy focuses on policies created and implemented in political systems and uses analytical methods to evaluate current public policies, political actors’ behavior, political events, and institutional arrangements within a diverse world.   Building upon this fundamental knowledge, our curriculum ensures that students will define, design, and carry out original scholarly research projects in political science.  In addition, they will be able to make clear and effective oral and written demonstrations of their work in public presentations, including scholarly presentations to academics at professional political science conferences.  Students will also leave this program ready to teach at a university level and to engage in professional research.   Our goal is to train students to be active, engaged, and informed participants in the global system who can not only understand the world around them but also shape and influence it.  Student Learning Outcomes Core Outcomes  

• Evaluate the strengths and limitations of a variety of significant analytical approaches used in political science.
• Analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the interconnectedness and interdependence of the human experience on a global scale.
• Develop a disciplinary emphasis as well as foci in environment, development, or diversity politics to an expert level of knowledge.
• Devise an expert research design.
• Gather original data.
• Analyze the data and explain the research findings.
• Write the findings in a scholarly publishable-quality original dissertation that evaluates the effectiveness of the project and the implications of the findings and contributes to the field.
• Students will demonstrate expert writing skills and be able to summarize and explain scholarly political science articles.
• Analyze and critique the material read /discussed.
• Suggest and discuss alternative possibilities and outcomes.
• Students will defend their dissertation at an oral defense that presents the project, summarizes the findings, and analyzes the implications as well as the effectiveness of the project.
• Students will be able to communicate at an expert level with other academics in the field of political science, including presenting their research work at academic conferences.
• Demonstrate professional behavior in terms of demeanor, personal presentation, ethics, and civic participation in experiential learning, classroom settings, and professional conferences.
• Acquire the skills and knowledge base to understand the importance of and options for environmental sustainability and its tenuous relationship to economic development in local and global terms.
• Critically reflect upon the nature and consequences of diversity (e.g., race, gender, class, ethnicity, religion, culture, nation), and develop an understanding of how this diversity both alters and is altered in a world characterized by increasing global interaction.

Details Accordion Closed

Graduate admission information.

The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Graduate College. Admission requirements include the following:

• Transcripts.
• Undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited institution with a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale ("A" = 4.0), or the equivalent.

Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies. Ready to apply? Begin your application now.

International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy .

Additional Admission Requirements

Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.

• A bachelor’s degree in a closely related discipline
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or above or  6 units of subsequent coursework at the graduate level with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better
• Three letters of recommendation
• A writing sample
• A personal statement or essay
• Resume or curriculum vitae

Doctoral Requirements

This Doctoral degree requires 63 units distributed as follows:

• Political Science Core Coursework: 12 units
• American Politics/Public Administration
• Comparative Politics/International Relations
• Secondary Coursework: 3 units
• Foci Coursework: 6 units
• Dissertation: 15 - 18 units
• Additional Coursework: 9 - 12 units

Take the following 63 units:

Political Science Core Coursework (12 units)

• POS 602 , POS 604 , POS 607 , POS 609 (12 units)

Primary Field - Select one (15 units)

American Politics/Public Administration Field (15 units)

• POS 641 (3 units)
• POS 610 , POS 612
• POS 527 , POS 603 *,  POS 610 , POS 612 , POS 642 , POS 644 , POS 652 , POS 658 *, POS 659 , POS 671
• Electives approved by your advisor.

Comparative Politics/International Relations Field (15 units)

• POS 670 , POS 680 (6 units)
• POS 552 , POS 603 *, POS 652 , POS 658 *,  POS 672 , POS 679 *
• Electives as approved by your advisor.
• POS 670 , POS 680
• POS 610 , POS 612 , POS 641
• Development
• Environment
• You may count only 15-18 units of dissertation credit POS 799 toward your degree. However, you may end up taking more units, since you must enroll for it each term during which you work on your dissertation.
• POS 691 , POS 798
• Additional coursework as approved by your advisor to ensure adequate preparation for your dissertation research.

Additional Information

Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

Availability Accordion Closed

The Presidential Fellowship

• For more information on the Presidential Fellowship Program click here .

To accommodate individual plans of study for this political science graduate program, you may be required to:

• Take additional units to meet language or research requirements
• Take the profession development seminar
• Additional readings or dissertation research as specified by your advisor

Students have the option to choose between two tracks in political science:

• International Relations and Comparative Politics
• American Politics and Public Administration

You must choose between three foci:

• Environment/Sustainability Politics
• Diversity Politics
• Political Development

In addition to the requirements for your particular emphasis and foci, you must:

• Perform satisfactory on qualifying papers and an oral defense of the qualifying papers
• Demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to two years of university coursework; or
• Obtain a grade of “B” or better in POS 601 and complete 6 additional units of research methods
• Fulfill Northern Arizona University’s residency requirements
• Pass the oral exam on your dissertation defense

Politics and International Affairs

Mailing address, social media.

Patrick Kenney

• [email protected]
• 480-727-2634
• Armstrong Hall Suite 240 Tempe, AZ 85287-2501
• Mail code: 2501 Campus: Tempe

Patrick J. Kenney is the Dean of The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Executive Vice Provost at Arizona State University.  He is also a Foundation Professor in the School of Politics and Global Studies. Kenney came to ASU in 1986 and received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate from the University of Iowa. Professor Kenney has authored and co-authored articles in the American Political Science Review , American Journal of Political Science , the Journal of Politics  and several other journals. He has co-authored five books with Kim Fridkin, "The Spectacle of U.S. Senate Campaigns" ( Princeton University Press , 1999), "No-Holds Barred: Negativity in U.S. Senate Campaigns" ( Prentice Hall , 2004), "The Changing Face of Representation"   ( University of Michigan Press , 2014), “Taking Aim at Attack Advertising" ( Oxford University Press , 2019) and “Choices in a Chaotic Campaign: Understanding Citizens’ Decisions in the 2020 Election” ( Cambridge University Press , 2024). He has received funding from the National Science Foundation and he is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University.

• Ph.D. University of Iowa
• M.A.P.A. University of Iowa
• B.A. University of Iowa
• Kim L. Fridkin, Amanda Wintersieck, Jill Carle and Patrick J. Kenney. The Upside of the Long Campaign: How Presidential Elections Engage the Electorate. American Politics (2017).
• Kim L. Fridkin and Patrick J. Kenney. The Role of Candidate Traits in Campaigns. Journal of Politics (2011).
• Kim L. Fridkin and Patrick J. Kenney. Laboratory Experiments in American Political Behavior. Oxford Handbook of American Elections and Political Behavior (2010).
• Kim Fridkin, Patrick Kenney, Sarah Gershon, Karen Shafer, Gina Woodall. Capturing the Power of a Campaign Event: The 2004 Presidential Debate in Tempe. Journal of Politics (2007).
• Kim Fridkin, Patrick Kenney, Jack Crittendent. On the Margins of Democratic Life: The Impact of Race and Ethnicity on the Political Engagement of Young People. American Politics Research (2006).
• Fridkin, Kim L (Author) ,Kenney, Patrick J (Author) . Campaign Frames: Can Candidates Influence Media Coverage. The Framing of American Politics (2005).
• Kim Fridkin, Patrick Kenney. Do Negative Messages Work? The Impact of Negativity on Citizen's Evaluations of Candidates. American Politics Research (2004).
• Fridkin Kahn, Kim, Kenney, Patrick J. No Holds Bared: Negativity in U.S. Senate Campaigns. (2004).
• . . Senate Exceptionalism (2004).
• . . The Framing of American Politics (2004).
• Kim Kahn, Patrick Kenney. The Slant of the News: How Editorial Endorsements Influence Campaign Coverage and Citizen's Views of Candidates. American Political Science Review (2002).
• Patrick Kenney, Kim Kahn. The Importance of Issues in Campaigns: An Examination of Citizens' Reception of Issue Messages. Legislative Studies Quarterly (2001).
• Kim Fridkin, Patrick Kenney. Examining the Gender Gap in Children's Attitudes Toward Politics. Sex Roles: A Journal of Research (0).
• Kim L. Fridkin and Patrick J. Kenney. S/C YougovPolimetrix: Superdelegates and Representation in the 2008 Democratic Nomination Campaign. NSF-SES(8/1/2008 - 7/31/2009).

2023 Spring

2020 spring, 2019 spring.

• Fridkin, Kim, Kenney, Patrick. Do Negative Messages Work: Exploring the Dimensions of Mudslinging. American Political Science Association (Sep 2006).
• Fridkin, Kim, Kenney, Patrick. The Power of a Campaign Event: A Multimethodological Examination of th eFinal 2004 Presidential Debate. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (Aug 2005).
• Fridkin, Kim, Kenney, Patrick. The Impact of Race, Ethnicity and Gender on the Political Engagement of Young People. Annual Meeting of the American Political Science Association (Sep 2004).
• Fridkin, Kim, Kenney, Patrick. Examining the Development of Civic Engagement Across Cultures and Generations: A First Look. American Political Science Association (Sep 2003).
• Fridkin, Kim, Kenney, Patrick. Examining the Influence of Race and Gender on Political Socialization. American Political Science Association (Sep 2003).
• Kahn, Kim, Kenney, Patrick. Do Negative Messages Work? The Impact of Niegativity on Citizens' Evaluations of Candiadtes. American Political Science Association (Sep 2002).
• Institute of Social Science Research, Director (2010 - Present)
• School of Politics and Global Studies, Director (2010 - Present)
• School of Politics and Global Studies, director (2009 - Present)
• Journals, NSF, Univeristy of Chicago, Reviewer (2010 - 2010)
• Journal of Politics, Editorial Board (2004 - 2007)
• CLAS, Chair (2002 - 2007)
• CLAS, Chair Department of Political Science (2002 - 2007)
• CLAS/Faculty Ambassadors Program, Lecturer (2007 - 2007)
• BIS, Committee Member (2002 - 2006)
• Department of Political Science, Chair (2002 - 2006)
• Outside Reviewer for tenure, Five Universities (2005 - 2005)
• Reviewer for journals and NSF, reviewer (2005 - 2005)
• American Political Science Review, reviewer (2004 - 2004)
• CLAS, Search Committee for Dean (2004 - 2004)
• Department, Chair (2003)
• President's Crow's Community Enrichment Program, Presenter (2003)
• Review for Journals and NSF, Referee (2003)

IEW Profile: Pablo Ortega

• political science
• School of Politics and Global Studies

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Apply to the Ph.D. Program

The application portal for Fall 2024 admission is now closed.

We accept applications for admission to the Ph.D. program for the Fall term of each year only. 

How to apply.

To apply, you must complete the University of Arizona Graduate College online application . Follow these steps:

• Create a GradApp account
• Complete your GradApp profile under "My Account".
• Select "Apply to a Program" from the sidebar.
• Select "University of Arizona-Main" as the campus and "Tucson" as the location.
• Choose "Degree Seeking" under application type and "Government & Public Policy (PHD)" under program of study.
• Choose the semester during which you wish to enter the program.
• Your application should now be initiated under "My Active Applications."

If technical issues arise with the online application, please contact the Graduate Collage at [email protected] for assistance.

The application portal for the PhD program is typically open between October and January each year. 

Application Checklist

We admit a limited number of applicants on a competitive basis each year. Admission and financial support decisions are made on the evaluation of the following required application materials.

Academic Statement of Purpose

What we would like to see addressed in your “Academic Statement of Purpose” (no more than 3 pages):

• What is your academic background? 
• What question(s) and/or topic(s) are of interest to you – do you have specific (or broad) ideas about what you would like to study in graduate school?
• Are there specific faculty members in SGPP with whom you would like to work? How do their academic interests complement your own? 
• Successful completion of academic coursework or training programs/certificates in research methods.
• Relevant analytical skills developed and employed through your work experience. 
• Your quantitative GRE score. (Note that, as with other items on this list of suggestions, this is optional. We do not require the GRE for admission, and we will not assume anything if you choose not to discuss it in this document.) 
• One or more academic articles/books that adopt an empirical approach that you find compelling.

Personal Statement

What we would like to see addressed in your “Personal Statement” (no more than 2 pages):

• Why do you want to pursue a PhD? How will this degree help you to achieve your career goals?
• Why do you want to pursue a PhD at UArizona, specifically?
• How have your cultural, geographical, financial, and/or educational backgrounds and experiences presented opportunities and/or challenges for you?
• How have these backgrounds and experiences motivated you to pursue a PhD, and how might they help you succeed in our program?
• If you have written a senior or master’s thesis or conducted some other major independent or collaborative research project, how did that experience influence your PhD goals?
• Do you have experience as a research and/or teaching assistant?
• Did you work in a position that made you want to explore some process more deeply?

Transcripts

A bachelor's degree with an overall undergraduate GPA of 3.00 is required for admission. Submit transcripts from all institutions where you have received college credit.

Transcripts can be scanned and uploaded with the online application. Scans of official transcripts are preferred; if unofficial transcripts are used, they must include the name of the institution and your name.

English Language Proficiency

You are required to complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) if your native language is not English or if you have not received an undergraduate degree from an institution where English is the exclusive medium of instruction.

If you wish to be considered for financial support via an assistantship, you must score a minimum of 24 on the speaking element of the TOEFL IBT or a minimum of 7.5 on the speaking section of the IELTS. Scores should be submitted through ETS using institution code 4832, or as a PDF document in the supplemental question section of the application.

Applicants who have completed a bachelors or graduate degree at a regionally accredited institution in the United States, or an approved institution in an official English speaking country .  Students eligible for this exemption, who are awarded a graduate teaching assistantship from their department, must complete the mandatory English Speaking Proficiency Evaluation (ESPE.)  Refer to the GA Manual for more information:  http://grad.arizona.edu/funding/ga.

Letters of Recommendation

Three letters of recommendation are required from three individuals who can speak to your academic potential, including knowledge and creativity, communication skills, and ability to complete projects.  Letters of recommendation are submitted by the letter writers through the online application system.

Writing Sample

You should submit a writing sample that represents your original research/work. The writing sample should not exceed 25 pages in length.

If you have any questions, contact the Director of the Ph.D. Program:

Dr. Jessica Braithwaite [email protected]