Completion of the Ph. D program generally takes from three to five years. Admissions Requirements Applicants to the MPA and Ph.D. programs must submit university and school application forms, official transcripts, letters of recommendation, personal statements as to why they wish to pursue the degree, and other related materials such as the Test of English as a Foreign Language if applicable. Admission requirements for entrance to the Ph.D. program are higher and include a score of 1100 on the GRE and at least a 3.5 GPA in previous graduate work. Higher attainment on one measure may offset lower attainment on the other.
Professional experience is considered but academic attainment receives more emphasis.
Only a few students are admitted each year to the doctoral program. Requirements include completion of six core courses, two courses in applied research methods, five elective courses which most students devote the completion of an approved professional specialization sequence, and a final applied research project course. For students with less than one year of professional experience, an internship is also required. D program provides a common core curriculum which builds from the core of the MPA degree plus advanced doctoral level work in institutions and organizational theory, comparative administration, policy and research methods. For those having little background in political processes and institutions, additional courses are required in these topics.