PhD in Public Policy & Public Administration
The PhD in Public Policy and Public Administration prepares students for research and teaching positions in academia, think tanks, government, and nonprofit organizations.
The flexible curriculum allows students to customize coursework to their interests while developing sophisticated research skills.
Join the Graduate Programs Virtual Open House: October 20–30
Registration is open for GW's 2025 Columbian College of Arts and Sciences (CCAS) Graduate Programs Open House! The virtual event features program-specific information sessions and opportunities to interact with students, faculty and our admissions team. Attendees will receive an application fee waiver.
TSPPPA will host two virtual information sessions for prospective graduate students:
- Public Policy & Public Administration (PhD): October 22
- Environmental & Sustainability Policy (MA); Public Administration (MPA); Public Policy (MPP): October 29
Program Benefits
Material Customized to You
Whether you want to pursue a career in academia, advise leaders in local government or develop breakthrough research, TSPPPA will prepare you for what lies ahead. Alumni of the PhD program have pursued careers in teaching, research and analysis in government and the private sector.
Flexible Timeframe
Most TSPPPA doctoral students already have a graduate degree and significant experience in a policy-related environment. Many of our students are mid-career professionals. As such, the PhD is open to both full-time and part-time students. The program is rigorous, but many students appreciate the opportunity to study alongside other pursuits.
Subject Matter Mastery
Doctoral students at TSPPPA master the competencies needed to undertake sophisticated research in public policy and public administration. The interdisciplinary curriculum tackles subjects including politics, economics and quantitative and/or qualitative methods in policy research.
PhD Course Requirements
These course requirements apply to doctoral students in the fall 2025 cohort and earlier. Starting in fall 2026, the new curriculum will include greater flexibility in pursuing courses aligned with research interests.
The following requirements must be fulfilled:
The general requirements stated under Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate Programs.
The requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Program.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required | ||
| Core Courses | ||
| PPPA 6014 | Microeconomics for Public Policy II * | |
| PPPA 8100 | Seminar: Literature of Public Administration * | |
| PPPA 8101 | Research Methods * | |
| PPPA 8105 | Public Finance and Human Capital | |
| PPPA 8174 | Seminar: Public Management | |
| PPPA 8190 | Philosophical Foundations of Policy and Administrative Research | |
| PPPA 8191 | Dissertation Workshop | |
| PSC 8229 | Politics and Public Policy * | |
| One of the following to fulfill the intermediate quantitative course requirement: | ||
| DNSC 6274 | Statistical Modeling and Analysis | |
| ECON 8375 | Econometrics I | |
| ECON 8379 | Laboratory in Applied Econometrics | |
| PPPA 6013 | Regression Methods for Policy Research * | |
| PSC 8102 | Empirical Political Analysis | |
| One of the following to fulfill the advanced quantitative course requirement: | ||
| DNSC 6275 | Advanced Statistical Modeling and Analysis | |
| ECON 8376 | Econometrics II | |
| ECON 8377 | Econometrics III | |
| PPPA 8022 | Econometrics for Policy Research | |
| One of the following to fulfill the qualitative course requirement: | ||
| EDUC 8122 | Qualitative Research Methods | |
| EDUC 8131 | Case Study Research Methods | |
| HIST 6030 | History and Its Uses in International Affairs | |
| PPPA 8023 | Mixed Methods in Research Design | |
| PSC 8104 | Qualitative Research Methods | |
| PUBH 8417 | Qualitative Research Methods and Analysis | |
| SOC 6232 | Qualitative Methods | |
| Additional requirements | ||
| A written qualifying examination covering designated core courses. * | ||
| A minimum of 12 credits and satisfactory completion of a field examination in one of the following fields: Education policy; budgeting and public finance; program evaluation; science and technology policy; public and nonprofit management; and social policy. ** | ||
| Dissertation research | ||
| PPPA 8999 | Dissertation Research (taken for 6 to 12 credits) | |
*Course is covered by the core comprehensive examination.
**The social policy field has four subfields, each with specific requirements: gender and social policy, poverty and inequality, ethnicity and public policy, and urban policy.