2011-2012 University Catalog 
  
2011-2012 University Catalog

Public Policy, PhD


Banner Code: PP-PHD-PUBP

Phone:  703-993-2280

This program is distinctive in its heavy emphasis on the combined influence of technology, culture, and institutions on public policy. Students investigate the increasing tensions created by technologically driven organizational change.

To investigate the policy issues associated with substantive policy areas, students develop in-depth understanding of American institutions, values, and culture; competence in research methods and advanced analytical methodologies; and a comparative, international perspective. At the time of admission, each student is assigned a faculty advisor who assists in the design and development of the student’s program.

Admission Requirements

The program seeks students with exceptional potential for accumulating, sorting, analyzing, and communicating information and findings effectively. Public policy is inherently complex and value laden. In the end, high-quality policy analysis requires thoughtful and judicious management of complex and incommensurate information, both quantitative and qualitative. Potential students must be able to manage and integrate both kinds of information and produce persuasive, well-organized, written syntheses and analytical insight.

The ideal applicant has demonstrated capabilities in research and writing, basic mathematical skills roughly equal to the first semester of calculus, competence in statistics, some background in economics, and a theoretical and working knowledge of public policy processes. Applicants with strong records who are lacking in one or more of these areas may be admitted to the program and will receive assistance in making up deficiencies.

Applicants must hold a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and have a GPA of 3.00 or higher. Prospective students are encouraged to attend an information session.

Please see the Graduate Admissions Policies section in this catalog and online at http://admissions.gmu.edu/grad/ for general information on graduate admission to George Mason University.

The following items should be included when applying:

  • Graduate application with fee (no fee waivers)
  • 750 - 1,000 word written statement of goals and interest in advanced study in public policy
  • Current resumé or vita
  • Two official transcripts of all university work. International students must also submit a translation of all international transcripts into English, if applicable.
  • GRE or GMAT results; scores should not be older than five years.
  • Two letters of recommendation, with at least one from an individual qualified to attest to the candidate’s academic potential
  • A writing sample approximately 10 to 20 pages in length, such as a technical report, professional publication, or term or seminar paper
  • For international applicants, TOEFL results with a minimum score of 600 on the paper-based exam; 250 on the computer- based exam; or 100 with a minimum of 23 on each of the subsections on the Internet-based exam.  IELTS will be accepted in lieu of the TOEFL;  minimum of 6.5 required.  Students may also be required to be tested by the English Language Institute.
  • Certificate of Financial Responsibility (for students requesting an F-1 or J-1 visa)

Deadlines

Students are considered for admission for the Fall term only.  The application deadline is February 1 for international students and March 1 for domestic students.

Degree Requirements


Students are required to complete a minimum of 82 credits of course work, of which no more than 12 may be dissertation credits. Up to 30 credits from a prior master’s degree may be applied toward the doctoral requirements at the program director’s discretion. Credit is not given for comprehensive exams passed at other universities.

Specific course work requirements include four foundational core courses, one semester of participation in the research colloquium, two advanced methodology courses, three courses in an area of program specialization, and three advanced courses tailored to the student’s research needs and interests. Courses are determined in collaboration with the student’s advisor and are drawn widely not only from SPP, but also from other programs at Mason. 

As detailed below, at the completion of core skills course work (Stage One), students must pass a qualifying exam that evaluates mastery of the first year’s material, as well as the ability to integrate that material when addressing important and complex public policy problems and issues. Students must then develop their research areas through specialized course work, and then pass a field exam structured around their specific field of proposed doctoral research (Stages Two and Three). Other requirements include the successful preparation and defense of a doctoral research proposal and the ensuing dissertation (Stage Four).

A complete description of the program policies, procedures, and requirements is in the SPP student and faculty handbook, which is published annually.

Areas of Program Specialization


Students may choose one of the established areas of specialization or work with a faculty committee to create their own specialization.  The established specializations in the doctoral program are: Regional Development and Transportation; Technology, Science and Innovation; Entrepreneurship, Growth and Public Policy; U.S. Governance; Culture and Society; Organizational and Information Technology; and Global and International Systems.

Stage One - Core Skills


Prerequisites: Methodological and Substantive Foundations


PhD students are required to have competence in these three areas, either by taking these courses or by proving competence through a placement exam and/or evidence of previous relevant course work.  Prerequisite courses will not count as part of the 82 credit requirement.

Core Courses


Stage Two - Policy Fields and Skills


  • Three elective courses
  • One advanced methods course

Stage Three - Research Foundations


  • Field of Study (3 courses)
  • Advanced Methods (1 course)
  • Field Statement
  • Field Exam

Field of Study Requirements


  • By end of their third semester, full time students (fourth semester for part-time) must choose a chair for their Field Committee
  • By the start of their fourth semester, full time students (fifth semester for part-time) must submit to the chair of their Field Committee a plan for their Field of Study.  The Field of Study Plan (max. 1000 words) will describe a proposed research area, including citations relevant to current research in that Field.  The Plan must identify three substantive courses and at least one advanced methods course that the student intends to take that will serve as a foundation for the Field.  The Plan must be approved by both the student’s Field Committee Chair and the Director of the PhD program.
  • The three substantive courses must include at least one 800 level course offered in SPP (excluding those 700 level courses listed as not eligible for PhD Field credit), and no more than one substantive graduate course from outside SPP.
  • The advanced methods course must be chosen from the approved list for the SPP PhD program, or approved in writing by the Field Committee Chair and Director of the PhD program.
  • Where appropriate courses are not available from SPP, students may petition the Director of the PhD program for substitute courses to count for their Field of Study Plan.
  • Courses in the Field of Study Plan are intended to be taken concurrently with work on the Field Statement and Field Exam.  Students may not present a dissertation proposal for approval until they have passed the Field Exam.

Advancement to Candidacy


To advance to candidacy, students must have completed all course work requirements, passed the comprehensive qualifying and field examinations, have an approved dissertation committee, and presented and successfully defended a dissertation proposal.

Stage Four - Dissertation