Graduate School of Public and International Affairs—Doctor of Philosophy in Public and International Affairs

The doctoral program in public and international affairs at GSPIA has been training outstanding students for more than fifty years. GSPIA ranks tied for second—behind only the Maxwell School at Syracuse University—in the number of NASPAA (National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration) dissertation awards won by its doctoral students, and a GSPIA student also recently won the APPAM (Association for Public Policy and Management) dissertation award. Senior alumni of the program hold leadership positions in academia, government and international organizations throughout the United States and around the world. Over the past five years our doctoral graduates have received appointments at universities from coast to coast within the United States, at universities abroad from Korea and Singapore to the Netherlands and Lebanon, in government service from the U.S. Department of Defense to the Office of the President of the Republic in Mali, and in non-profit organizations from Pennsylvania to Morocco.

Requirements for the PhD

The PhD program requires the completion of 72 credits of course work and 6 credits for the dissertation (78 credits total). The curriculum for doctoral students is outlined as follows:

Students must complete 72 credits of course work, excluding the 6 dissertation credits, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. Students must meet this requirement in order to qualify for final approval of their comprehensive examinations. Students must take at least 36 credits of course work at the University while enrolled in the Doctoral Studies Programs. Students are required to maintain full-time status while completing the 72 credits of coursework.

Fields of Study

The doctoral program has five standard fields: development policy, foreign and security policy, international political economy, public administration, and public policy. Each field should represent a coherent body of knowledge in public and international affairs that will contribute to the student's dissertation and subsequent career. To this extent, the fields should complement each other, with theory, knowledge, and research skills being mutually reinforcing. Program field guidelines provide specific directions, indicate the nature of the comprehensive examinations, and list the significant literature in the field. These guidelines are available in the Office of Student Services.

Advisors

At the time of admission, students will be assigned an initial advisor from the GSPIA faculty. The advisors should have expertise compatible with their students' interests and be actively engaged in researching and publishing in specific fields.

Core Courses

All doctoral students must take four core courses as early in their program as possible. In order to remain in the program and to be eligible to take the comprehensive examinations, students must earn a grade of B or better in each of the four courses.

The following core courses must be completed by the end of the second term of full time study in the Ph.D. program.

• PIA 3000 – Advanced Seminar: Quantitative Analysis
• PIA 3010 – Theories in Social Science & Public Policy
• PIA 3020 – Evidence & Inference
• PIA 3050 – Practicum in Qualitative Research

Research & Technical Skills

In addition to PIA 3000 Advance Seminar: Quantitative Analysis and PIA 3050 Practicum in Qualitative Research all students must complete an additional 6 credits to fulfill the 12-credit Research & Technical Skills requirement.  The other 6 graduate-level credits should be selected from courses offered in GSPIA, or within another School or Department within the University of Pittsburgh.

Field Seminars

These required courses must be taken prior to the comprehensive examinations.  A student should register for a seminar in each of the two fields for which he/she is taking comprehensive exams.

• PIA 3391 – Foreign & Security Policy
• PIA 3392 – International Political Economy
• PIA 3393 – Public Administration
• PIA 3394 – Public Policy
• PIA 3395 – Development Policy

Other Courses

Students are encouraged to take course work in two fields (see Fields of Study below), either within or outside of GSPIA. The amount of course work will depend upon the students' backgrounds and career goals. Plans of Study for each of the selected fields should be worked out in consultation with mentors at the time of the preliminary planning meeting and during the Annual Review.

Language Requirements

Proficiency in a foreign language is not a requirement for the doctoral degree. Students who wish to work or conduct research in non-English-speaking environments will need to develop proficiency in the relevant language.

Plan of Study Meeting

The purpose of the Plan of Study meeting is to assess the student’s background and goals, design a plan of study, discuss the selection of fields and mentors, and evaluate transfer credits.

Early in the first term of enrollment, the student schedule a meeting with his/her mentors representing the Primary (Field 1) and Secondary (Field 2) areas of study.   The student will schedule the meeting and make available the appropriate documents for the meeting: (a) Plan of Study Meeting Form (b) Course Credit Acceptance Form, and (c) copies of transcripts of prior undergraduate and/or graduate courses.  The student will then submit all the completed forms to the Office of Student Services.

Failure to hold the Plan of Study Meeting in the first term will result in an academic hold being place on a student’s University account, which will prevent future course registrations. 

Advanced Standing

For students with pertinent master's degrees, a maximum of 30 credits for course work may be applied to the doctoral degree. In recognition of graduate study beyond the master's degree successfully completed elsewhere, a maximum of 12 additional credits may be applied to the minimum credit requirement, with the proviso that the total of master's degree credits and post-master's degree credits not exceed 36 credits of advanced standing. Advanced standing credits will be given only for course work that contributes to the PhD in public and international affairs. Students may not use advanced standing credits to waive the doctoral core courses.

Year One: Second Semester

Mid-term Review Meeting

A Mid-term Review Committee composed of faculty who teach doctoral core courses plus other relevant faculty members will review the student’s overall performance at the end of the first year of study.  A memorandum containing the committee’s findings and recommendations will be issued to the students and their mentors.  The student and the mentors must formally acknowledge and respond to the memorandum from the Mid-term Review Committee.  The Mid-term Review Meeting will be held immediately following the second term of study. The student and mentor must formally respond to memorandum from the Mid-term Review Committee.

Annual Review Summary

Following the Mid-term Review at the end of the first year of study, and on an annual basis thereafter, the student is required to schedule a meeting with the faculty serving as mentors for his/her Primary and Secondary fields of study.  The purpose of the meeting is to discuss with the student his/her academic performance and progress toward meeting doctoral milestones with recommendations on the student’s progress and continuation in the program.  Special attention should be given to the memorandum on the student’s progress provided by the Mid-term Review Committee. 

Students should schedule the Annual Review meeting no later than May of each academic year, obtain the following documents for this meeting: (a) Annual Review Form; and (b) the current transcript, and obtain all appropriate signatures.  The student will submit the completed Annual Review Form to the Office of Student Services for posting.

Failure to participate in an Annual Review meeting will result an in academic hold being placed on a student’s University account, which will prevent future course registrations.

Year One: Summer Semester

Students engage in directed readings, prepare for comprehensive exams, and explore possible research interests for dissertation.

Year Two: First Semester

Students take courses in accordance with their Plan of Study and encouraged to continue refining their research interests in preparation for their dissertation.

Year Two: Second Semester

Students take courses in accordance with their Plan of Study and encouraged to continue refining their research interests in preparation for their dissertation. Student will participate in an annual review and submit the signed and completed Annual Review Form to the Office of Student Services.

Year Two: Summer Semester

Students engage in intensive preparation for comprehensive exams while continuing to refine and focus their research questions for dissertation research.

Comprehensive Examination Application

Students preparing to take comprehensive exams in September must complete and submit the Comprehensive Examination Application Form to the Office of Student Services. This form indicates the fields in which students wish to be examined.  The Office of Student Services will check that all requirements for taking the comprehensive exams have been met and will forward the results of that review to the coordinator, who will approve students’ eligibility to take the examination.

Year Three: First Semester

Students sit for comprehensive exams (two weeks in September).

Comprehensive Exams

An in-house exam will be given in two parts, both of which must be completed within a two-week span.  Students must demonstrate mastery of two domains of knowledge.  The format will vary slightly by domain.  The exam will be given in early September following the second year of full-time study.   There will be no exceptions. 

The exams will consist of questions that reflect on the central issues in the field.  Students will be required to analyze issues within the relevant theoretical and policy frameworks and cite the appropriate literature.  Additionally, students will be expected to produce a well-organized, logical, and clearly written response.   Additional guidelines can be found in each field’s program field guidelines.

The examinations will be graded Pass, Fail, or Pass with Distinction.  Students who fail comprehensive examinations will be allowed to retake them within one year of the initial examination.  Failure in any field on the second attempt is grounds for dismissal from the program.

To be eligible to take the Comprehensive examinations, a student must: (a) be registered in the term the exam is given, (b) completed the Plan of Study meeting, (c) completed 60 credits (including transfer credits) and the doctoral core courses with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or better, and (d) must have removed all incomplete grades in required and elective courses earned as a doctoral student.

Dissertation Committee Approval

Immediately after satisfying the comprehensive examination requirement, the student will proceed with the formation of a Dissertation Committee, consisting of four or more persons.  One member must be from another department in the University of Pittsburgh or from an appropriate program at another institution; if from another academic institution, the student must supply the Committee member’s CV.  Only a GSPIA faculty member can chair the committee.  The majority of the committee must be full or adjunct members of the Graduate Faculty. All coordination between the Dissertation Committee members is the student’s responsibility.

Students should submit the signed and complete Dissertation Committee Approval Form to the Office of Student Services for posting.

Approval of Dissertation Proposal

The student will submit the Announcement of Dissertation Proposal Meeting Form to the Doctoral Program Coordinator ten days prior to the proposal meeting.  The announcement will be sent to the faculty and graduate student email lists.  Proposal defense meetings are open to all faculty and students. The student is responsible for scheduling the meeting and distributing the proposal to the Committee.

There must be a minimum of two Committee members, in addition to the Chair present for the meeting to be convened, and the absent member is required to submit a written evaluation of the proposal to the Committee chair.  Under no circumstances can the meeting be held without the Chair.  If the Committee accepts the proposal, all the committee members must sign the Approval of Dissertation Proposal Form.  Once approval is granted, the student has advanced to the status of PhD candidate.  Submit completed and signed Dissertation Proposal Form to the Office of Student Services.

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Students must submit the dissertation proposal to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for approval prior to the Dissertation Proposal meeting.  If the dissertation proposal involves human subjects, IRB approval is required.

Year Three: Second Semester

Students engage in dissertation research and register for 6 credits of PIA 3099 Dissertation Research or FTDK (with approval from the Office of Student Services). Student will participate in an annual review and submit the signed and completed Annual Review Form to the Office of Student Services.

Year Four: First Semester

Students engage in dissertation research and register for 6 credits of PIA 3099 Dissertation Research or FTDK (with approval from Office of Student Services). The student will schedule a meeting with the Dissertation Committee to review and comment on Policy Issue Area Paper (does not apply to students entering in fall 2009 or later).  If applicable, students present final copy of Policy Issue Area Paper to Dissertation Committee prior to scheduling defense.  If applicable, the student will submit a signed approval of Policy Issue Area Requirement Form to the Office of Student Services.

Year Four: Second Semester

Student registers for 6 credits of PIA 3099 Dissertation Research or FTDK (with approval from Office of Student Services).  The student should complete and submit an Application for Graduation Form to the Office of Student Services. 

The student will schedule the dissertation defense with their committee, and submit the Announcement of Dissertation Defense Meeting Form to the Office of Student Services at least 3 weeks prior to the defense.  The dissertation is defended no later than April of Year Four.

The student will complete and submit all necessary paperwork and Electronic Dissertation (ETD) to the Office of Student Services.

Dissertation Defense

The final examination (oral) in defense of the doctoral dissertation is conducted by members of the dissertation committee and need not be confined to materials in and related to the dissertation.  Any member of the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate Faculty may attend.  The Chair will ensure that the dissertation is in final form before requesting signatures of the committee members.  Four positive votes are required to successfully pass the defense.  If the vote of the committee is not unanimous, the case is referred to the dean for resolution. 

The student will submit the signed and completed Dissertation Defense Form to the Office of Student Services for posting.