Proposed Revisions made
GRADUATE
PROGRAM POLICY STATEMENT FOR THE
SCHOOL OF URBAN AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY
Section 1 - Program Administration
The School of Urban
Affairs and Public Policy offers three graduate degrees: the doctor of philosophy in urban affairs and
public policy, authorized as a permanent degree by the Board of Trustees in May
of 1973; the master of arts in urban affairs and public policy, authorized as a
permanent degree by the Board of Trustees in May 1974; and the master of public
administration, offered jointly with the Department of Political Science and
International Relations and authorized as a permanent degree by the Board of
Trustees in May 1976.
The M.A. and Ph.D.
programs are administered by the Urban Affairs and Public Policy director
operating under guidance specified in the document "Academic
Reorganization of the
The M.P.A. program
is administered by the M.P.A. director, operating under guidance specified in
the documents "M.P.A. Governance" and the "Academic
Reorganization of the
Section 2 -
Admissions Policy and Procedures
The purpose of the
admissions criteria is to identify those applicants who can benefit from, and
make a distinct contribution to the graduate programs in the
Given its mission,
the School seeks students with a mix of interests, backgrounds, and areas of
competence and among whose goals is to do research in urban affairs and public
policy. To meet its academic and
research goals as well as to be responsive to the multicultural backgrounds of
prospective students, the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy employs a
wide spectrum of criteria in assessing a prospective student's motivation,
interest, and ability to perform successfully.
No one criterion is the sole basis of an admissions decision. (Approved by Academic Council
2.1 M.A. AND M.P.A. ADMISSIONS POLICY
STATEMENT. M.A. and M.P.A. admissions
criteria and indicators of these criteria are listed below.
Criteria Indicators
and Sources
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A. Genuine interest and motivation to
pursue graduate study in public administration/urban affairs and public
policy; personal objectives, aspirations, and plans are well formulated and
coherent. |
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Statements by
candidate in admission application and/or subsequent communications; personal
interviews (telephone conversations when personal interviews are not
possible) with members of the M.A. faculty and the M.P.A. Admissions
Committee. |
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B. Expectations of sound academic
performance in graduate level work. |
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Review of
undergraduate achievement and any previous graduate level work. Particular emphasis on assessing
achievement in the context of the quality of the institutions candidate has
attended and the trends or patterns in achievement in the last 1 - 2 years of
applicant's program. GRE scores;
letters of recommendation from faculty; reports/papers written by candidate
(published or unpublished). |
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C. Ability to apply previously acquired
competencies to problem areas, community, or organizational needs. |
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Contributions in
and nature of professional work experience, volunteer service and/or
internships. Assessments by faculty,
professionals, and/or community leaders. |
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With regard to the
M.A. the successful candidate for admission will ordinarily have an
undergraduate grade point index above 3.0.
With regard to the M.P.A., given (a) the professional objectives of the
M.P.A., (b) the goal of serving students from a wide range of ages,
backgrounds, and career stages (e.g., M.P.A. Mid-Career Option), and (c)
empirical analysis of the program's student admissions and performance, the
successful candidate for admission will ordinarily have an undergraduate grade
point index above 2.5 and an index of 3.0 or better in his/her major
field. In addition, the quality and
extent of previous related work experience and the motivation to pursue a professional
career in the public service sector are particularly important.
Generally, those
admitted to the M.A. and M.P.A. programs have combined scores on the
quantitative and verbal aptitude portions of the GRE above 1000. The School has established no minimum GRE
score required for admission. GREs are
viewed in the context of the applicant's complete record.
2.2 PH.D. ADMISSIONS POLICY STATEMENT. The School has found that the most reliable
indicator of likely success in its Ph.D. program is the applicant's record of
performance in previous graduate studies.
On this basis, admission to the Ph.D. program requires completion of a
master's degree. In addition, successful
applicants should meet each of the following criteria:
1. A 3.5 grade point index in previous
graduate work at the master's level. (In
cases of colleges and universities not using a 4.0 grading system, an
assessment of equivalency performance will be made with the assistance of the
University Office of Admissions.)
2. Potential
for academic and professional achievement as indicated by letters of recommendation from those able to assess
the student's capacity to succeed in a Ph.D.
program.
3. An
interest in multidisciplinary analysis and a compatibility of student interests
with the areas of research
specialization in the program (judged on the basis of the areas of the student's earlier academic,
civic and professional work, through interviews
or through the submission of supplementary essays requested in the admission process.)
4. Generally,
those admitted to the Ph.D. program have combined scores on the quantitative and verbal aptitude
portions of the GRE above 1100.
5. For
students whose first language is not English, a demonstrated proficiency in English.
This may be judged on the basis of their performance in a master's
degree obtained from a college
or university in which English is the sole language of instruction, or by achieving a score of 550 or better (213 on
computer based test) on the Test of
English as a Foreign Language, or by a combination of scores on the TOEFL and the Test of Spoken English.
Other factors may be
taken into account as supplementary indicators in cases where all the main
criteria are not met but the candidate shows promise of success in our doctoral
program. Among these, research
capabilities are of particular importance.
Applicants may therefore submit research reports, publications, project
reports, and other work demonstrating their academic and professional
achievement and scholarly ability. The
Ph.D. admissions committee may also consider the overall pattern of academic
performance at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and GRE scores.
In accordance with
general University practice, applicants must submit official transcripts of all
undergraduate and graduate work, GRE scores and three letters of
recommendation. Interviews are
recommended.
2.3 ADMISSIONS COMMITTEES
2.3.1 URBAN AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY ADMISSIONS
COMMITTEE. Applications for the M.A. and
Ph.D. programs are assessed by an admissions committee. The committee is appointed by the director of
the Urban Affairs and Public Policy Program.
The committee is composed of 2-4 faculty and a representative of the
Urban Affairs and Public Policy Student Association. The student representative participates in
all policy decisions but not in decisions on individual candidates. Recommendations concerning admissions are
transmitted to the Office of Graduate Studies by the chair of the admissions
committee.
2.3.2 M.P.A. ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE. Applications to
the M.P.A. program are evaluated by the committee on admissions and fellowships
of the M.P.A. faculty. This committee is
appointed by the director of the M.P.A. program from among the members of the
faculty. This committee consists of
three faculty members. Decisions of the
committee are subject to review and modification by the full M.P.A. faculty and
are made on behalf of the full faculty.
2.4 ESTIMATES ON PROGRAM ADMISSIONS. For the M.A. program in urban affairs and
public policy, we estimate 8 - 10 admissions each year. For the M.P.A. program, we estimate 20 - 25
admissions each year. For the Ph.D. program, we expect that approximately 6 new
full-time students will enter the program each year.
Section 3 - Degree
Requirements
3.1 REQUIREMENTS OF THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE
IN URBAN AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY. The
master of arts in urban affairs and public policy is based on the premise that
planning and policy analysis are rapidly becoming integrated, intellectually
and practically, into a single interdisciplinary field and profession. The degree program educates individuals in
disciplinary and practicing foundations of both policy analysis and
planning. The context of the program is
distinctively urban. It seeks to
graduate individuals who combine the skills and theory to work in a variety of
policy analysis/planning positions. The
degree can also prepare individuals for further graduate work at the doctoral
level.
3.1.1 CREDITS.
Students must complete 36 credit hours of graduate work.
All students are
required to attain a grade of B- or better in all courses counted towards the
Master’s of Urban Affairs & Public Policy degree. In accordance with University policy,
students must also maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
3.1.2 REQUIRED COURSES. Students take the following two courses for a
total of six credits:
UAPP 619 Contemporary
Issues in Urban Affairs (2 credits)
UAPP 800 Research
Methods & Data Analysis (4 credits)
and take 6 credits from the
following list:
UAPP 613 Planning
Theory & Urban Policy (3 credits)
UAPP 628 Issues
in Land Use & Environmental Planning (3 credits)
UAPP 828 Urban
Society & Public Policy (3 credits)
3.1.3 CONCENTRATION. Students are expected to take 12-18 credits
of electives relevant to their area of specialization or concentration. There
are three areas of concentration which have specific requirements that must be
met. These are:
Community
Development and Nonprofit Leadership
Energy and
Environmental Policy
Historic Preservation
Urban and Regional
Planning
Students must have
their areas of concentration approved by their faculty advisor and the Urban
Affairs and Public Policy Program Director.
If students meet the requirements of one of these concentrations, their
transcript will formally indicate that the degree is awarded in this
concentration. Requirements for M.A.
concentrations are available from the Program Director and are on file in the
School Administration office.
Other
specializations may be undertaken if approved by a student's faculty
advisor. These include land use
planning, housing, urban policy, social policy, nonprofit leadership and
international and comparative policy analysis.
Other areas may be chosen if University offerings allow. Credits in an area of specialization or
concentration may be taken as planning or policy analysis practicum, an
internship, research and readings, as well as lecture courses and
seminars. Students may work individually
or with a group of students. In either
case the work is carried out under the supervision of faculty. Only concentrations are specifically reported
on a student's transcript.
3.1.4 ELECTIVE COURSES. Six to nine additional
credit hours for elective courses may be taken if the student chooses to write
an analytical paper. Three additional
credit hours may be taken if the student chooses to write a thesis. These credit hours would be in addition to
those taken in the student's specialization.
They may be in the main area of specialization or in a secondary area of
specialization.
3.1.5 ANALYTICAL PAPER OR THESIS. Each student must complete a 3-credit
analytical paper or 6-credit thesis in the area of specialization or
concentration. This is intended to
demonstrate the student's capacity for independent critical analysis. The analytical paper may be based on research
or an internship. It is prepared under
the supervision of the student's advisor, with the additional advice of one
other faculty member by agreement of the student and the advisor. The grade for the analytical paper shall be
determined by these two advisors.
The analytical paper
will normally be shorter (approximately 40 pages) and more focused than an M.A.
thesis. Registration for the paper shall
be in the third semester of the full-time program (or its equivalent in the
part-time program).
Students wishing to
enlarge their work may do so by combining it with an additional 3 credits to
form a thesis option (see Section 6.2).
This option must be approved by the student's advisor.
3.1.6 WAIVERS OF REQUIRED COURSES. Courses required in the M.A. may be waived if
comparable courses or the requisite skills are, or will be, acquired elsewhere
under an approved plan of study. To
waive a required course, a student must have a petition to waive approved and
signed by her or his advisor and a person currently responsible for teaching a
course. A record of the signed waiver
shall be sent to the program director and included in the student's file. Students must petition to substitute one course
for each one that is waived. Waivers
cannot be used to reduce the total number of credit hours (36) required for the
completion of the M.A. degree. The
petition must be approved by the student's advisor and a record of the
substitution sent to the program director to be included in the student's file.
With the approval of the Urban Affairs and Public Policy
program director, a maximum of 6 credits may be waived for a matriculating
student in the M.A. program who has completed graduate level M.A. courses with
a grade of “B” or higher in an urban affairs and public policy or
equivalent program as part of their undergraduate program.
3.2 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MASTER OF PUBLIC
ADMINISTRATION DEGREE
3.2.1 CREDIT HOURS.
The 42-credit master of public administration degree is designed to
provide professional training for public management careers. The curriculum is divided into three areas:
(l) core subjects, (2) specialization, and (3) internship or thesis. All students are required to attain a grade
of B- or better in all courses counted towards the Master of Public
Administration degree. In accordance
with University policy, students must also maintain a minimum cumulative grade
point average of 3.0.
3.2.2 CORE SUBJECTS. In accord with the guidelines of the National
Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, the M.P.A. program
is designed to include the following five core program areas: (1) public service of the United States, (2)
organizational and group process, (3) public policymaking and analysis, (4)
administrative management of core functions, and (5) quantitative analytic
skills. The core curriculum has been
developed to support these five program areas and includes the following required
courses:
UAPP 803/POSC 803 Seminar in Public Administration
UAPP 819/POSC 819 Management Decision Making
UAPP 833/POSC 839 Financial Management in Public & Nonprofit
Sectors
UAPP 834 Economics in Public
& Nonprofit Sectors
UAPP 835/POSC 835 Organization & Management in Public &
Nonprofit Sectors
UAPP 837/POSC 837 Human Resources Management in Public &
Nonprofit Sectors
3.2.3 STATISTICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
REQUIREMENTS. M.P.A. students must meet
the program’s statistics
requirement. The options include (1)
passing the graduate level Statistics Waiver Examination upon entrance, (2)
receiving a “B-“ or better in
UAPP 815 (or the equivalent graduate course at the U of D or another university
as determined by the M.P.A. program director), or (3) passing a higher level
statistics course such as UAPP 816.
M.P.A. students must
meet the program’s information
technology requirement. They must
receive a “B-“ or better in 3
credits of graduate work in Information Technology as approved by their advisor
and the M.P.A. director.
3.2.4 SPECIALIZATION. A student will choose an area of
specialization prior to the third semester of full-time study. The major specializations of the M.P.A.
program are, Financial Management, Organizational Leadership, State and Local
Management, Community Development and Nonprofit Leadership and Health Policy
and Management. Other specializations
may be developed by the student in conjunction with his/her advisor and
submitted for approval to the M.P.A. director.
Specialization constitutes a minimum of 9 to a maximum of 15 credit
hours of graduate work. Information on
areas of specialization are available in the School Administration Office.
3.2.5 M.P.A. WRITING REQUIREMENT. These requirements of the M.P.A. degree are
discussed in Section 6 of this graduate program policy statement.
3.2.6 WAIVERS OF REQUIRED COURSES. Courses required in the M.P.A. may be waived
if comparable courses or the requisite skills are, or will be, acquired
elsewhere under an approved plan of study.
To waive a required course, a student must have a petition to waive
approved and signed by her or his advisor and a person currently responsible
for teaching a course. A record of the
signed waiver shall be sent to the program director and included in the
student's file. Students must petition
to substitute one course for each one that is waived. Waivers cannot be used to reduce the total
number of credit hours (42) required for the completion of the M.P.A.
degree. The petition must be approved by
the student's advisor and a record of the substitution sent to the program
director to be included in the student's file.
With the approval of
the M.P.A. program director, a maximum of 9 credits may be waived for a
matriculating student in the M.P.A. program who has completed graduate level M.P.A.
courses with a grade of AB@ or higher in a NASPAA accredited or equivalent graduate
program as part of their undergraduate program.
3.3 REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
DEGREE IN URBAN AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY
3.3.1 GENERAL REQUIREMENTS. The degree of doctor of philosophy is
conferred in recognition of breadth of scholarly attainment and of demonstrated
ability to investigate problems independently and effectively. In approaching the problems of an urban
society, students are expected to develop theoretical, empirical and analytical
knowledge and skills. The doctoral
program is interdisciplinary and seeks to prepare students for research,
teaching, and problem solving careers in the public, nonprofit and private
sectors.
The structure of the
program includes substantive and methodological core courses, intensive study
in an area of research specialization, and the completion of a dissertation
demonstrating the student's capacity for independent research.
3.3.2 THEORY, METHODOLOGY AND POLICY CORE. Students enroll in a 15-credit core
curriculum which defines the field of urban affairs and public policy.
To introduce
students to the primary theoretical frameworks, policy issues and research
concerns of the field, they must take at least two of the following three
theory and policy pro-seminars:
UAPP 821 - Proseminar in Technology,
Environment & Society (3 credits)
UAPP 822 - Proseminar in Governance,
Planning & Management (3credits)
UAPP 823 - Proseminar in Social &
Urban Policy (3 credits)
The scope and
content of these seminars are regularly reviewed to assure that there is a
comprehensive, interdisciplinary focus.
Concerning
methodology, students, upon admission, are expected to have basic, graduate
level knowledge of statistics (at the level of UAPP 815 - Public Management
Statistics) and research design and methodology (at the level of UAPP 800 -
Research Methods and Data Analysis). Remedial course work may be taken if
incoming students are inadequately prepared in these subjects, but credit
earned may not be used to satisfy other program requirements. Beyond this, students must also take a
minimum of six additional credits in one or more of the following areas:
advanced research design and methodology, qualitative methods, or quantitative
methods. The specific courses to be taken depend on the student's area of specialization.
To complete the set
of core requirements, students must also take UAPP 801 - Processes of Social
Inquiry. This course examines issues of evidence, inference, and measurement in
the social sciences and critical perspectives toward social science
methodology.
All students are
required to attain a grade of B- or better in all courses counted towards the
doctoral degree in Urban Affairs and Public Policy. In accordance with University policy, students
must also maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
3.3.3 RESEARCH.
Students are responsible (in consultation with their faculty advisor)
for selection of an area of research specialization. Normally, students must complete 15 credit
hours in their area of specialization plus take UAPP 863 -
Doctoral Dissertation Proposal (3 credits). Exceptions may be made in the total number of
credit hours based on prior academic work and professional experience. But, in all cases, students are required to
complete UAPP 863. Exceptions must be
approved by the student's advisor and program director. Areas of specialization in the Ph.D. program
reflect research concentrations in the School, and programs of study in each
area are tailored to meet student interests and research objectives. The
primary areas of specialization are (1) governance, planning, and management,
(2) technology, environment and society, and (3) social and urban policy.
Under the supervision
of the student’s academic advisor and, over time, the Dissertation Proposal
Committee, a “plan of study” is identified which must include advanced
theoretical, methodological/quantitative and research work. To define and
organize the student's research preparation, the plan of study will generally
utilize tutorials, including readings, research, special problems and practicum
credits, as well as regularly offered courses.
Second-year
students, under the supervision of their Dissertation Proposal Committee,
prepare a dissertation proposal of their own design. The Dissertation Proposal Committee reviews
the proposal and passes judgement about its acceptability. A dissertation
proposal deemed to be acceptable through this process results in the
satisfactory completion of UAPP 863 and permits the student to advance to
doctoral candidacy.
Once advancement
into doctorial candidacy has been achieved, student must register for 9 credits
of UAPP 969 - Doctoral Dissertation in compliance with University requirements
and policies.
3.3.4 TEACHING/RESEARCH EXPERIENCE. Apart from the
requirements described above, doctoral students must have at least one
substantive research or teaching experience during their course of study. This
requirement may be fulfilled through one of the following:
1)
A research experience that results in the student
producing a paper of
"publishable
quality.” Presentation of this paper by the student at an appropriate academic
conference is encouraged but not required. The paper may be produced through
the student's research assistantship, or by the student registering for UAPP
868 - Research.
2)
A teaching experience that consists of the student being
a teaching assistant (TA) for at least one semester, or by the student taking
an independent study course (UAPP 866 - Teaching Practicum in Urban Affairs and
Public Policy) which involves him or her in substantive aspects of teaching a
course being taught by the supervising faculty member.
3.3.5 ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. To help students be successful, voluntary
seminars are provided by faculty and advanced doctoral students covering a
variety of topics dealing with adjusting to doctoral study, progressing through
the program, proposing and writing a dissertation, and entering the job market.
Section 4 - Graduate
Faculty
All faculty of the
Section 5 - Advisement, Evaluation, and Examinations
5.1 ADVISEMENT, EVALUATION, AND EXAMINATIONS OF
STUDENTS IN THE M.A. PROGRAM IN URBAN AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY. One or more members of the faculty share the
advising of all incoming M.A. students and monitor the progress and performance
of students during the first semester of full-time study. Upon the selection and approval of an area of
specialization the supervisor of that area of specialization becomes the
student's permanent advisor, responsible on a regular basis for monitoring
student progress and performance until the completion of all degree
requirements.
All candidates for
the M.A. degree are expected to maintain a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative index
out of a possible 4.0. The grades of all
students in the M.A. program are reviewed after each semester by the program
director. In cases of substandard
performance, actions are initiated in accord with general University guidelines
regarding warning, probation, and termination. A decision to recommend to the Office of
Graduate Studies to terminate a student requires the review and confirmation of
a majority of the Urban Affairs and Public Policy Program faculty. In addition
to these procedures, at the end of each academic year the program faculty
convenes to review the progress and performance of students in the program and
to take appropriate action in cases of substandard performance.
5.2 ADVISEMENT, EVALUATION, AND EXAMINATIONS IN
THE M.P.A. PROGRAM. All students entering the M.P.A. program are assigned a
faculty advisor by the director of the M.P.A. program, or the student may
choose his/her advisor if the student has a preference. The advisor is responsible for monitoring the
progress and performance of the student through the initial stages of the
program and until such time as an area of specialization is selected and a
faculty supervisor for the area of specialization is designated. Upon approval of a plan of specialization,
the supervisor of that area becomes the student's principal advisor and is
responsible for monitoring subsequent progress and performance of the student
in the M.P.A. program.
At the end of each
semester the grades of all M.P.A. students are reviewed by the director and the
faculty. All students in the M.P.A.
program are expected to maintain a 3.0 cumulative index on a 4.0 scale to
remain in good standing in the program.
Substandard performance may result in a recommendation from the director
of the M.P.A. program in consultation with the student's advisor to the full
M.P.A. faculty that actions be initiated in accord with general University
guidelines regarding probation, warning, and termination. At the end of each academic year, the M.P.A.
program director will review the performance of all students in the program and
initiate appropriate actions based on program and University guidelines.
All students must
complete and successfully defend an analytical paper or thesis before a
two-person faculty committee as described in Section 6.
5.3 ADVISEMENT, EVALUATION, AND EXAMINATIONS IN
THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN URBAN AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY
5.3.1 STUDENT EVALUATION AND EXAMINATION. The faculty will conduct an annual review of
the progress of students enrolled in the doctor of philosophy program. In accordance with University policy, all
students must maintain a minimum cumulative index of 3.0 in course work and
seminars.
5.3.1.1 QUALIFYING EXAMINATION. Upon completion of the first-year theory and
policy core requirements, students must pass a qualifying examination covering
two of the three policy pro-seminars and the methodological work in the first
year courses.
This testing
procedure places emphasis on the interconnected nature of the core and
establishes a means to measure competency in basic methodology.
5.3.1.2 SECOND YEAR EVALUATION. At the conclusion of the second year of
study, the Guidance Committee reviews the student's performance and progress in
developing a research specialization.
The student's doctoral research paper and specialization course
performance are the major indicators of progress. Unless additional preparation is deemed
necessary, the student's Guidance Committee makes a written recommendation that
she/he proceed to organize a Dissertation Committee and prepare a final
dissertation proposal.
5.3.1.3 ADMISSION TO DOCTORAL CANDIDACY. Students must have completed all University
requirements for admission to doctoral candidacy prior to registering for UAPP
969. Upon the recommendation of the
doctoral student's Guidance Committee and the UAPP Program Director (recorded
by their signatures on the Candidacy Form), a student may be admitted to
candidacy for the doctoral degree. The
stipulations for admission to doctoral candidacy are that the student:
Ÿ has an approved program of study (this
stipulation is met by completing the Ph.D. Plan of Study Form and obtaining the
signatures of the student's faculty advisor and the UAPP Program Director)
Ÿ has completed one academic year of full-time
graduate study in residence at the University
Ÿ has passed the program's qualifying
examination
Ÿ has shown the ability to do research
(evidenced by the successful completion of 9 credits in the student's Research
Area)