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Colleges and Schools>School of Public Policy and Administration>Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration>For Students with an M.P.A. or M.P.P. from a Regionally Accredited University
For Students with an M.P.A. or M.P.P. from a Regionally Accredited University

Walden recognizes your previous academic accomplishments by offering a shorter path to a Ph.D.

If you've earned a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) or a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.), this program is designed to complement your knowledge with scholarly research and relevant coursework that helps you develop into an expert who can meet the challenges of governance across government, nonprofit, and public organizations.

This curriculum is for students beginning the Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration in June 2007 and forward.

Eligibility Requirements

Completion Requirements

Time to completion may vary by student, depending on individual progress and credits transferred. For a personalized estimate of your time to completion, call your enrollment advisor at 1-866-492-5336.

Walden offers frequent start dates so that you can begin when it’s convenient for you. Next Start Date: March 2. Admission policies vary by program. Call 1-866-492-5336 or apply now.

Core Courses

Course Code Course Title Credits
PPPA 8000 Foundations for Doctoral Study 4
PPPA 8002 KAM Writing Course 2
PPPA 8105 Managing at the Boundaries 6
PPPA 8305 Professional Leadership and Ethics 4
PPPA 8400 Nonprofit and Governmental Budgeting and Finance  4

Foundation Research Sequence

Course Code Course Title Credits
SBSF 8417 Research Seminar I: Human Inquiry and Science 4
PPPA 8427 Research Seminar II: Research Methods 5
PPPA 8437 Research Seminar III: Data Analysis 5

Specialized KAMs
Walden’s unique curriculum allows students to focus on the areas most beneficial to their professional needs and goals. For example, students might concentrate on state and local government, public finance, or health administration while completing the following KAMs:

Course Code Course Title Credits
  KAM V: Democratic Governance  
PPPA 8510 Breadth: Theories of Democratic Governance 4
PPPA 8520 Depth: Contemporary Research and Issues in Democratic Governance 4
PPPA 8530 Application: Professional Practice Application of Democratic Governance 4
KAM VI: Organizational Leadership and Change
PPPA 8612 Breadth: Classical and Emerging Paradigms of Leadership and Organizational Change 4
PPPA 8622 Depth: Current Research on Leadership and Organizational Change 4
PPPA 8632 Application: Professional Practice Application of a Theory of Leadership and Organizational Change 4
KAM VII: Specialization Topics***
PPPA 8710 Breadth: Theories in Selected Specialization Topic 4
PPPA 8720 Depth: Current Research in Specialization Topic 4
PPPA 8730 Application: Professional Practice Application of Specialization Topic 4

***Instead of KAM VII, students may work with their faculty mentor to gain approval to complete the specialization courses offered by the School of Public Policy and Administration in their particular area of interest. You can read about specialization courses by following these links: 

Dissertation

Course Code Course Title Credits
PPPA 9000 Dissertation 30

Course Descriptions (pdf)

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