Public Administration (Research)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Public Administration (Research)

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES
The PhD in Public Administration (Research) aims to:
1. Develop advanced scholars capable of theoretical and empirical research on public institutions, governance, and state capacity.
2. Equip candidates with rigorous methodological tools for analyzing public sector performance and policy outcomes.
3. Produce graduates prepared for academic careers, senior policy advisory roles, and international research institutions.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE
Minimum Duration: 3 years
Maximum Duration: 5 years
Total Coursework Requirement: 30 Credit Units
Dissertation: Compulsory (non-credit bearing)

YEAR ONE: THEORETICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FOUNDATIONS

Core Courses (Compulsory)
PAD 901: Advanced Theories of Public Administration and Governance
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, doctoral candidates should be able to:
• Demonstrate deep understanding of major theoretical traditions in public administration.
• Critically evaluate the strengths and limitations of classical and contemporary governance models.
• Apply theoretical frameworks to empirical research on public sector institutions.
• Situate their doctoral research within relevant theoretical debates in public administration.

PAD 902: Political Economy of the State and Public Sector Institutions
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
• Explain how political and economic forces shape public sector institutions.
• Analyze the incentives and constraints facing public officials and organizations.
• Critically engage with competing political economy theories of the state.
• Apply political economy frameworks to empirical research in public administration.

PAD 903: Public Policy Analysis and the Policy Process
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion, students should be able to:
• Apply advanced policy process theories to real-world policy problems.
• Design and critique policy analysis and evaluation studies.
• Explain implementation gaps and policy failures using institutional and behavioral insights.
• Integrate policy analysis into doctoral research and academic publication.

PAD 904: Public Sector Economics and Public Finance
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
• Apply economic reasoning to public sector and administrative problems.
• Analyze taxation and expenditure systems within institutional contexts.
• Evaluate fiscal policies and budgeting frameworks.
• Integrate public finance perspectives into public administration research.

PAD 905: Research Design and Philosophy of Social Science Research
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to:
• Articulate and defend philosophical assumptions underlying their research.
• Design coherent and methodologically sound doctoral studies.
• Develop theoretically grounded research questions and hypotheses.
• Produce a defensible doctoral proposal aligned with international research standards.

Total Year One Credits: 15

YEAR TWO: METHODS, ADMINISTRATION, AND PERFORMANCE
PAD 906: Advanced Quantitative Methods for Public Administration Research
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• Design and implement advanced quantitative research strategies in public administration.
• Apply causal inference techniques to evaluate public policies and programs.
• Critically assess empirical public sector research in top academic journals.
• Produce quantitatively rigorous analyses suitable for doctoral dissertations and publication.

PAD 907: Qualitative and Mixed Methods in Governance and Public Sector Research
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
• Design and conduct rigorous qualitative and mixed-methods research.
• Apply institutional and comparative analysis to public sector questions.
• Integrate qualitative evidence into theory development and policy analysis.
• Defend methodological choices in doctoral research and peer-reviewed publications.

PAD 908: Public Sector Management, Performance, and Accountability
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• Analyze performance management systems in public organizations.
• Evaluate accountability mechanisms and their effectiveness.
• Critically assess public management reforms and their outcomes.
• Integrate performance and accountability analysis into doctoral research.

PAD 909: Ethics, Law, and Accountability in Public Administration
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
Students should be able to:
• Analyze administrative law and its implications for public management.
• Apply ethical frameworks to public sector decision-making.
• Evaluate integrity and anti-corruption systems.
• Incorporate legal and ethical analysis into public administration research.

Doctoral Seminar
PAD 910: Doctoral Seminar in Public Administration Research I
Credit Units: 2
Status: Compulsory
Course Description
This doctoral seminar provides a structured forum for intellectual development and scholarly socialization in public administration research. It is designed to support students as they transition from coursework to independent doctoral research.
The seminar focuses on critical engagement with foundational and contemporary journal articles, ongoing theoretical debates, and emerging research agendas in public administration and governance. Students present and defend research ideas, literature reviews, and preliminary designs for their doctoral projects.
Emphasis is placed on research design refinement, academic writing, and positioning work for high-quality journal publication. Peer critique and faculty feedback are central components of the seminar.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the seminar, students should be able to:
• Critically engage with advanced public administration scholarship.
• Articulate and defend a coherent doctoral research agenda.
• Present research ideas clearly to academic audiences.
• Refine research designs in preparation for proposal defense and fieldwork.


Total Year Two Credits: 14

YEAR THREE: COMPARATIVE GOVERNANCE, SPECIALIZATION, AND RESEARCH CONSOLIDATION

Comparative and Global Administration
PAD 911: Comparative Public Administration and Global Governance
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, doctoral candidates should be able to:
• Apply comparative frameworks to analyze public administration systems across regions.
• Explain variations in administrative capacity, performance, and reform outcomes.
• Critically assess development administration theories and practices.
• Analyze the role of international institutions and global governance in shaping national public administration.
• Design theory-informed comparative research in public administration.

Electives (Choose One)
PAD 912: Public Service Delivery and State Capacity
Credit Units: 3
Status: Elective
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• Apply state capacity theories to the analysis of public service delivery.
• Explain variations in service delivery outcomes across countries and sectors.
• Critically assess public sector reforms aimed at improving service provision.
• Design empirical research on service delivery and administrative performance.

PAD 913: Decentralization, Local Government, and Intergovernmental Relations
Credit Units: 3
Status: Elective
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
• Analyze decentralization theories and intergovernmental governance frameworks.
• Evaluate the impact of decentralization on accountability and service delivery.
• Examine local government performance within political and institutional contexts.
• Conduct comparative research on multi-level governance systems.

PAD 914: Digital Government and Public Sector Innovation
Credit Units: 3
Status: Elective
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
• Apply innovation and digital governance theories to public administration research.
• Analyze institutional and organizational implications of digital transformation.
• Critically assess digital government reforms across different contexts.
• Design research projects on digital innovation and public sector change.


Advanced Doctoral Seminar
PAD 915: Doctoral Seminar in Public Administration Research II
Credit Units: 3
Status: Compulsory
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the seminar, doctoral candidates should be able to:
• Present and defend advanced doctoral research to expert audiences.
• Produce dissertation chapters that meet international examination standards.
• Prepare conference-ready papers and journal-quality manuscripts.
• Respond constructively to scholarly critique and peer review.
• Demonstrate intellectual independence and scholarly maturity in public administration research.
Mode of Delivery and Expectations
The seminar is delivered through:
• Research presentations and discussant sessions
• Peer review workshops
• Faculty-led discussions on publication strategies and academic careers
Assessment is based on active participation, quality of presented research outputs, and demonstrated progress toward dissertation completion.

Total Year Three Credits: 9

SUMMARY OF COURSEWORK CREDITS
Year One: 15 credits
Year Two: 14 credits
Year Three: 9 credits
Total: 30 Credit Units

DISSERTATION REQUIREMENT
PAD 999: Doctoral Dissertation in Public Administration (Research)
Original theoretical and/or empirical contribution
Grounded in public administration and governance literature
Defended before internal and external examiners
Expected to produce internationally publishable outputs