http://www.utdallas.edu/epps/pppe�
Professors: Sheila Amin Guti�rrez De Pi�eres, Kurt J.
Beron, Brian J. L. Berry (Dean), Ronald Briggs, Alexander L. Clark (emeritus),
Lloyd J. Dumas, Euel Elliott, Donald A. Hicks, Irving J. Hoch (emeritus), Paul
Jargowsky, Murray J. Leaf, Lawrence J. Redlinger,
Todd J. Sandler, Richard K. Scotch, Paul Tracy,
Associate Professors: Bobby
C. Alexander, Jennifer Smith Holmes, Marie Isabelle Chevrier, Simon Fass, Susan
McElroy
Assistant Professors:� Sheryl
Skaggs
Clinical Assistant Professors: Kruti
Dholakia, Wenhua Di
Mission Statement
The mission of the Ph.D. program in Public Policy and Political
Economy is to prepare our students for professional positions in research,
teaching, and practice in fields related to public policy and political
economy, and in both academic and nonacademic settings. We prepare students
through instruction in social science and public policy concepts, advanced
methodological knowledge and applied social research techniques, and
professional communication.
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Students will demonstrate the ability to apply social science and public
policy theories and concepts.
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Students will develop competency in advanced methods of social science
and public policy research and analysis.
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Students will develop basic skills in professional communication
appropriate to the public policy and political economy research and analysis.
Students have access to the computing faculties
in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and University�s
Computing Center. The School has two computing laboratories which have over 50
computers that are network linked and equipped with major social science
software packages, including E-Views, R, Rats, SPSS and STATA. A computerized
geographic information system, the Lexis Nexis
Database and WestLaw are also available for student
use. The University�s Computing Center provides personal computers and UNIX
Workstations. Many important data and reference materials are also available
online via the library�s and school�s memberships in numerous organizations.
The University�s general admission requirements are discussed here.
The PhD. in Public Policy and Political Economy
seeks applications from students with a baccalaureate degree from an accredited
university or college. An undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.2,
and a combined verbal and quantitative GRE score of 1200, or equivalent score
on the GMAT, are desirable for direct admission. An analytical writing score of
at least 4.5 in the GRE is considered desirable. Students may also wish to
consider submitting their score from the writing component of the GRE test as
additional evidence of their writing skills. Standardized test scores are only
one of the factors taken into account in determining admission. For example, a
student also may be admitted to the Ph.D. program after being accepted by a
master�s program and achieving at least a 3.3 grade point average in several
core courses. Students should also submit all transcripts, three letters of
recommendation, and a one-page essay outlining the applicant�s background,
education and professional objectives.
While there are no specific course prerequisites,
entering students will benefit from� exposure to undergraduate courses in
the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, college algebra, and research
design.
The University�s general degree requirements are discussed here.
The PhD in Public Policy and Political Economy
requires a minimum of 90 post-baccalaureate graduate credit hours. Students
must maintain a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in order to graduate. A
student is required to complete six program components:
The requirements are outlined in further detail below:
Students complete a core sequence of courses as follows:
POEC
5303 Public Policymaking and Institutions
POEC 5308 Ethics, Culture and Responsibility
POEC
5307 Economics for Public Policy
POEC 6312 Social Economic Theories
POEC
5313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
POEC 5316 Advanced Regression Analysis for the Economic, Political and Policy
Sciences
Students will also take at least three additional
courses from a set approved by the relevant graduate program committee.
Students may obtain a list of those courses from the program office.
Students take a two course introductory sequence
in two of the following five fields.� The
fields and required courses are as follows:
Criminology
POEC 6311 Crime and
Justice Policy
POEC 6305 Law and Social Control
Development
POEC 6354 Theories and Issues of Development
(Required), and:
Select one
of the following:
POEC 6364 Development Economics
POEC 6360 World Political Economy
POEC 6362 Political Development
POEC 6318 Population and Development
International
Conflict and Security (Select two of the following):
PA 5355
Introduction to Homeland Security
POEC 6361
Political Violence and Terrorism
POEC 6367
Topical Issues and Conflict Resolution
POEC 6369
National and International Security Strategies and Policies
International Political Economy (Select two
of the following):
POEC 6360 World Political Economy
PSCI 5301 Proseminar in Democratization,
Globalization and International Relations
PSCI 6309 International Political Economy and Organization
Social
Policy
SOC 6350 Social Stratification
POEC 7340 Domestic Social Policy
Students may request that alternative courses be
substituted in a particular field with the approval of the program director. Moreover,
students may, in consultation with the Program Director, define a new field
provided that appropriate coursework is available in a coherent research
literature is identified.
To advance to the dissertation stage of the
program, students are evaluated by the Program Committee based on (1) a
Qualifying Examination in Methodology and (2) a portfolio consisting of papers
written in core and field courses:
This examination will evaluate the students�
methodological skills in areas covering probability, statistics, regression analysis and research design. The exam will be
graded by the Methods Examination Committee as Unsatisfactory, Satisfactory or
Excellent. The exam will be administered at the end of a full time student�s first
year, or the equivalent point in a part time student�s career. A student
receiving a grade of unsatisfactory may take the exam for a second time at the
start of the fall semester of the second year.
a)
Literature reviews written in the field survey courses;
b) Empirical and/or methodological papers written in the core methods courses;
and
c) Research design projects
The program committee will review the portfolios
annually, and advise students of any deficiencies or potential problems. Upon
completing the core courses and achieving a grade of Satisfactory or Excellent
on the Qualifying Examination, the program committee will make a final
evaluation of the student�s total portfolio. The committee will assess whether
the candidate�s portfolio demonstrates the student has the skills and knowledge
necessary to attempt to write a dissertation. If all of the items in the
portfolio are satisfactory, the student is designated as doctoral level.
Alternatively, the committee could recommend remedial or additional work in a
specific area and specify a time frame for the completion of such work.� A
detailed discussion of the portfolio requirements can be found in the PPPE
Advising Guide.� Students are urged to
read and make sure they understand what is expected of them. The Advising Guide
is available through the Public Policy and Political Economy program office.
If, in the judgment of the committee, the student
is not prepared to write a dissertation or the student, the student will either� be asked to
complete remedial work or will be designated as Masters level. Receipt of a
Masters level designation means the student is not allowed to proceed to the
doctoral stage. The student may continue taking courses and may pursue one of
the school�s Masters programs by completing the
appropriate degree requirements.
Students must register for POEC 8398 Dissertation
Seminar for a minimum of one semester. The aim of the Dissertation Seminar is
to assist students in the formulation of a dissertation topic, and prepare a
dissertation topic for submission to a dissertation Committee and defense of
the proposal before the committee.
The student takes six to nine hours of additional
coursework in one of the field areas as defined above. The specific required
courses are designated by the faculty associated with that area of
concentration and may be obtained from the program office. The student
completes a dissertation in one of the two fields (see above) and must
successfully defend the dissertation before a duly constituted dissertation
committee, in accordance with the requirements of the University and the UT
System.
Students take free electives in areas of interest to fulfill the 90-hour PhD
requirement.
Ph.D. students should note that they are eligible
to receive Master�s degrees offered by the School of Economic, Political and
Policy Sciences while they matriculate toward the doctorate. These degrees
include the Master of Public Affairs (MPA) degree, Masters in Public Policy, MS
in Applied Sociology, MS in Criminology, MS in Economics, MS in Geographic
Information Sciences and the MS in International Political Economy. Students
interested in obtaining one of these degrees should consult the catalog
requirements or the graduate advisor.