Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a master's degree from a regionally accredited institution.

ASU's School of Public Affairs expects applicants for the doctorate to have demonstrated competency in the following subject areas at the time of application: organizational theory, public policy analysis, economics and quantitative analysis.

Applicants who have obtained a master's degree accredited by the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration in public affairs, public administration or public policy are not required to complete prerequisites for admission to ASU's School of Public Affairs. In some cases, applicants from allied fields (i.e., political science, economics, sociology, business) are not required to complete prerequisites, depending upon the extent to which previous training aligns with the competencies described above.

As is the case with all applicants, the doctoral program director or advisors may require or recommend completion of additional courses when there is a perceived gap of knowledge, especially if the gap relates to graduate-level quantitative analysis and economics (PAF 502 and PAF 504, respectively, or equivalent courses). However, these requirements or recommendations, if any, are not a barrier to admission.

If the doctoral student applicant has graduated from a public affairs, public administration or public policy program from another nation, or from a program not accredited by NASPAA, the applicant may be admitted and required to meet prerequisites after a review by the doctoral committee and doctoral program director.

Students applying with master's degrees from programs not closely related to public affairs (e.g., engineering, modern languages, chemistry) are required to meet prerequisites equivalent to the courses required for either ASU's Master of Public Administration or Master of Public Policy.

Prior to enrolling in any of the school's core classes, all students are expected to be familiar with the foundational competency readings related to organizational theory, public policy analysis, economics and quantitative analysis.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

1. graduate admission application and application fee
2. official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework
3. completed checklist
4. written statement
5. current resume or curriculum vitae
6. three letters of recommendation
7. samples of research reports or papers
8. GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, analytical)
9. proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must submit TOEFL scores to be considered for admission, regardless of their current residency; applicants should use institution code 4007. This is true even for those who have a master's degree from a United States university. To be considered for admission to the doctoral program in public administration and policy, the minimum score on a TOEFL iBT is 100. Applicants with scores below the minimum are not considered.

The written statement of educational and career goals must include a discussion of research interests.

The letters of recommendation should be primarily from faculty members. All letters should address the candidate's capacity to successfully complete the doctoral program. They should assess the student's capacity for critical and analytic thought, their ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and their commitment to completion of the program.

Only GRE test scores from within the past five years are accepted, and analytical scores are considered in admission decisions. ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home edition.

Admission is competitive; a limited number of well-qualified applicants are admitted each year.

Graduates of this degree program are prepared to conduct high-level research and policy development in academic careers, public and nonprofit agencies, foundations and research institutes. This may include opportunities as a college or university professor, research scientist, research associate or researcher for another organization.