PhD Management and Public Service
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Take your public administration leadership to the next level
The challenges faced by leaders often require cross-sector collaboration with the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to work together to build solutions.
Hamline’s PhD in Management and Public Service program provides you with the education to develop new partnerships and helps you expand your professional network to engage in discussions with other community leaders.
The coursework will enable you to:
- Engage in a powerful exchange of ideas with a community of your peers
- Expand your professional network across public, private, and nonprofit sectors
- Learn how to lead more effectively, and increase your ability to forge partnerships across sectors
What will it take?
PhD in Management and Public Service program details
Start dates and deadlines
Hamline's PhD in Management and Public Service program is a cohort program that starts every two years during the fall semester. Applications are reviewed after the application deadline.
Deadline to apply: April 1, 2025
PhD in Management and Public Service program format
Hamline's PhD in Management and Public Service courses are offered on-campus, with classes meeting once a week from 6 to 9 p.m.
Time to complete your PhD in Management and Public Service
The typical time to complete the PhD program is 4-5 years. You’ll complete your coursework in three years and then take an additional one to two years to complete your dissertation.
PhD in Management and Public Service courses
Core coursework
Year one (three courses)
- Fall: Theory and Practice of Organizational Leadership (4 credits)
- Spring: Research Methods I (4 credits)
- Summer: Elective course (4 credits)
Year two (three courses)
- Fall: Research Methods II (4 credits)
- Spring: Public Policy and Advocacy (4 credits)
- Summer: Elective course (4 credits)
Year three (three courses)
- Fall: Research Methods III (4 credits)
- Spring: Critical Issues in Change Leadership (4 credits)
- Summer: Elective course (4 credits)
Dissertation and Comprehensive Exam
- Comprehensive Exam: Must be passed before moving on to Dissertation II, but is usually taken in the summer of year three before Dissertation I
- Dissertation I: Advanced Research Methods (4 credits)
- Comprehensive Exam
After you have completed Dissertation I and your comprehensive exam, you will be guided through writing your dissertation in Dissertation II and III, which includes meetings with your chair and peers for feedback.
- Dissertation II (4 credits)
- Dissertation III (4 credits)
- Final Defense
How to apply to the PhD program
To apply to the PhD in Management and Public Service program, you must complete the following:
- Online application (no fee)
- Professional resume or curriculum vitae
- A three- to five-page personal statement that answers the following questions:
- What are some of the leadership or sector challenges that you have been grappling with or feel will be an increasing trend moving forward?
- What role(s) do—or might—the public, private, and nonprofit sectors play in addressing these challenges?
- How do you think the PhD in Management and Public Service will enhance your ability to deal with the issue(s) you discussed above as well as help you build your leadership skills and network?
- Official transcript of master’s degree or transcript showing 36 credits completed toward a master's degree program with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.
- Official transcript of bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university.
- This should be sent directly from the institution to Graduate Admission or provided in a sealed, signed envelope. Official electronic transcripts should be emailed from the institution to gradprog@hamline.edu.
- You do not have to supply transcripts for courses taken at Hamline University.
- Three recommendation forms detailing your qualifications to pursue advanced study written by people unrelated to you who are familiar with your academic and/or professional history.
Being in the program with students from different backgrounds gave me a unique broader perspective. Before, I was well-versed in connecting regionally with different agencies. This program has really allowed me to go beyond that at a state and national level.
How we help make your PhD in Management and Public Service affordable
Competitive tuition
When you invest in a PhD from Hamline, you benefit from a prestigious degree from Minnesota’s first university. We work hard to ensure our tuition, and other financial aid, make your degree a worthwhile investment.
What can you do with a PhD in Management and Public Service?
Our graduates serve in many leadership roles in both the public and nonprofit sectors. Career paths of our alums include:
- Police Chief
- County Administrator
- City Administrator
- CEO and President, Nonprofit
- CFO, Nonprofit
- Director of Grants Administration
PhD in Management and Public Service news
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PhD Alum Interviewed on Dissertation Research for Local Hmong News Channel
