To be considered for admissions, applicants must provide the following items to the Graduate School: (1) Application for Admission to the Graduate School, (2) Application Fee, (3) Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score of at least the 35th percentile averaging across the verbal and quantitative sections (only the General Test is required) and a writing score of 3.5, (4) one official transcript from all colleges and/or universities previously attended (to be submitted with the Application for Admission), applicants must have a Master's degree in an associated field from an accredited university and a grade point average of at least 3.25 in previous graduate studies, (5) three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant's potential for doctoral level study in public administration, (6) a 500-1,000 word essay discussing personal, academic, and career goals as well as interests and experience in the area of public administration, and (7) a sample copy of the applicant's single-author academic or professional writing (e.g., graduate term paper, thesis, academic/professional clinical study, or policy analysis/management report). Once all these materials have been submitted and minimum requirements for consideration have been met, the department chair will contact the applicant to schedule an admissions interview. Applicants must also receive a positive recommendation from the Ph.D. Admission committee after the interview process, and after the application and all other admission materials have been evaluated. Students completing the Masters of Public Administration degree, at TSU with a GPA of 3.7, may have the GRE waived for admission into the Ph.D. program.

All applicants are expected to be competent in written and spoken English and must possess basic computer literacy, international applicants whose native language is not English are required to meet the English proficiency requirements set by the Graduate School be considered for admission to the Ph.D. The admission decision will be based on the entire academic and professional record after the conditions specified here have been met. Applicants will be granted unconditional admission if the overall record (based on the above variables) indicates a high potential for success in the program.

Prerequisites

Students entering the program must possess a Master's degree. The Master's degree, whether the MPA or another degree, should include the knowledge and skills common to an understanding of public administration. A student admitted to the Ph.D. program who has not acquired the requisite knowledge and skill base may expect a longer commitment of time to complete the Ph.D. degree. The prerequisite knowledge and skills include:

Quantitative Skills-statistical, research, and computer use.
Public Management-political, legal, social, and economic contexts of public administration.
Organizations-theory and analysis of organizations and the human resources within organizations.
Fiscal Management-operational and program audits, budgeting.


English Language Requirements-
IELTS – 6.0
TOFEL IBT – 71
TOFEL PBT – 525