Choosing the Right PhD in Public Policy and Administration Specialization

Walden University’s PhD in Public Policy and Administration is one of the most respected online graduate degree programs of its kind. If you’re seeking public policy graduate programs, you’ll be happy to know that Walden’s program can help you gain the skills you need to excel in the field of public service, both domestically and abroad.

Online learning students earning their PhD in Public Policy and Administration degree can choose to take the General Program or further define their focus by selecting one of 12 specializations. Regardless of which specialization students choose, there are a number of exciting career options available in the field, such as a researcher, a college-level educator, or even an administrative leader in the private, public, or nonprofit sector. Here is a short overview of each available specialization:

General Program: If you wish to focus your studies in an area that is not among the specializations currently offered, you may choose the General Program. Doing so allows you to design a program that most closely matches your goals. The program is completed by choosing any three specialization courses from among the PhD in Public Policy and Administration program’s specializations.

Criminal Justice: Current criminal justice professionals who aspire to move into upper-level management and administrative assignments will find this specialization appealing. Coursework includes an in-depth review and discussion of contemporary decision-making models and issues confronting the American criminal justice system.

Emergency Management: This specialization offers emergency response professionals the skills to lead, manage, and motivate others during emergencies; to build confident and capable teams; and to address challenging ethical situations that may arise during the course of duty.

Global Leadership: Prepare to help developing regions build modern, sustainable communities by exploring the intricate relationships among strategic planning, management, and leadership from an international perspective.

Health Policy: Gain valuable knowledge about health delivery systems, health policy, health administration, and health finance centers so you can manage effectively and successfully in this new and unique healthcare environment.

Homeland Security Policy and Coordination: Explore the implementation of protective measures and policies that do not compromise individual rights and freedoms, understand the collaboration between public security agencies, and focus on various approaches to the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and other dynamics of homeland security issues.

International Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs): Focus on the effects of globalization as you explore how countries organize, regulate, and foster nongovernmental activities; how international intergovernmental organizations operate; and how representatives of these organizations can learn from, partner with, and work within organizations worldwide.

Law and Public Policy: Discover the relationships between law and public policy and access vital legal knowledge available to public policy practitioners. Gain a solid background in legal concepts, cases, and current trends that will give you a head start if you decide to pursue a law degree or if you encounter legal questions in your workplace.

Local Government Management for Sustainable Communities: Learn how to create and maintain sustainable communities that are environmentally sound, economically prosperous, and socially equitable. You can also prepare to succeed in such roles as a town manager, department head, or director of a social service organization.

Nonprofit Management and Leadership: Governmental and nongovernmental institutions continue to overlap and evolve, creating a need for those who have the skills to work with government and businesses to address shared issues.

Policy Analysis: Gain an understanding of the critical context within which organizations and individuals act in a democratic society and learn to work collaboratively to help shape public policy development and implementation.

Public Management and Leadership: Apply a systems perspective as you develop strategies for organizational change in the public organization of your choice. Discover how transformative change occurs in complex public systems, and learn to use the language of leadership to motivate, inspire, and competently lead your organization and shape public policy.

Terrorism, Mediation, and Peace: Learn the immediate and long-term implications of anti-terrorist legislation and policies. Study how terrorism policies are drafted and enforced while you analyze the ethical issues related to human rights and the psychology of terrorism. Explore the effects of disaster, crisis, and trauma and the appropriate interventions for individuals and groups. Examine the roots of international and domestic terrorism, the catalysts and motivations for terrorist acts, and how media and technology may aid or counter terrorist activities.

Earning your PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Walden and choosing one of the many exciting specializations can help open doors to exciting new career opportunities and allow you to positively impact policies and lives around the globe.