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 courses when there is a perceived deficit, especially if the deficit 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.

In cases where 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. All applicants must submit:

graduate admission application and application fee
official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework
completed checklist
written statement
current resume or curriculum vitae
three letters of recommendation
samples of research reports or papers
GRE scores (verbal, quantitative, analytical)
proof of English proficiency To be considered for admission to the doctoral program in public administration and policy, the minimum score on a traditional TOEFL test is 600, the minimum score for a TOEFL iBT is 100. 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 admissions decisions.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = A) in an applicable master's degree program.