PhD Student Advising

PhD Program in Public Administration at Syracuse

For detailed insights into the PhD program at Maxwell, kindly refer to: PhD in Public Administration (syr.edu). The admission process for this program is highly selective, with an acceptance rate of around five students annually. The evaluation of applications rests in the hands of the PhD program committee, and admission determinations are a collective committee effort, diverging from individual faculty decisions. 

Prospective Doctoral Students Interested in Working with Me

As you consider our PhD program, I welcome the opportunity to connect with you via email: after you've acquainted yourself with the program details on our website, feel free to reach out. It's important to emphasize that this communication isn't obligatory, nor does it directly impact your application. However, in your personal statement, outlining your prospective areas of interest and expressing your preference for specific faculty members you'd like to collaborate with can offer valuable insight. 

Admitted/Current Doctoral Students Interested in Working with Me

Adviser selection is a mutual decision. Kindly reach out via email to arrange a meeting, allowing us to delve into our respective interests, expectations, and more. 

When Should You Express Your Interest in Working with Me?

If you're interested in working together, please inform me before the end of your first year. Beyond that point, it might be challenging for me to have an influence on the trajectory of your studies, especially if you've already completed your coursework.

Am I a Good Match?

Please consider whether we're a good fit for each other based on the following things:

1.  I am only able to work with doctoral students who are interested in academic careers (i.e., looking for faculty jobs after they finish their studies). 

2.  Academic careers are not easy. Students should have genuine interest in scholarly research and strong self-motivation in order to survive and thrive in the academic world. I expect and assume my students possess both. 

3.  My research covers a range of public management and nonprofit management topics. However, my main focus in public management is government contracting and outsourcing. When it comes to nonprofit management, my focus is on nonprofit-government relations and nonprofit resource management. Outside these areas, I might not have much expertise. 

4.  I expect a very close working relationship with my doctoral students. We'll need to meet every couple of weeks and work together on research projects and other things.