Public Administration and Policy: APSA Virtual Dissertation Workshops | Deadline: April 26, 2026

Public Administration and Policy

2026 APSA Dissertation Workshops
Virtual: June 5 – June 19, 2026

Join us for a virtual APSA Dissertation Workshop on “Policy and Public Administration.” This dissertation workshop cohort will meet virtually June 5, 2026 through June 19, 2026, with exact meeting times TBD. The workshop is designed to support participants in strengthening their methodology, structure, theoretical framing, writing, and overall research direction.

Deadline: Sunday, April 26, 2026.  Click here to apply → 

Workshop Description

This virtual dissertation workshop will provide both faculty and peer feedback to doctoral candidates pursuing degrees in public policy and/or public administration. Projects may span the breadth of these fields, including but not limited to policy design and implementation, governance, public management, nonprofit leadership, intergovernmental relations, budgeting and finance, administrative law, and program evaluation. In addition to expertise in public policy and public administration, participants will benefit from interdisciplinary perspectives in political science and community and economic development, allowing for broader theoretical, institutional, and applied feedback. 

Co Leaders:

• Elizabeth Dorssom, Lincoln University 
• Sungjin Lee, San Diego State University, Imperial Valley 

The workshop itself will consist of three structured sessions.

• SESSION 1: The first session will serve as an introduction, where faculty outline key themes and expectations, and candidates provide context for their work. During this session, participants will be grouped by methodological approach and paired with a faculty co-lead to facilitate more targeted, small-group engagement.
• SESSION 2: The second session will function as a collaborative writing workshop that includes fellow candidates. Participants will be grouped based on topic or approach, with an emphasis on workshopping writing styles, organization, and argumentation in light of the feedback received.
• SESSION 3: The third session will bring participants back together with the faculty co-leads, where each candidate will present their work and engage in a structured discussion designed to generate constructive, actionable feedback for revision.

Our overarching objective is to foster a supportive scholarly community while helping participants make meaningful progress on their dissertations through detailed, actionable feedback and guided peer engagement. 

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The American Political Science Association (APSA) sponsors dissertation workshops annually. Our in-person events are held on the Wednesday prior to the APSA Annual Meeting & Exhibition. Each full-day workshop includes six PhD candidates who present a dissertation chapter, along with two faculty members who lead the workshop and moderate discussions. Our virtual workshops are held over the summer or fall. Questions may be directed to teaching@apsanet.org.