Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University

Institute of Social Sciences

Public Administration Doctoral Degree Program

The field of social sciences that focuses on human societal life underwent significant changes between 1970-1990. During this period, political, economic, and cultural phenomena experienced differentiation. This change involved states giving up many of the tasks they had previously promised to undertake, but they also took on new responsibilities. In parallel with this reality, the relationships between the state and citizens have evolved, with the involvement of companies and other legal entities in this dynamic, taking on an actor-like role. These transformations that have taken place in the last 50 years, with effects also felt in Turkey, require a variety of administrators, researchers, and policymakers, especially in the field of public administration.

In a world where cross-border issues have been occurring since the Chernobyl disaster in 1986, whether working at the local or central levels of administration, all types of public administrators, policy developers, and academics need to have knowledge of environmental issues, their causes, and how these problems can be fundamentally resolved, as the impact of any crisis can now easily transcend the physical borders of states. Similarly, like the environmental issue, cities in modern times are no longer merely defined by their role in organizing production forces. They have become a focal point influencing the identities, relationships, and entire lives of citizens. Therefore, in the view of governance, cities represent multiple layers of meaning. It is crucial for administration to pay special attention to disadvantaged groups, such as women and the poor, who encounter various challenges in social life, and to make comprehensive intellectual efforts to develop strategies to address these problems.

Every individual who will graduate from Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University's Public Administration Doctoral Program should acquire deep knowledge in the fields listed above, analyze and solve problems in these areas when necessary, and be able to regulate or design relationships between governance and citizens in compliance with the law. In this context, the program aims for individuals to draw inspiration from thinkers in other countries while keeping in mind the unique situation of Turkey and analyzing the reality of the society they are focusing on. The program includes courses in politics and sociology that emphasize the transition between "general and specific" and between "global and local." Initially, there will be 17 doctoral courses in law, urbanization, environment, governance, politics, and sociology, which have been designed to align with the spirit of the times. However, the dynamism of the program will be maintained by continually updating both new course titles and course programs based on the transformations occurring in societal phenomena and the knowledge required by these changes, thus providing the field of public administration with competent researchers, policymakers, and consultants.

Directors of Program