Students select a minor field according to their research interests, which must be approved by the Director of the Public Affairs Ph.D. Program. There is no examination for the minor field.

• As a minor field, students may choose any one of the four major fields (public management, public finance, public policy analysis, and environmental policy) different than their planned major field. Students must take the required courses from the major field (9 credit hours). Or one of the minor fields (arts administration, environmental studies, health policy, nonprofit and civil society, public management, regional economic development, and urban affairs) offered by O’Neill . Alternatively, a four-course sequence (12 credit hours) can be negotiated between the student and the Progress Review Committee. 
• If approved by the Director of the Public Affairs Ph.D. Program, a student can pursue a self-designed minor that furthers their individual research interests. The self-designed minor is a four-course sequence (12 credit hours) negotiated between the student and the Progress Review Committee, which must contain at least two O’Neill doctoral seminars. 

Courses taken as part of any minor field cannot count toward a major field.

A minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0(B) must be attained in all courses used for the minor. Students taking a 500-level course (and SPEA-M 602) are required to show that they have completed doctoral-level work in conjunction with the course in order to count the course for the minor. Students must alert the instructor to their doctoral status and request additional/alternative assignments. If the instructor is unwilling to do this, the student should select a different course in conjunction with the candidate’s advisor.