Public Administration Degrees & Careers

If you find yourself enraptured by the works of Karl Marx or enthralled by the latest public policy decision on the news, you might consider focusing your educational pursuit in the field of public administration.
 
Public administration, in broad terms, is the implementation of government policies. It is recognized as an academic field similar to business administration, with a Master of business administration rivaling a Master of public administration. However, public administration entails a fair amount of ethics and sociology, aspects not typically part of a business administration education.
 
While public administration mainly deals with the implementation and development of governmental policy, public administration jobs may also involve research in human resource development and social programs. Keep in mind, however, non-government jobs in public administration are also available.
 
One of the main goals of public administration is to work for the good of the public and to improve society through social justice.

Careers in Public Administration

Individuals who have chosen public administration careers fulfill an extremely diverse array of positions in the workforce. Public administration jobs can be found in:
  • all levels of the government
  • public agencies
  • service and educational organizations
  • the non-profit sector.
 

In addition to careers in administrative management, students with public administration degrees will also qualify for industrial relations positions and personnel management positions, such as:

  • City or County Manager
  • Management Analyst
  • Safety Officer.
 
Some noted public administration scholars include Michel Crozier and Woodrow Wilson.

Earning a Public Administration Degree

Public administration provides an extremely diverse field of study. Students can refine and focus their study on:
  • environmental policy
  • non-profit organizations
  • public affairs
  • public healthcare
  • public policy
  • transportation
  • urban planning.
 

Studying public administration theory also includes analyzing and discussing the purpose and meaning of topics, such as:

  • budgeting
  • governance
  • government
  • public affairs.
 

Types of Degrees

A public administration degree, whether it be a bachelor's or a master's in public administration, is the best preparation for a career in public works administration. A typical bachelor's degree in public administration includes courses geared towards:
  • analyzing the environments of the public sector and non-profit sector
  • budgeting
  • discussing ethical issues related to the public and non-profit sectors
  • imparting data evaluation techniques
  • imparting the basics of theory and analysis
  • learning the basics of policy making.
 
Continuing on from the bachelor's degree, students can elect to attain masters in public administration. A master's degree program is broader in scope than a bachelor's program.
 
The program includes more in-depth information on local (city and county), state and national/federal levels of public administration. As an interdisciplinary study, public administration programs also pull from other fields of study, including:
  • anthropology
  • communications
  • economics
  • human resources management
  • microeconomics
  • political science
  • research methods.
 

The typical Master's of public administration program also includes courses focusing on:

  • policy and program evaluation
  • public health administration
  • public finance
  • public policy analysis and process
  • public policy management
  • public works administration.
 

Time and Costs

Achieving a bachelor's or master's degree typically takes about four years (to finish approximately four to five courses each semester for a total of eight semesters), although students can extend the program by taking less classes if they are working and going to school at the same time.
 
The cost for each program varies widely with each college. Tuition, books and room and board can add up, so students may benefit from researching grants and scholarships available to them.

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