Public Service

The Public Service Program is offered by the Department of Politics. The Program's strength lies in its two unique qualities. First, the minor is designed to combine ideals and skills with academic learning. It offers a valuable opportunity to link the general theory of the classroom with practical "real world" experience. In this way, students can judge for themselves, how well the lessons of texts apply in the day-to-day context of addressing the problems of our society.

Second, the Program's courses and field placements combine to infuse students with a unique perspective on serving the public. The Program's originality is that it allows students to experience public service from above and below; from above, from the point of view of the bureaucracy, and from below, with the point of view of the person in need. This is accomplished by requiring two distinct field placements.

With the Public Administration Internship, students will be placed in public agencies where they will do meaningful work and learn the vocabulary of the bureaucracy. They will see public service from above, through the eyes of the agency that serves the public. Students, however, also will experience another sort of placement.With the Field Placement requirement, the students will work with a volunteer or nonprofit organization in the San Francisco Bay area.