Bachelor of Public Administration

As of Fall 2012, we are no longer accepting applications for the Bachelor of Public Administration.

The Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) program is designed for aspiring and mid-career professionals at all levels of government and private nonprofit organizations. This degree completion program is also appropriate for those working in health care, service, and educational organizations, and for-profit sector professionals who interact with public agencies or who desire to pursue a career in the public or nonprofit sectors. Three curriculum tracks are offered: Generalist (BPA), Law Enforcement Leadership (BPA-LEL) and Nonprofit Administration (BPA-NPA).  The LEL and NPA track offering depends on the expressed student interest and enrollment.

Learning Goals

• To analyze the political, social, economic, and legal environments of a variety of public sector, health care, and nonprofit organizations.
  
• To develop the analytic and problem solving skills required of competent and effective administrators.
  
• To enhance skills in oral and written communication.
  
• To review fundamental theories and concepts in the areas of personnel administration, budgeting, data evaluation, policy analysis, decision-making, collaboration and apply those to real-life scenarios.
  
• To develop an awareness of ethical issues and problems in organizations, and apply ethical reasoning when formulating decisions and bringing about organizational change.
• To experience the service-learning component integrated in the program curriculum, and to explore and appreciate the needs of underprivileged groups in various communities.

Program Requirements

Students are required to complete the 37 semester credits included in the undergraduate Public Administration program. Required courses are as follows:

• INTD 307 - Experience and Critical Writing
• INTD 308 - Advanced Expository Writing
• PA 351 - Introduction to Public Administration
• PA 353 - Organizational Theory and Design
• INTD 300 - The Critical Thinking Seminar
• PA 355 - Applied Statistics for Public Administrators
• INTD 304 - Social Ethics
• PA 362 - Legal Responsibilities of Public and Nonprofit Managers
• PA 364 - Human Resources Management
• PA 368 - Field Project in Public Administration
• PA 352 - Public Policy Analysis
• PA 365 - Introduction to Public and Nonprofit Finance and Budgeting
• PA 366 - Emerging Developments in the Public and Nonprofit Sectors

Degree Requirements

• Complete 128 semester credits.
• Complete the Public Administration major requirements.
• Satisfy the 44 credits Core Curriculum requirements.
• Achieve a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Bachelor of Public Administration, a graduate will:

• Explain scholarly Public Administration (PA) research and concepts; and be able to apply them to real-world and case-analysis-based situations.
  

• Adhere to legal and ethical standards; describe and analyze responses to legally challenging situations.
  

• Evaluate and inform public management problems by utilizing descriptive and inferential statistical methods.
  

• Evaluate and inform public management problems through accurately identifying and utilizing organizational theory and analysis.

• Discern, distinguish, and analyze principal issues and important initiatives pertaining to basic functions of human resource management, budgeting, information technology, and general planning.

• Demonstrate improved writing and presentation skills.