2023-2024

Interdisciplinary Studies - Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor

Department of Politics and International Affairs

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

This flexible bachelor's degree offers you an opportunity to design a plan of study, in consultation with an advisor, to meet your individual educational needs. You may choose this degree if you plan to enter an occupation that requires a broad general education, if you are seeking career advancement or personal intellectual enrichment, or if you are considering a preprofessional plan.

This plan will not be available to new students after Summer 2024

University Requirements

  • To receive a bachelor's degree at Northern Arizona University, you must complete at least 120 units of credit that minimally includes a major, the liberal studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.

    • All of Northern Arizona University's diversity, liberal studies, junior-level writing, and capstone requirements.
    • All requirements for your specific academic plan(s).
    • At least 30 units of upper-division courses, which may include transfer work.
    • At least 30 units of coursework taken through Northern Arizona University, of which at least 18 must be upper-division courses (300-level or above). This requirement is not met by credit-by-exam, retro-credits, transfer coursework, etc.
    • A cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 on all work attempted at Northern Arizona University.

    The full policy can be viewed here.

In addition to University Requirements:

  • 30 units of Public Administration Specialization Requirements

  • Completion of Computer Literacy, Communication Skills, and Science or Language Requirements

  • Up to 9 units of specialization prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy specialization requirements.

  • Elective courses, if needed, to reach an overall total of at least 120 units.

Students may be able to use some courses to meet more than one requirement. Students may transfer up to 90 units of community college and/or university credit from regionally accredited institutions of higher education. Contact your advisor for details.

Minimum Units for Completion 120
Major GPA C
Highest Mathematics Required MAT 114
Foreign Language Optional
Fieldwork Experience/Internship Optional
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan Optional
Some online/blended coursework Required
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A Recommended
Progression Plan Link View Progression Plan

Purpose Statement

The mission of the Public Administration program is to prepare students to become effective and ethical managers in a variety of public service fields. As with other degrees in the Public Administration program, the Interdisciplinary Studies, 90-30 degree focuses on experiential learning that links theory to issues that students are likely to encounter in the workplace. The Interdisciplinary Studies, 90-30 degree is ideal for students who have completed a number of credits at the community college or university level and are looking to finish their degree in a relatively short amount of time. The program's accelerated course format, as well as course offerings throughout the calendar year, allows students to achieve this goal.
 
Faculty in the Public Administration program are experienced practitioners who promote rigorous academic standards and high expectations for student achievement. Rather than teaching students what to think, faculty focus on developing analytical skills in course structures that allow students to be active participants in the education process. The core courses in the Interdisciplinary Studies, 90-30 degree focus on ethics, leadership, public sector budgeting, public policy, research methods, and written communication skills. Courses offer theoretical perspectives as a foundation from which students can analyze and apply ideas to real-world situations.
 
Graduates of the program will be prepared to work in public, non-profit, and private sector organizations; the degree also serves as a platform for students who wish to pursue graduate degrees. For those students already working in the field, the Interdisciplinary Studies, 90-30 degree expands knowledge and skills, and allows for advancement in their careers. Graduates of the Public Administration program will have developed abilities to be dynamic and ethical leaders who are prepared to face the challenges of rapidly changing organizational environments. Above all, they will be committed to effectively and competently serving the public good.
 
Student Learning Outcomes

  • Understand the importance of leadership in public sector organizations, and have the ability and knowledge to demonstrate and practice leadership concepts and skills learned in the Public Administration program throughout their careers.
    • Incorporate and demonstrate an understanding of leadership concepts.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of how leadership concepts and models can be translated into tangible leadership skills that can be utilized in actual situations.
  • Understand the paramount importance of ethics in public sector organizations, and how ethics impacts not only the performance of public agencies but also the perception within which they function. They will also have the ability and knowledge to demonstrate and practice the ethical concepts and skills learned while in the PADM program.       
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the issues involved in ethical dilemmas faced by public administrators.
    • Identify professional standards of conduct to which public administrator practitioners should subscribe.
  • Demonstrate critical thinking by linking theoretical propositions and concepts in PADM course readings to the analysis of problems or situations.
    • Link theoretical propositions and concepts in course readings to the analysis of problems or situation.
  • Describe the budgeting process in the public sector.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of the stages of the public sector budget process.
    • Demonstrate an understanding of how public budgeting differs at the various levels of government (national, state and local).
  • Ability to communicate effectively in a professional and academic setting, demonstrating an ability to produce well written (Standard English) documents, befitting of a public sector professional.                   
    • Create papers that have a clear organization and expression of ideas.
    • Create papers that identify course readings and/or outside sources and relate analysis to these course readings.
    • Write in a clear, concise, coherent and correct manner.

Liberal Studies Requirement
    • Students who have completed the Arizona General Education Curriculum (AGEC) from an Arizona public or tribal community college, the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC), or California State University General Education (CSUGE) from a California public community college are considered to have satisfied NAU’s Liberal Studies Distribution Blocks and Foundation requirements as well as the US Ethnic and Global Diversity requirements.
    • Up to 9 units of specialization prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy specialization requirements.
Transfer Block

  • Students may transfer up to 90 units of community college and/or university credit from regionally accredited institutions of higher education.

Major Requirements

  • This major requires 54 - 55 units distributed as follows:

    • Public Administration Specialization: 30 units
    • Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements: 24 - 25 units
      • Communication Requirement: 6 units
      • Foreign Language or Science Requirement: 18 - 19 units

  • All coursework in the Specialization Areas must be upper-division and from Northern Arizona University. Substitutions and use of credit from other institutions are not allowed in the Specialization.

  • Take the following 54 - 55 units with a Grade of "C" or better in each course:

    • If you choose PADM 415 here, you may not choose CST 477 for the Theory Requirement

  • If you have not yet met NAU's Global and/or U.S. Ethnic Diversity requirements, you must select:

     

Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements

    • Communication Requirements (6 units)
      Select 3 units from each the following two categories (6 units)

      • Performance-based courses, select one from the following (3 units)
        Performance-based courses are defined as having at least 51 percent of the evaluation of the student being based upon oral performance.

         

      • Please note that you cannot use CLEP or locally prepared exams to satisfy this requirement. Transfer credit used to satisfy this requirement must be approved by the program director.

    • Foreign Language or Science Requirement Option (18 - 19 units)

      • Foreign Language Requirement Option (19 units)

        • Foreign Language Requirement (16 units)
          • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP, or other exams.
        AND
        • Computer Literacy (3 units)
          • This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.
    • OR

      • Science Requirement Option (18 units)

        • Science Requirement - Select from the following: (12 units)
          • ANT 101, ANT 250
          • GSP 130, GSP 150
          • Or take at least 12 units from courses with Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Nutrition, Physical Science, Physics, or Statistics prefixes. Please note that other courses must be approved by the program director.
        AND
        • Computer Literacy (6 units)
          • This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.
            • Select one from the following: (3 units)
            • Select one from the following: (3 units)
              • BBA 340
              • Or advisor-approved coursework including the CIS or CS prefix.
Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program

    • This program is available as an Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan wherein a student may start a master's degree while simultaneously completing their bachelor's degree.

    • While completing an Interdisciplinary Studies - Public Administration 90-30 Bachelor degree, students can start a Master of Public Administration at NAU.

    • Students must apply to the master's program by the graduate program's application deadline, meet all admissions requirements listed in the policy Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Programs, as well as the admissions requirements for the specified master's plan to be considered for admission. Admission to programs is competitive and qualified applicants may be denied because of limits on the number of students admitted each year.

      Be sure to speak with the Master's Program Director/Coordinator regarding your interest in the accelerated plan.

    • Students accepted into the Accelerated Program should complete the following requirements:

    • Major Requirements

      This major requires 54 - 55 units distributed as follows:

      • Public Administration Specialization: 30 units
      • Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements: 24 - 25 units
        • Communication Requirement: 6 units
        • Foreign Language or Science Requirement: 18 - 19 units

      All coursework in the Specialization Areas must be upper-division and from Northern Arizona University. Substitutions and use of credit from other institutions are not allowed in the Specialization.

      Multi-use of coursework is not permitted within the Major Requirements. Major Requirements include Specialization, Communication, Computer Literacy, Language and Science.

      Take the following       54 - 55 units with a Grade of "C" or better in each course:
    • Interdisciplinary Studies Requirements

      • Communication Requirements (6 units)
        Select 3 units from each the following two categories (6 units)

        • Performance-based courses, select one from the following (3 units)
          Performance-based courses are defined as having at least 51 percent of the evaluation of the student being based upon oral performance.

           

        • Please note that you cannot use CLEP or locally prepared exams to satisfy this requirement. Transfer credit used to satisfy this requirement must be approved by the program director.

      • Foreign Language or Science Requirement Option (18 - 19 units)

        • Foreign Language Requirement Option (19 units)

          • Foreign Language Requirement (16 units)
            • You must demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English that is equivalent to four terms of university coursework in the same language. You may satisfy this requirement by taking language courses or by testing out of all or part of it by taking CLEP, or other exams.
          AND
          • Computer Literacy (3 units)
            • This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.
      • OR

        • Science Requirement Option (18 units)

          • Science Requirement - Select from the following: (12 units)
            • ANT 101, ANT 250
            • GSP 130, GSP 150
            • Or take at least 12 units from courses with Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Nutrition, Physical Science, Physics, or Statistics prefixes. Please note that other courses must be approved by the program director.
          AND
          • Computer Literacy (6 units)
            • This coursework must help you to understand, in general, the technical components of computers and information systems, how to solve problems using information systems technology, word processing, spreadsheet use, database management, graphic information software, website development, graphic design and use of statistical analysis software. Subject to advisor approval.
              • Select one from the following: (3 units)
              • Select one from the following: (3 units)
                • BBA 340
                • Or advisor-approved coursework including the CIS or CS prefix.
General Electives

  • Additional coursework is required if, after you have met the previously described requirements, you have not yet completed a total of 120 units of credit.

    You may take these remaining courses from any of the academic areas, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. You may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives if they weren't used to meet major, minor, or liberal studies requirements.

    We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select the courses that will be most advantageous to you.

Additional Information

  • Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.