Public Administration, Bachelor

In addition to University Requirements:

• 36 units of major requirements

• Completion of Science or Language Requirements

• Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy Liberal Studies requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major 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. 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 bachelor's degree focuses on experiential learning that links theory to issues that students are likely to encounter in the workplace. The degree allows students to transfer up to 64 credit hours to satisfy the 120 credit hours needed for the degree. Coursework for the bachelor's degree is designed to allow the student to acquire a general knowledge of leadership and management, ethics, and policy issues.

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 program focus on ethics, leadership and management, budgeting, public policy formation, organizational theory, 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, particularly through the evaluation of case studies.

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 program courses expand knowledge and skills, and allow 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 with a completed AGEC from Arizona Community Colleges will have met the 35 units of liberal studies requirements.
  • Students with a completed IGETC from a California Community College will have met the 35 units of liberal studies requirements.

Major Requirements

• This major requires 48 - 52 units units distributed as follows:

  • Public Administration Common Course Requirement: 36 units
  • Foreign Language or Science Requirement: 12 - 16 units

  
  Take the following 48 units with a Grade of "C" or better:

• Public Administration Common Course Requirements (36 units)

  • PADM 301, PADM 302W, PADM 326, PADM 327, PADM 410, PADM 411, PADM 421C, PADM 450 (24 units)
  • Select one course from the following (3 units)
    • PADM 355, PADM 356
  • Select three courses from the following (9 units):
    • PADM 325, PADM 329, PADM 399, PADM 401, PADM 415, PADM 499

• Foreign Language or Science Requirement Option (12 - 16 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 through credit by exam.

• • OR
     

• • Science Requirement (12 units)

    Select from the following:
    • ANT 101, ANT 250
    • GSP 130, GSP 150
    • Courses with Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Nutrition, Physical Science, Physics, Statistics prefixes. Please note that other courses must be approved by the program director.

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 the Bachelor in Public Administration, students can start a Master of Public Administration in Public Administration.

• • 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:

• • This major requires 48 - 52 units distributed as follows:

    • Public Administration Common Course Requirements: 36 units
    • Foreign Language or Science Requirement: 12 - 16 units

• • Take the following 36 units with a Grade of "C" or better:

• • Public Administration Common Course Requirements (36 units)
    • PADM 301, PADM 302W, PADM 326, PADM 327, PADM 410, PADM 421C, PADM 450 (21 units)
    • Select one course from the following (3 units):
      • PADM 355, PADM 356
    • POS 527 (3 units)
    • Select two additional courses from (6 units):
      • PADM 325, PADM 329, PADM 399, PADM 401, PADM 415, PADM 499
    • Select one course from (3 units):
      • POS 528, POS 530, POS 531, POS 532, POS 533, POS 534, POS 535, POS 536, POS 537, POS 538, POS 539, POS 580, POS 581

• • Foreign Language or Science Requirement Option (12 - 16 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 through credit by exam.

• • • OR

• • • Science Requirement (12 units)

      Select from the following:
      • ANT 101, ANT 250
      • GSP 130, GSP 150
      • Courses with Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Nutrition, Physical Science, Physics, Statistics prefixes. Please note that other courses must be approved by the program director.

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.
  
  You may take these remaining courses from the following academic disciplines: Business Administration, Communication, Emergency Management, Forestry, Health and Human Services, Justice Studies, Parks and Recreation, Politics and International Affairs, and Project Management, using these courses to pursue your specific interests and goals. We encourage you to consult with your advisor to select courses. (Please note that you may also use prerequisites or transfer credits as electives in the above listed academic disciplines if they were not used to meet major or liberal studies requirements.)

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.

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