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College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Academic Information

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.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Careers

What Can I Do with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration?

A Public Administration 90-30 BS allows you to learn about leadership, management, ethics, budgets, critical thinking, and problem-solving. This degree plan emphasizes experiential learning by linking theory to specific problems and case studies. This program will provide you with the knowledge and skills for careers in the public, non-profit, and private sectors and can also prepare you for graduate and/or law school.

Career opportunities that might be pursued:

Administrative Specialist
Executive Assistant to the City Manager
Non-profit Program Manager
Program Coordinator

With further education, one of these paths is possible:

City/County Manager
Management/Budget Analyst
Non-profit CEO
Performance Auditor

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

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 general studies requirements, and university requirements as listed below.
- All of Northern Arizona University's general 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.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Overview

In addition to University Requirements:

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

30 units of major requirements.

Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General 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
Fieldwork Experience/Internship	Optional
University Honors Program	Optional
Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Plan	Optional
Some online/blended coursework	Required
AZ Transfer Students complete AGEC-A	Recommended
Progression Plan Link	Not Available

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. The Public Administration 90-30 degree focuses on experiential learning that links theory to issues that students are likely to encounter in the workplace and is ideal for students who have already completed 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 Public Administration, 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 Public Administration, 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

Lead in organizations.
- Apply a variety of leadership skills to meet organizational goals and excel in diverse environments.
Serve the public ethically and design ethical organizations.
- Navigate ethical dilemmas faced by public administrators.
- Apply strategies to create and sustain ethical organizations.
Analyze and solve organizational and policy problems.
- Identify and use appropriate theoretical approaches to solve real-world problems.
Interpret and participate in public sector budgeting processes.
- Apply budget theories and techniques.
- Navigate the political and intergovernmental environment of public budgeting.
Communicate effectively in professional and academic settings.
- Create strong analysis linking theory to practice.
- Write in a clear, concise, and grammatically correct manner.

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Details

Transfer Block

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

General Studies Requirement

- Up to 9 units of major prefix courses may be used to satisfy General Studies Requirements; these same courses may also be used to satisfy major requirements.

- 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 General Studies and Foundation requirements as well as the US Ethnic and Global Diversity requirements.

Major Requirements

All major requirements must be completed at Northern Arizona University.

Take the following 30 units:
The following coursework must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.

- PADM 301, PADM 326, PADM 327, PADM 411, PADM 450 (15 units)
- Select from the following (3 units):
  - PADM 355, PADM 356
- Select additional from the following (6 units):
  - AIS 304 or JUS 335
  - AIS 330 or ICJ 330
  - JUS 410 or SOC 315
  - PADM 325 or POS 325
  - PADM 356
  - PADM 399
  - PADM 401, PADM 410, PADM 415
  - POS 408
- Select one from the following which meet the junior-level writing requirement (3 units):
  - ENG 302W, ENG 305W
  - PADM 302W
- PADM 421C which meets the senior capstone requirement (3 units)

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.

- Students enrolled at the Flagstaff campus for both undergraduate and graduate programs are eligible to complete the Bachelor of Science in Public Administration 90-30 and 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
  
  All coursework must be upper-division and from Northern Arizona University. Substitutions and use of credit from other institutions are not allowed.
  
  Take the following 30 units:
  The following coursework must be completed with a Grade of 'C' or better.

- - PADM 301, PADM 326, PADM 327, PADM 450 (12 units)
  - POS 527 (3 units)
  - Select from the following (3 units):
    - PADM 355, PADM 356
  - Select from the following (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
  - Select additional from the following (3 units):
    - AIS 304 or JUS 335
    - AIS 330 or ICJ 330
    - JUS 410 or SOC 315
    - PADM 325 or POS 325
    - PADM 356
    - PADM 399
    - PADM 401, PADM 410, PADM 415
    - POS 408
  - Select one from the following which meet the junior-level writing requirement (3 units):
    - ENG 302W, ENG 305W
    - PADM 302W
  - PADM 421C which meets the senior capstone requirement (3 units)

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 General Studies Requirements.

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

Additional Information

Some courses may have prerequisites. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.

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Full Site

Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Campus Availability

More Information

Academic Information
Careers
University Requirements
Overview
Details
Campus Availability

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Academic Information

Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Careers

What Can I Do with a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration?

Career opportunities that might be pursued:

With further education, one of these paths is possible:

.logo-yellow{fill:#f5b700;}.logo-white{fill:#fff;} Northern Arizona University (Home)

Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

University Requirements

.logo-yellow{fill:#f5b700;}.logo-white{fill:#fff;} Northern Arizona University (Home)

Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Overview

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Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Details

Transfer Block

General Studies Requirement

Major Requirements

Accelerated Bachelor's to Master's Program

General Electives

Additional Information

.logo-yellow{fill:#f5b700;}.logo-white{fill:#fff;} Northern Arizona University (Home)

Academic Catalog - 2025-2026

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Department of Politics and International Affairs

Public Administration 90-30, Bachelor of Science

Campus Availability

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