Public Administration Major

A UMassD bachelor's degree in Public Administration will train students to work in the public sector at the local, state or federal level. We aim to prepare graduates who possess the analytical, critical-thinking, and writing skills necessary for employment in the public sector.

B.A. or B.S. in Public Administration

A Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Public Administration focuses on communication and language skills as it relates to interacting in human and social services. A Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Administration will require more intensive quantitative analytical skills and prepare you for budgetary and financial management.

As student in the Public Administration program, you will learn to:

  • understand concepts, theories and empirical findings in public administration
  • design research and perform data analysis and interpretation
  • understand and synthesize professional and popular writing on public affairs
  • formulate and analyze arguments including their structure and force
  • assess the relevance and weight of evidence
  • write clearly and persuasively
  • organize their ideas in a focused paper or presentation

Major in Public Administration

For the B.A., students will be required to take 36 credits for the major, and for the B.S., students will be required to take 42 credits for the major. The additional credits for the B.S. in the major reflect the additional quantitative courses these students must take.

The required courses for both degrees are:

  • an introductory level course in American Government
  • an upper level introductory Public Administration course
  • both Micro and Macroeconomics
  • Business Communication course
  • an internship course
  • a senior capstone in Public Administration

For the B.A., students will also be required to take 1 quantitative analysis course and demonstrate intermediate proficiency in a foreign language. For the B.S., students will be required to take 3 quantitative analysis courses. In addition to these required courses, students will select five elective courses: two in political science, two in economics and one in English.

Public Administration forms