A Brief History of the Public Administration Major
Those who work toward earning a degree in public administration work hard to obtain a position serving the public, from the city, state and national government to education, public medicine and non-profit organizations. A public administration major prepares individuals for employment that entails working directly with the public.
There are those who are not intrigued by large salaries, but care more for the rewards that come from assisting those within their community. The training public administration majors go through is designed to develop their interpersonal and leadership skills and will gain an understanding of top down organizational structures, learning how to work with many levels of what can be a complicated entity.
As more organizations are formed and more issues become unavoidable, public administrators are needed as problem solvers. A stereotypical public administration major is dedicated to carrying out both short and long term projects that will serve the interest of the public. They are not necessarily concerned about maximizing profits, but rather look to work within a budget to accomplish a goal.
Public administrators must also be able to communicate well with their constituents with the goal of finding out what the public needs and developing a program to serve those needs. This philosophy is not going to change as long as there are those in need.
Delving Into the Public Administration Major
Since a public administrator will need to have a strong background in finance – i.e. financial planning, management, economics and communication – the courses you will have to take are centered around this subject matter. You will to acquire skills that will assist you recognizing areas that need to be improved as well as help you develop strategies to address those areas and implement the strategy to completion. As a result, some of the courses you will take are focused on leadership skills and negotiation. Others are centered on you applying general business ideas specifically to the public forum.
Since public administrators deal an immense amount of data, students will take classes on information management, statistics and statistical analysis, and computers. The work you may be required to perform can range from various arenas, requiring you to be ready and prepared when presented with a difficult task. Public administration requires students to take charge and be efficient in their work. The simplicity of the subject is that there is only one important goal, to assist the public in the most efficient way possible.
Turning a major profit in your efforts is not the focus, and if achieving a large financial gain is your goal, this is not the profession for you. The rewards come in the feeling you get from assisting those in need. All of the various courses you will be assigned to take are going to build up your skillset and give you the confidence and ability to help those in your neighborhood, state, and country overcome any hurdle.
Degree Levels:
Associate
Having an associate degree in public administration opens your eyes to a realm of subjects such as ethics in law, public finance, and organizational principles of public behavior. You will learn to interact with generic research and analysis. After two years you will then have the option of choosing to go after a bachelor’s degree.
After completing the core courses, you can choose between a series of electives to specialize your education on a subject matter you may have more of an interest for. This could be homeland security, creating and maintaining polices or managing local government.
Bachelor’s
With a bachelor’s degree in public administration, you will acquire a strong skillset that will help you understand public policy, public administration, and human and government resources. For those students who graduate with a degree in public administration, they will be able to find employment in government and public sectors.
The major brings together practice and theory, placing an emphasis on management strategies and problem solving. With a bachelor’s you will learn of the importance of being aware of how to utilize all of the resources you have available to you in order to reach a goal of public purpose.
Master’s
This degree prepares students to serve as managers for local, state, and federal levels of government. With a heavy focus placed on the investigation of organization and management, students are able to further their knowledge of the profession they wish to one day grasp. Students observe the roles and principles of public administration.
With those who are pursuing a master’s, an institution assumes that they already have a good foundation of knowledge on the subject and this degree is designed to simply further their knowledge and increase their incite on some matters that may not garner a lot of attention.
Doctorate
When you earn a doctorate of public administration is to further the education of well-experienced practitioners who are looking to improve their understanding of public management as well as public policy.
What happens is that these individuals went out to the working world after garnering a solid education and are now returning with the intent of improving their own skills, and they go back to the work force with a newfound perspective and possess a stronger mindset of what they are capable of. Now there is a sense of confidence that previously may not have existed. As they evaluate theoretical literature they can clearly apply information to common public administration issues.
Supplementing Your Public Administration Major
Public administration is major that can prepare you for multiple career paths and as a result, students are blessed with the opportunity of mixing their education and constructing combinations that fit their needs and desires in terms of their careers. With the origin of public administration stemming from a combination of government and business, students are immediately put in a position where they have access two to major industries.
Other important issues in this field include politics and public policy. As a result students can choose either a concentration or minor to mix in with this great major. Popular choices that related to the main subject include accounting and education administration. By nature public administrators are not experts in terms of dealing with an organization finances, but they may be called to occasionally assist in this area. Here is where an accounting minor could help a student become more attractive to future employers.
The wider your background and skill-set, the more you increase your chances of achieving a higher level position coming out of school. With education administration, individuals have the chance to go beyond the general needs of the area they are looked to assist and tackle one major area. If you have a passion for education and believe in its importance and are looking strive to ensure younger generations, both present and future, have the chance of earning a top-tier education then you may want to explore the possibility of turning some of your focus to education administration – either as minor or concentration.
A public administration major should look to better prepare themselves to view how laws and regulations impact society. Health administration in particular is a major component of our nation, and by being more educated on the subject matter will only make you more able to assist those individuals in need.
Learn More About the Public Administration Major
- Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory
- American Society for Public Administration
- Open Courseware from the University of Notre Dame: “Public Service”
The Public Administration Major in the Job Market
When you receive a degree in public administration, you open up doors to all levels of employment, according to Golden Gate University. Whether it is working for the government or to an organization that provides the services for others such as schools, colleges, hospitals, and public works companies. By earning a degree in public administration, you are able to directly impact the lives of others – for the better.
With government agencies and other entities serving the public always looking for talented and experienced individuals with the range of skills to bring energy, innovation and leadership to the workplace, any public administrator has the ability to step in and perform greatness after earning their degree. Just as public administration majors can choose between multiple career options, the salary you can expect to earn is going to heavily depend upon the field you wish to work in, according to Payscale. However, even the most general position will compensate you well for your services. Those who typically earn the most income have taken their degree and instilled the skillset they acquired and put it to use as a school super-intendant or judge – which requires an additional legal education.
Looking further at some of the career opportunities you are going to have when you graduate, a city manager could be a wise career choice. These men and women take on the role of CEO for cities that are run within a council-manager system. Some of the general job responsibilities can be compared to that of mayor. For example, supervising all major city departments, beginning in and letting go employees (both at the higher and entry-level positions), and constructing to a manageable budget each calendar year. A city manager is able to not only communicate with his or her community, but is expected to listen and represent their political party well.
A less competitive and more obtainable position for a public administration major could be that of a health care administrator. This position calls for you to head a health care organization – i.e. hospitals or clinics. While your duties can range from a realm of various subject matters, you will be looked to for guidance and leadership. Public administration majors can be found in multiple industries, but the quality of work they perform does not waver. By earning this degree you will be able to enter the job market with the confidence that employment is just around the corner and within your grasp.
Careers I Can Get with This Degree:
