Public Administration

Do you care about how the modern world functions? How government creates stability within our society? The Public Administration program is for those who seek to play a role in non-profit management or local, national, and global governments.

Furthermore, a Bachelor’s in Public Administration provides students with an excellent foundation for graduate work in Public Administration or Policy - a common requirement for advancement in the public sector.

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What's Public Administration?

Public Administrators focus on advancing the common good by serving their communities and implementing policy. Mayors, clerks, county committee members, and even congressional representatives.

This program was developed by Dr. Celeste Greene of the University of Virginia to provide students with the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in the non-profit and public sectors.

Additionally, the program includes topics like public health, social science, history, and other domains to provide important context for their work.

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Developed For Careers

Developed to give students a clear pathway to a career with practical experience that can be used on your resume.

Multiple High-Paid Pathways

A public administration degree can lead to roles like Non-Profit Director, Administrative Services Manager, and City Manager.

Hybrid Learning Options

Some courses in this program are taken online & powered by Rize. The core curriculum will be taken on-campus, giving students the best of student life with the flexibility of some online learning.

Program Details

Information on what you'll learn, how the degree is built, and the careers that are possible after graduation.

What Makes This Program Special?

Online First - Due to Dr. Greene’s tremendous experience in online education, this program is built to ensure that its online classes are not merely attempting to recreate the in person experience, but truly leverage the strengths of online learning.

Hands On - This program culminates in a capstone project which will require students to interface with local government or nonprofit organizations. This exercise will provide students with meaningful practical experience, and a portfolio project which showcases their skills.

Community First - This program heavily focuses on local government, providing students with the skills they need to materially assist their communities. Many activities will require students to explore how the topics covered in their courses apply to their local community.

Faculty Contributors

Dr. Celeste Greene, Ph.D, MPA is the online Program Director for graduate Public Administration and Leadership studies at the University of Virginia. She also teaches courses in Public Policy Analysis, Public Administration, Public Organization Management, Organizational Leadership and Management, and Environmental Policy. Dr. Greene is additionally an expert in distance learning with over 25 years of experience in online education.

Who Should Take Public Administration?

Students who wish to work in administrative roles in the non-profit or foundation space
Students who wish to pursue roles in their local government - either elected or professional
Students who wish to pursue graduate work in Public Administration or Public Policy

Career Outlook

Beyond a pathway to an advanced degree, these are the related common jobs and salaries:

Human Resources Manager ($126,230)
Non-Profit Director ($61,000+)
Administrative Services Manager ($99,290)
City Manager ($98,980)

Curriculum Highlights

This Public Administration focuses on practical, resume-building courses required to run and operate local governments.

Math Required: Applied Statistics, Accounting I, Public Budgeting and Finance
Hardest Class: Public Administration Capstone. As befitting a capstone class, this course asks students to leverage their skills from not only previous public administration classes, but also from political science, business, and research methods-focused classes.