Public Administration- Bachelor of Arts
For information, contact the Department of Political Science, 218 Harrison Hall, 513-529-2000.
The Public Administration major is designed for undergraduates interested in studying and understanding the issues of governance and management in government and not-for-profit organizations, and more specifically about the link between politics and public policy implementation. It is appropriate for those interested in public service careers in the federal government, state government, and/or local government including: city and county management, public finance administration, public personnel administration, public policy analysis and program evaluation. This major also prepares students for continued education in professional and graduate schools of public administration, public policy analysis, and related fields. It also serves as a pre-law course of study.
At least half of the required semester hours in the Public Administration Core and half of the required semester hours in the Related Hours must be from Miami. Required hours in the Core and Related Hours may not be taken credit/no-credit. A GPA of at least 2.00 is required in the Core as well as in the Related Hours courses.
Program Requirements
(At least 36 semester hours)
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Public Administration Core | ||
| POL 241 | American Political System | 3 |
| POL 261 | Public Administration 1 | 3 |
| POL 306 | Applied Research Methods | 3 |
| ECO 201 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 202 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Core electives 2 | ||
| Select at least 12 hours of the following: | 12 | |
| State and Local Government and Politics | ||
| Public Opinion Laboratory | ||
| Criminal Justice | ||
| Nonprofits: Politics & Policy | ||
| Public Management, Leadership, and Administrative Politics | ||
| Administrative Law | ||
| Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations | ||
| Decision-Making in Public Affairs | ||
| Seminar on Public Administration and Policy Analysis | ||
| Public Budgeting | ||
| Public Personnel Administration | ||
| Select no more than six hours of the following professional related courses: | 6 | |
| Accounting for Not-for-Profit and Governmental Organizations | ||
| Immigrant America | ||
| Introduction to Organizational Communication | ||
| Public Sector Economics | ||
| Environmental Economics | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Advanced Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Urban and Regional Planning | ||
| Social Policy and Programs in Gerontology | ||
| Principles and Applications of Environmental Science | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Public Affairs Reporting | ||
| Formal Organization | ||
| Senior Capstone Seminar | ||
| POL 466 | Public Policy Analysis 3 | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours | 36 | |
- 1
POL 261 is a prerequisite for 300/400-level courses in Public Administration.
- 2
Courses appropriate to the major, but not listed as core electives, may in some cases be counted toward the major with the written approval of the student’s public administration advisor.
- 3
Requires Senior standing, completion of the core requirements and 15 hours from above.
Internships
Public administration internships (POL 340) for majors are coordinated through the Center for Public Management and Regional Affairs, 311 Harrison Hall. Internships provide an added dimension to your educational experience. Internship credits do not fulfill any requirements for the Public Administration major. For information, consult the Political Science Internship Coordinator.
CAS Writing Competency Requirement
Students seeking the Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration meet the College of Arts and Science writing in the major requirement by completing one of the following courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| POL 343 | American Presidency | 3 |
| POL 349 | Voice & Power in U.S. Politics | 3 |
| POL 364 | Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations | 3 |
| POL 366 | Policy Evaluation | 3 |
| POL 374 | Foreign Policy Analysis | 3 |
Note about Double Majoring in the Department
The Department of Political Science does not allow Political Science majors to pursue another major in the Department. A double major between Public Administration and Diplomacy and Global Politics is allowed, but will not meet the Miami Plan's thematic sequence requirement as a double major that is in the same department. We strongly discourage a Diplomacy and Global Politics - International Studies double major due to all the "double counting" that is involved.