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)

Public Administration Core
POL 241American Political System3
POL 261Public Administration 13
POL 306Applied Research Methods3
ECO 201Principles of Microeconomics3
ECO 202Principles of Macroeconomics3
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
Data Journalism
Organizations and Society
Senior Capstone Seminar
POL 466Public Policy Analysis 33
Total Credit Hours36
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: 

POL 343American Presidency3
POL 349Voice & Power in U.S. Politics3
POL 364Federalism and Intergovernmental Relations3
POL 366Policy Evaluation3
POL 374Foreign Policy Analysis3

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.