Individuals looking to improve communities or society at large can pursue public administration degrees. These programs allow students to develop skills in areas such as leadership, community organizing, fundraising and budgeting. Graduates with public administration degrees can pursue employment with the government or with non-government entities.
Public administration professionals include public affairs specialists, park managers, urban planners and public works managers. Public administration degrees can open the door to many professional roles that improve local communities and public sector efforts.
Public Administration Explained
What is public administration? Public administration professionals work in government agencies and nonprofit organizations to serve and improve communities. These individuals focus on areas such as housing, transportation, public health and emergency management to advance society through research and the implementation of programs.
The scope of public administration efforts can vary based on employer, role and sector. For example, professionals with public administration degrees might handle tasks relating to planning, staffing, organizing or budgeting.
What Is a Public Administration Degree?
Public administration degrees exist at multiple levels and with various focuses. Read on to learn about some of the most common degrees in public administration.
Bachelor of Public Administration (B.P.A.)
Bachelor’s degrees in public administration, including B.P.A., B.S. and B.A. options, offer a foundation in the field for undergraduate students. These programs typically comprise 120 credits and take four years of full-time enrollment to complete. Enrollees explore courses in public policy, public budgeting and public planning, along with project management for government agencies and nonprofit organizations.
Admission requirements align with most bachelor’s degrees—candidates must possess a high school diploma or the equivalent and provide supporting documentation of any education completed. Some schools may require letters of recommendation or responses to writing prompts.
Potential careers for B.P.A. graduates include budget director, public administration consultant and nonprofit director.
Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.)
Master of Public Administration degrees require enrollees to complete 36 to 45 credits and generally take two years to complete. Some schools offer accelerated one-year programs. Coursework dives deeper into public administration topics through classes in human resource management, organizational theory and administrative law.
M.P.A. candidates must provide undergraduate transcripts, and many schools require GPAs of 3.0 or above. Programs may also require candidates to provide a resume or CV, a personal statement, letters of recommendation and graduate exam scores. The Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs and Administration (NASPAA) provides field-specific accreditation for public administration programs at the master’s level.
Potential M.P.A. jobs include development coordinator, urban planner, environmental consultant and policy manager.
Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.)
A Master of Public Policy shares some similarities with public administration. However, public policy vs. public administration differ since public policy focuses on creating and shifting policy rather than implementing it. M.P.P.s typically comprise 33 to 48 credits and take about two years to earn.
Admission requirements align with M.P.A. degrees, with candidates submitting letters of recommendation, transcripts with GPAs in the 3.0 range and personal statements. Like M.P.A.s, master’s programs in public policy can earn accreditation through NASPAA.
M.P.P. courses typically cover international affairs, social and urban policy, economic development and business policy. With an M.P.P., a graduate can explore professional roles in the public and private sectors as consultants, policy research assistants, community outreach managers and government relations managers.
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Public Administration
An M.B.A. in public administration includes the business-centric courses typical of an M.B.A. degree while diving deeper into the intersection between government and private enterprise. Along with standard M.B.A. courses in business ethics, business law, economics and supply chains, enrollees take public administration classes like public budgeting and enterprise management.
M.B.A. timelines are similar to those of M.P.P. and M.P.A. degrees, though some schools offer accelerated programs that allow enrollees to complete an M.B.A. in one year.
Ph.D. in Public Administration
At the doctoral level, professionals and students can pursue a Ph.D. in public administration. These degrees may include 45 to 72 credits, though some schools allow learners to apply credits from master’s programs to their Ph.D. requirements. Admission requirements may be more restrictive than for master’s degrees.
Ph.D. students must complete dissertations and defend their research before a panel of faculty members to earn this terminal degree. Courses may include economics for policy analysis, along with seminars in public management, policy implementation and organization theory. A Ph.D. degree holder with a focus on public administration can pursue employment in academia or roles like city manager, policy analyst or research director.
Ph.D. in Public Policy
Similar to the divide between M.P.A.s and M.P.P.s, a Ph.D. in public policy covers courses more geared toward creating policy rather than implementation. Instructors deliver classes in research methodology, microeconomics for public policy and the political and social context of the policy process.
Like the Ph.D. in public administration, graduates with a public policy Ph.D. can work in the public or private sectors or academia. Other common professional roles for public policy Ph.D. graduates include nonprofit manager, superintendent, health planner and policy researcher.
Some Ph.D. programs in public policy require related undergraduate majors, and some prefer or require applicants to hold master’s degrees. Applicants may also need to provide graduate test scores to gain admission.
Popular Fields for Public Administration Graduates
A public administration degree qualifies you to pursue employment in several sectors. As of 2021, graduates with public policy or social services degrees worked in the following sectors, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
- 31% worked in community and social service occupations
- 16% worked in management occupations
- 9% worked in office and administrative support positions
- 8% worked in education and library roles
- 7% worked in business and financial operations occupations
- 29% worked in other fields
The following section explores potential employment sectors for graduates with public administration degrees. We sourced the below career data from the BLS.
Business and Finance
Median Annual Salary: $76,850
Projected Occupation Growth (2022–32): Above average
Field Overview: Individuals with public administration degrees who work in business and finance handle money-related tasks for their organizations. They might track income and expenditures, plan to meet financial goals or examine companies’ financial records.
Common Roles: Accountant, auditor, budget analyst, financial analyst
Community and Social Services
Median Annual Salary: $49,380
Projected Occupation Growth (2022–32): Above average
Field Overview: Community and social services professionals assist clients and patients in overcoming challenges through treatments like therapy, rehabilitation and community-level strategies. These workers find employment in various settings, such as healthcare facilities, public health departments and nonprofits.
Common Roles: Health education specialist, rehabilitation counselor, family counselor, social worker
Education, Training and Library
Median Annual Salary: $57,490
Projected Occupation Growth( 2022–32): Average
Field Overview: This field covers public education. Though an M.P.A. can help these professionals develop a greater understanding of this field, teachers and instructional coordinators typically need education degrees and state licensure as well.
Common Roles: Teacher, instructional coordinator, library technician
Management
Median Annual Salary: $107,360
Projected Occupation Growth (2022–32): Above average
Field Overview: Management professionals oversee teams of workers, collaborate with other stakeholders and establish organizational policies. These roles appear in the public and private sectors in various industries, including all those mentioned above.
Common Roles: Emergency management director, human resources manager, top executive, computer and information systems manager
Office and Administrative Support
Median Annual Salary: $40,910
Projected Occupation Growth (2022–32): Declining
Field Overview: These professionals provide assistance in office settings by creating, organizing and tracking documents. In a public administration context, they may help deliver information to the public and track documentation for public policy efforts.
Common Roles: Office clerk, financial clerk, public safety telecommunicator
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Public Administration Degrees
What is a public administration degree good for?
A public administration degree serves individuals looking to effect change in both small-scale and large-scale communities. Public administration graduates can pursue employment in city planning, nonprofits, public works and education.
Is a public administration degree worth it?
Payscale reports that individuals with M.P.A.s earn an average annual salary of around $77,000. This strong income, along with the fulfilling nature of the work, can make a public administration degree worth it for driven individuals.
Is public administration an M.A. or an M.S.?
The vast majority of master’s-level public administration programs lead to a Master of Public Administration degree, which is abbreviated as M.P.A. However, M.S. and M.A. programs in the field exist as well. You can also earn an M.B.A. with a concentration in public administration.
