Public Administration Degrees

Detailed profiles of schools for Public Administration from the EdRef college search portal.

Public Administration programs emphasize the relationships between various public entities and their context within the larger society and world. Students examine the organization and management of public entities. They look at the design of public programs and how they are shaped by public policy. They investigate the relationships between the federal government and city, town, and state governments. Students learn both the theory and the practice of government and how public policies are changed in response to the needs of the public.

Students in these programs gain an understanding of the institutional foundations of public administration, the economic issues that guide public agencies, the data and modeling that can influence decisions, and the concepts of public management. Most programs emphasize the development of interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills. Graduates of these programs often go on to enter careers in public affairs and become many different types of public officials.