Oct 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog

Public Administration BA


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A UMassD bachelor’s degree in Public Administration will train students to work in the public sector at the local, state or federal level. We aim to prepare graduates who possess the analytical, critical-thinking, and writing skills necessary for employment in the public sector. A BA in Public Administration focuses on communication and language skills as it relates to interacting in human and social services.

As a student in the Public Administration program, you will learn to:

  • understand concepts, theories and empirical findings in public administration
  • design research and perform data analysis and interpretation
  • understand and synthesize professional and popular writing on public affairs
  • formulate and analyze arguments including their structure and force
  • assess the relevance and weight of evidence
  • write clearly and persuasively
  • organize their ideas in a focused paper or presentation

 

Requirements


7 major courses required:

Elective Courses


5 elective courses required: 

  • Two Economics (ECO) electives (6 credits)
  • Two Political Science (PSC) electives (6 credits
  • One English (ENL) elective (3 credits)

For each area students may choose from the lists below:

Political Science Elective


Students may choose from the following classes:

English Elective


Students may choose from the following classes:

General Education Requirements


46 credits of General Education Requirements:

  • Common requirements include ENL 101, 102 and First Year Seminar (7 credits)
  • Arts and Humanities, including Literature and Foreign Languages (students must demonstrate advanced proficiency (202 level) in a Foreign Language) (15 credits)
  • Mathematics and the Natural and Physical Sciences (12 credits)
  • Social Sciences (including ECO 231 and 232 which are required) (12 credits)

General Electives


23-35 credits of general electives are required (varies depending on courses needed to satisfy intermediate language proficiency)

Curriculum Summary


Total number of courses required for the degree:

  • 12 for major, 40 for degree

 

Total credit hours required for the degree:

  • 36 for major, 120 for degree

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