The Department of Public and Nonprofit Studies serves as the focal point for scholarship, teaching, and professional service in the fields of Public Administration and Public Policy. The department was founded with the mission to advance excellence in public and nonprofit management education.

Undergraduate

At the undergraduate level, the department offers the Minor in Public Administration, Minor in Public Policy, and Minor in Nonprofit Management. These minors are open to all students who are interested in the study and practice of professional public and nonprofit management.

The Minor in Public Administration is designed for students interested in the study and practice of public and nonprofit management. The minor is comprised of courses focusing on issues related to the delivery and management of public programs, public policy analysis, leadership and innovation management, budgeting and financial management, administrative law, and civic engagement and responsibility.

The Minor in Public Policy is for students interested in developing the skills and knowledge needed to respond to policy issues. The aim of the minor is to provide students with an understanding of the fundamental elements involved in the public policy process and the analytical skills necessary to make informed judgments about policy-making, policy implementation, and substantive policy outcomes.

The Minor in Nonprofit Management is for students interested in developing the skills and knowledge needed to identify and examine organizational theories and behavior as they apply in nonprofit/ nongovernmental organizations including issues of work design and implications of operational policies and practices.

Courses in Public Administration, Public Policy, and/or Nonprofit Management are an excellent choice for students across several majors in the behavioral and social sciences, business, health, arts and humanities, and the hard sciences. Moreover, interested students may take one or more courses as free electives as their program of study allows. Students in the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (BIS) program may also pursue program concentrations in these areas.

Please contact the department with any questions about how courses in these areas fit with your degree and future career plans.

Graduate

The Department of Public and Nonprofit Studies offers the NASPAA accredited Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree.The program’s curriculum takes a management approach, emphasizing both the theoretical foundation and practical application of Public Administration and Policy.  The overarching goal is to prepare pre-service students for a career in public service, as well as provide advanced training to mid-career practitioners. Building on 50 years of history, the M.P.A. program is offered in a Hybrid Track that blends online and in-person instruction and a cohort-based, fully-online Executive Track.

Programs

• Nonprofit Management Minor
• Public Administration Minor
• Public Policy Minor

• Public Administration, M.P.A.