DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY & POLITICAL SCIENCE

Download

• Degree Plan

B.A. Public Administration

Option: Accounting and Budgeting
Option: General Management
Option: Human Resources Management
Option: Public Affairs
Option: Research and Analysis

Public administration is the work of developing and managing programs in government and nonprofit organizations and combines the skills of management with the ideals of American democracy.

The degree is ideally suited for students who desire public service careers. Public administrators implement and oversee policies at all levels of city, county, state and national governments. They are committed to creating innovative programs, delivering efficient and equitable services, and improving the lives of the people in their communities.

The public administration program prepares students for careers in all levels of government, nonprofit organizations, and private sector businesses. The program delivers a multidisciplinary course of study that furnishes students with the conceptual and practical knowledge required of public service managers and administrators. It also provides excellent preparation for law school and graduate study.

Faculty with a wide range of academic and professional backgrounds contribute to the program. Their expertise includes political science, business administration, economics, history, law and criminal justice, finance, accounting, information technology and communication.

Careers

Public administration is offered as either a major or minor degree program. Its career potential is enhanced when matched with other fields of study available at RSU. Some examples include Justice Administration, Accounting and Finance, Community Counseling, Business Administration, Information Technology, Environmental Conservation, Organizational Leadership, Human Resources Management and Social Studies.

Where Do Public Administrators Work? Public administration covers many types of work and organizational environments such as Local, State and National Government Agencies; Professional and Advocacy Organizations; Business & Industry; Schools, Colleges & Universities; and Community-based Service Organizations.

The future of public administration is represented by an expanding job market. Skills developed in the PA program qualify students to enter many of the fastest growing employment opportunities in this region. Careers in public administration are available in local, state and federal governments, non-profit organizations and private sector businesses.

The following is a sampling of some of the career options in public administration.

Internships

Internships constitute an essential part of the public administration program. They allow students to work in the realistic environment of a public service agency, explore career options within their fields of study and integrate classroom learning with work-related experience. Other benefits include earning academic credit, establishing personal and professional contacts and building future employment opportunities.

Internship placements may be in agencies of city, county, state or federal government as well as nonprofit or public service oriented organizations. Specific areas of possible internship work include budgeting, human resources, public relations, law enforcement, infrastructure management, recreation, taxation, and education. Placements in community-based settings might involve legal or public advocacy, youth mentoring, or protective shelter management. Students may also create their own internships. Internships are generally reserved for upper-division students. Adaptations can be arranged for students with current or prior public service experience.

Radio Program

“Making Oklahoma Work: Community Problems and Solutions” is a public affairs radio program.  It focuses on current challenges facing the state’s citizens and their public managers. Public administration students participate in producing the program. They recommend and evaluate topics, engage in original and secondary research, conduct interviews, and write and edit copy.

Titles of upcoming programs include:

• The Military Alternative: Can It Help with Oklahoma’s Overcrowded Prisons?
• Phoning, Texting and Driving: The Law in Oklahoma

“Making Oklahoma Work: Community Problems and Solutions” is sponsored by the Department of History and Political Science in cooperation with the Department of Communications.  It is the only radio program in Oklahoma that centers on state and local public administration.