Guide to Best Public Administration Degrees Online

A Guide to Public Administration Degrees

Online public administration degree and certificate programs are available on all undergraduate and graduate levels, many offering a variety of specialized study options that allow students to tailor their educations to meet their own unique academic and career goals. These programs all share the goal of preparing tomorrow’s leaders in public and nonprofit sectors.

What’s more, you’ll find during your program search that the majority of online programs feature fully-online coursework (often delivered asynchronously) with no in-person requirements of any kind. There are exceptions, however, with some programs including some campus-based classes and/or short-term residencies. For this reason, it’s important to carefully review the structures, delivery methods, and graduation requirements of each program you consider before you enroll.

Still interested? Let’s take a deeper look at career paths in Public Administration and see which one might be the right fit.

Common Career Paths for Public Administration Students

Careers for public administration degree and certificate holders can be found throughout a wide range of subfields within the larger government and nonprofit sectors, including the five profiled below. These profiles, along with the sample job titles for each, will help you in deciding on the best academic path to take to get you to the public administration career you’re after.

Salary and Career Details

Which Public Administration Degree is Right for You?

There are several public administration academic paths you can take that prepare you for a challenging and lucrative career. Therefore, it’s critical that you develop a clear understanding of where you want to go in your career before starting out on any one of those paths. To aid you in that pursuit, we’ve described below the various undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate options available and included examples of current online programs for each.

Undergraduate Certificates

Undergraduate certificates in public administration offer students the opportunity to gain foundational knowledge and skills in regarding the policies, practices, and procedures employed by government and nonprofit agencies, particularly on the local level. They’re an excellent choice for students pursuing an associate or bachelor’s degree in a number of other majors (business, economics, political science, etc.) who are interested in an entry-level position in the public sector.

Students will find both fully and partially online certificate programs available, many featuring coursework delivered in an asynchronous format. As an undergraduate credential, most certificate programs admit students with only a high school diploma.

STEPS Pick: Best Online Undergraduate Certificate Program

Golden Gate University’s Undergraduate Certificate in Public Administration Leadership

The Undergraduate Certificate in Public Administration Leadership at Golden Gate University provides specific skills in the subtle intricacies of the public sector to analyze and develop techniques that make public service more effective and efficient. The program is presented in a fast-track format allowing for quicker completion. Both fully-online and hybrid options are available.

Associate Degrees

Associate degrees in public administration serve two basic purposes. The first is to offer a quick and convenient path to students seeking entry-level jobs in the public sector, most commonly with local government agencies and non-profit organizations. The second is to provide an affordable way for students intending to earn their bachelor’s degree to complete two years of general education and foundational public administration coursework before transferring on to a four-year college or university.

As with undergraduate certificates, public administration associate degree programs can often be completed either entirely or partially online, and admission typically requires only a high school diploma.

STEPS Pick: Best Online Associate Degree Program

Hudson Valley Community College’s AAS in Public Administration Studies

The AAS in Public Administration Studies program at HVCC is designed to prepare students for a broad range of professional and para-professional entry-level positions in government service. The curriculum consists of 60 credits of required and elective general education and major-specific coursework, typically completed within two years of full-time study. All degree requirements be completed entirely online.

Bachelor’s Degrees

A bachelor’s degree in public administration expands on the general education and major-focused coursework offered in associate degree programs to prepare students for entry-level positions in the public sector and to continue their studies at graduate school. Major-specific course topics include policy development and implementation, public sector finance, applied research methods, and public sector administration.

As with bachelor’s programs in other majors, students should expect to invest four years of full-time study in earning their public administration bachelor’s degree. A popular choice of undergraduate students, public administration bachelor’s programs are available in both fully-online and hybrid formats from public and private colleges and universities throughout the nation.

STEPS Pick: Best Online Bachelor’s Degree Program

University of Central Florida’s Online Bachelor’s in Public Administration (BA and BS)

The Online Bachelor’s in Public Administration program at UCF equips students with the knowledge and skills needed to understand and work through the complexities of common public administration issues. Along with general education and major-specific coursework, students opt for one of four specialized minors: Emergency Management and Homeland Security, Nonprofit Management, Public Service, or Urban and Regional Planning.

Graduate Certificate Programs

After completing a bachelor’s degree in public administration or related major, some students opt to continue their academic path by earning a graduate-level public administration certificate, rather than a master’s degree. There are several reasons for this, chief among them that certificate programs take less time and cost less money than full master’s degree programs.

Like master’s programs, certificate programs offer students the ability to gain leadership knowledge and skills generally and, in some cases, a specialized area of public service practice. Designed with working professionals in mind, public administration graduate certificate programs are most often part-time and available in both fully-online and hybrid formats.

STEPS Pick: Best Online Graduate Certificate Program

University of Virginia’s Online Public Administration Graduate Certificate

Designed for current professionals, career changers, and pre-career students interested in working in the public and nonprofit sectors, UVA’s Public Administration Graduate Certificate allows students to gain an understanding of public administration leadership within government and the democratic context. The 15-credit curriculum is presented entirely online in a part-time structure that can be completed in 12 to 18 months.

Master’s Degrees

Current public sector professionals can obtain the leadership and specialized training they need to advance their careers in to mid- and senior-level positions by earning a master’s degree in public administration. While the primary focus of public administration master’s programs is to prepare students for leadership roles, many programs additionally allow students to further focus their studies on a number of areas within the larger public administration field. This is accomplished through specialization options or the selection of elective courses. Public administration master’s programs are available in fully-online and hybrid formats from a substantial number of quality colleges and universities.

STEPS Pick: Best Online Master’s Degree Program

University of Illinois Chicago’s Online Master of Public Administration

Offered through its College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, UIC’s Online Master of Public Administration provides coursework in budgeting and financial management, organizational leadership, policy analysis, and more to help students become problem solvers and effective leaders in their communities. Specialization options are available in financial management, nonprofit management, and public management. Full-time students can complete the entire program in as few as 16 months.

Doctoral Degrees

Public administration doctoral degrees are for current public and nonprofit sector leaders seeking to advance into top-tier positions in the field. There are two credential types available on doctoral level, each with its own academic and career focuses: DPA and PhD.

The Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) focuses on the application of advanced public service and leadership theory to public administration practice at the highest levels. Most DPA programs culminate with the completion of a capstone project. Graduates fill senior level governmental and nonprofit administrative roles, particularly on the state and federal levels.

In contrast, public administration PhD programs focus on preparing graduates for positions in advanced research and postsecondary academia. PhD programs culminate with the writing and defense of a doctoral dissertation. Graduates are employed as senior-level researchers in all economic sectors (government, nonprofit, and private business) and university researchers and professors.

STEPS Pick: Best Online Doctoral Degree Program

West Chester University’s Doctor of Public Administration

The fully-online DPA program at West Chester University emphasizes the development of skills in policy leadership and advocacy, financial and economic decision-making, and strategic management to take on top-tier public administration and affairs roles. Students can focus their studies through a customized concentration developed in collaboration with the university’s Criminal Justice, Geography and Planning, Public Policy & Administration, and Graduate Social work departments.

How to Find the Perfect Program

Success in your public administration career begins by completing the best degree or certificate program for you. And success in that program begins by choosing the right one. Now that you’ve reviewed the various credential types available, you’ll want to ask and answer a number of important questions for each of the specific programs you come across during your program search. Here are five of those questions to get you started:

Is this online public administration degree properly accredited?

With the exception of master’s programs (which are accredited by the NASPAA), there are no professional associations that specifically accredit U.S.-based public administration degree or certificate programs. You’ll therefore be looking to confirm the institutional accreditation of the schools offering the public administration programs you’re considering.

Institutional accreditation of U.S. colleges and universities is administered by a number of regional and national accrediting agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. You can check on current institutional accreditation status using this DOE database search engine.

What subjects should be covered in an online public administration degree program?

Your online public administration degree or certificate program should include most if not all of the following subjects. If your program includes a specialization, you’ll also cover subject matter related to that specialization.

• Public policy administration
• Research methods
• Financial management
• Project evaluation and management in the public sector
• Nonprofit administration
• History of public administration

What skills will I gain in this online public administration program?

Here’s a list of several important skills you should gain in the program you choose for success in the public administration field:

• Nuanced understanding of policy lifecycle.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Understanding of fundraising and financial management.
• Understanding of collaborative approaches to problem solving.
• Use of data to make informed decisions.
• Understanding of how social, political, and community factors affect societal change.
• Advanced problem-solving.
• Ability to design, implement, and evaluate programs.

Will I need to complete an internship in this program?

That will depend on the specific program. Most do not require completion of an internship or similar in-person practice experience, especially on the undergraduate level. A few do, though, including the UCF Bachelor of Public Administration program mentioned earlier. If a program you’re considering does include an internship, and you’re a currently employed public administration professional, check to see if you can complete your internship requirement through your employer.

Will this program allow me to transfer in previously earned college credits?

That also will depend on the specific program you choose. So, if you have previously earned college credits related to the public administration field, be sure to ask about transferability with a program representative. What you’ll likely discover is that, at the very least, credits earned in an undergraduate or graduate public administration certificate program are almost always fully-transferable into a public administration degree program on the corresponding level at the same school.

What is Tuition Like for Public Administration?

It should be of no surprise that the costs of online public administration education programs can vary significantly due to a number of factors, the biggest being the specific credential type. Other factors that may impact cost include geographic location, total number of credits, chosen specialization (if there is one), whether the program is offered by a public or private school (private schools generally charge higher tuition rates than public ones), and, regarding public schools, whether the student is an in-state or out-of-state resident (out-of-state residents are often charged higher tuitions than in-state residents).

With all of that in mind, in very general terms, students can expect to encounter total tuition costs for public administration degrees of the following:

• Associate degree (annual): mid-four figures to the low-five figures.
• Bachelor’s degree (annual): upper-four figures to the low- to mid-five figures.
• Master’s degree (total program): mid- to upper-five figures.
• Doctoral degree (total program): mid- five figures to low-six figures.

Several things to keep in mind. First, these are very broad tuition cost estimates, so your program’s actual cost could vary from these figures. Second, these are tuition costs only and do not include additional costs for program fees, books and materials, etc. And finally, your actual bottom line cost may be substantially less that the above estimates once you factor in any and all available scholarships or other financial aid resources for which you are eligible.

Student Resources: Answers to Common Public Administration Questions

What’s the difference between public administration and public policy?

In the simplest terms, public policy concerns the analysis, creation, and enactment of laws, regulations, and public policies by government. Public administration concerns the management of governmental and nonprofit organizations and programs, which often includes making sure laws, regulations, and public policies are met.

In regard to roles, public policy professionals act as advisors to governments and nonprofits on how to best respond to social and political issues. Public administration professionals, on the other hand, work in management and leadership positions at government agencies and nonprofits to implement organizational policies and oversee operations.

What’s the difference between public administration and business administration?

There are lots of similarities between the public administration and business administration fields. Both focused on the management of organization operations. Both require education in training in many of the same subjects, including finance, management, leadership, human resources, ethics, to name a few. Nevertheless, public administration and business administration are different fields with the primary difference being context. Public administration involves the management of government agencies and nonprofit organizations, while business administration has to do with the management of private businesses and for-profit organizations.

Do public administration degrees earned online carry the same respect with employers as those earned on campus?

Yes. Today’s online public administration degree and certificate programs offer the same quality academics taught by the same fully-qualified instructors as their campus-based counterparts. Most importantly, online and campus-based public administration programs are accredited by the same DOE-recognized accrediting agencies. Employers understand all of this and, therefore, give the same weight to degrees and certificates earned online as those earned on-campus. Just be sure that you confirm the proper accreditation of any public administration program you consider before you enroll.

Are jobs in the private sector available to public administration graduates?

Public administration degree and certificate programs are designed primarily to prepare graduates for careers in the public and nonprofit sectors. That doesn’t mean, though, that as a public administration degree or certificate holder, your career options are limited to jobs in government and with nonprofit organizations.

The knowledge and skills you gain in your public administration education are, in many cases, just as relevant and highly valued by employers in areas of the private sector such as emergency management, environmental management, finance, and healthcare. In fact, private businesses often prefer to hire public administration professionals for their expertise in laws, regulations, public policies, and more in order to interact with public entities more effectively.

Is a career in public administration right for me?

Only you can answer that question. But if you possess strong critical thinking and decision-making skills, leadership potential, the ability to adapt to changing challenges and priorities, and a strong desire to improve the quality of life for in your community and beyond, then a career in public administration may be a great choice for you.

How to Make Your Program Choice

If you’ve read to this point, then you’ve likely been able to decide if going for a public administration degree or certificate is right for you. So, now it’s time to get started in earnest on your public administration program search. Our advice to you here is to not cut corners in that search. Check out program websites carefully to gain a detailed understanding of just how each program works and what each has to offer. If you have additional questions (and you will), don’t hesitate to contact a program representative for answers. You’ll also want to make use of all of the other great resources available to you on the STEPS website.

Top Online Public Administration Programs

One of the best ways to get a feel for just what a public administration education is all about is to take a look at some of the top programs available. We’ve surveyed the current landscape of online public administration programs and listed the best in the rankings below.

Our choices were made by considering many factors important to prospective students, including accreditation, quality academics, affordability, study convenience and flexibility, and access to useful student support services. Click the “About the Rankings” button to learn more about our selection methodology.