Bachelor of Science in Public Policy & Administration
The major in public policy and administration provides students with a general foundation in the nature of the public workplace and its political and legal environments. This major prepares students for professional employment and leadership in government and non-profit organizations. The program provides specialized training in management and management-related skills. The public policy and administration program's courses provide students with knowledge of:
- The political culture of public work
- The economic environment of public work
- The legal environment of public work
- Organization theories
- Management theories
- Management best practices
- Policy processes
In addition, the public policy and administration major heightens students critical, analytical and communication skills through case studies and exercises. The dual capstone requirement of a public management seminar and an internship demands integration of knowledge from both general studies and major studies by focusing students on specific cases and workplace applications.
Students are encouraged to choose a complementary minor with a narrower, applied focus. The minors recommended for students consideration include criminal justice, environmental information systems, environmental management, environmental studies, family studies, gerontology, health information systems, nonprofit studies, political communication, substance abuse intervention, telecommunications, urban and regional studies, communication studies, conflict analysis and intervention, sociology, technical and scientific communication, economics, human resource development, computer science, public health, and integrated science and technology.
Course checklist for the 2011-2012 catalog version of the major.
Interested students may apply to participate in the Fifth-Year Master of Public Administration degree program, which allows qualified students to earn an MPA degree with one additional year of study. Students should apply for this program in their sophomore year. See the JMU Graduate Catalog for more information.
For more information about the Bachelor in Public Policy and Administration, please contact Dr. Robert N. Roberts, robertrn@jmu.edu, 2133 Miller Hall, Ph: 568-6323.