The public administration major is a joint program sponsored by the Departments of Economics and Political Science. It is designed for students interested in government and nonprofit enterprises, namely in the formation of public policy and the practice of public sector management among many other areas of the interface between the public and private sectors. The program combines general education in business principles with specific courses in the economic and political aspects of government policies. Students choose electives to focus their interest or expertise.
Public administration majors pursue careers in a wide variety of areas in both the private and public sectors, the latter at the federal, state, and local levels. Examples include tax administration and budget analysis, city management, governmental relations within large corporations and industry trade associations, the management of nonprofit organizations, policy analysis in a non-governmental organization, and the functional areas of government such as education, health, environment, and economic development. In addition to the Master of Public Administration degree, many undergraduate majors pursue graduate programs in law, economics, or public policy.