Bachelor in Public Administration
School of Adult & Graduate Studies
Start your career in Public Administration
Montreat College’s Bachelor of Science in Public Administration is designed for students with a desire to serve as managers, executives, and policy analysts in local, state, and federal government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and non-profit organizations. Students will be equipped with career-enhancing public management skills in budgeting and finance, economic and political process, ethics, performance management, policy analysis, and research methods and design.
Public Administration Degree Highlights
- Learn to identify and address problems, implement public policy, and communicate effectively in all levels of government.
- Develop on-the-job skills in public administration that can increase your marketability and expand your job opportunities.
- Gain entry or advancement as an administrator, managers, or leader in government or nonprofit organization.
Be equipped with the knowledge and skills to further your education through our online Bachelor of Public Administration degree.
- Enjoy the benefits of receiving a Bachelor of Public Administration through online learning. Study when it is convenient in the comfort of your personal environment, while learning from supportive professors who care about your success.
For over 25 years, Montreat College’s School of Adult and Graduate Studies has been helping adult students acquire essential skills, complete their degrees, and take their career to the next level. Montreat offers undergraduate, graduate, and certificate programs in a classroom or online.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When are the start dates for the Public Administration degree program?
Please see the admissions page for specific enrollment and start dates.
How long does it take to complete the Public Administration degree program?
A Bachelor’s Degree is 120 credit hours and can take one to four years to complete depending upon the amount of credits you transfer in.
How much does the Public Administration degree program cost?
The cost is $425 per credit hour plus a $200 student fee per semester. In addition, there are multiple college and government financial aid programs available to help mitigate the cost of your education. You can learn more about your financial aid options.
What jobs can you pursue with a Public Administration degree?
Employment in public service agencies, policy analyst, budget analyst, director of economic development, public affairs specialist, human resource manager and directors of private and non-profit organizations.
What are the length of online courses?
Starting Fall 2021, all courses will be eight-week sessions. There are 2 sessions in a semester. To be considered a full-time undergraduate student, a student must take 12 credit hours per semester. For the 12 credit hours, the student must take 2 courses (6 credit hours) the first eight-week session and 2 courses (6 credit hours) the second eight-week session. Semesters in this program are Spring, Summer, and Fall.
What is the job market like for people with Public Administration degree?
The regional outlook is strong, with 11.63% job growth expected over the next 10 years, and 8.90% job growth, nationally. Therefore, the market demand for graduates of this particular degree is evident.
How much money do Public Administration professionals typically make?
The average regional salary of graduates from this type of program is $69,995, and $70,629, nationally.
What graduate programs does this degree prepare me to apply for?
Master of Public Administration, Master Business Administration, Master of Science in Management and Leadership, and Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership.
What are the admissions requirements?
Applicants must submit the following for admissions consideration:
- Montreat College Application for Admission
- Official, final transcripts of all college courses taken*
- Overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale or higher in all previous college work attempted.
- Official, final high school transcript or its equivalent (if transferring less than 12 semester credits of college credit)*
- American Council on Education (ACE) verification demonstrating any eligible CLEP and DSST examinations, and non-collegiate military training.
*All final transcripts must include graduation information
What are the online Bachelor of Public Administration degree requirements?
- Completion of the General Education Core (39 credits)
- Completion of the General Education Competencies
- Completion of General Electives, including Prerequisites (39 credits)
BPA Prerequisites:
- Completion of the Public Administration Major Core (42 credits)
- Completion of 27 credits at the 3000-level or above
- Completion of 120 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 2.0 (two terms and 32 credit hours must be completed at Montreat College)
Courses
PADM 1101 Introduction to Public Administration
This introductory course prepares students for advanced coursework and teaches you the basic concepts to effectively lead public service programs in the governmental, nonprofit, and private sectors. Students will become acquainted with public administration and policy as fields of study, and learn how to recognize, explain, and contrast foundational public administration concepts and issues.
BUSN 2622 Economics for Decision-Makers
Thorough understanding of economic concepts is a crucial part of effective decision¬ making. Economics for Decision Makers teaches students to consider micro and macro-economic theories when making business decisions. In addition, both rational and behavioral aspects of economics are studied, providing students a variety of perspectives when considering multiple alternatives.
BUSN 3614 Data Analysis
This course is designed to educate the undergraduate business student in the ability to work with data and statistical ideas. Students acquire the ability to describe data accurately, to make reliable inferences from data, and to assess critically the reported results of a variety of statistical studies by using various statistical methods and tools to analyze data in diverse example applications. Statistical methods and tools utilized include graphical and numerical data description, sampling techniques, probability distributions, tests of hypotheses, and analysis of variance. Emphasis is placed on understanding the purpose of each procedure, performance the procedure using the software tools, and emphasis on interpretation and application of the results to organizational problems. Prerequisite: MT 122.
BUSN 3501 Ethics and Law
This course examines, analyzes, and applies the nature, formation, and system of law in the United States to the modern business environment. It also raises basic questions on moral reasoning and the morality of economic systems both in the United States of America and internationally, and examines the ethical relationships between the corporation, its employees, and its customers.
BUSN 3404 Servant Leadership
This course studies the functional, moral, and spiritual aspects of leadership in organizations. Students gain an appreciation of the nature, strengths and weaknesses of servant leadership and become prepared to develop as a leader according to a personalized leadership plan.
PADM 2212 Public Finance, Grant Writing and Budgeting
This course will help students understand the difference between public and private budgeting. The course examines the budget process at all levels to include grant writing and the fundamentals of financing for private, government and non-profit organizations.
PADM 4113 Advanced Public Administration
This advanced course will build upon what the students learned in the introduction course and continue to present theory and application to prepare students to effectively lead public service programs in the governmental, nonprofit, and private sectors.. (Prerequisite of PADM Introduction to Public Administration)
BUSN 3444 Organizational Learning and Knowledge Management
This course examines the process of learning in individuals and organizations in order to facilitate organizational effectiveness. Students will also apply fundamental theories related to knowledge management and learn to use technology tools in order to implement positive systemic change in organizations.
BUSN 3442 Groups, Teams, and Organizational Behavior
This course explores the interaction of groups and teams through the study of organizational behavior. Through this course, students will grow in their understanding of social dynamics in organizations and learn to lead groups and teams constructively. Topics covered include: organizational culture, motivation, group dynamics, high-performance teams, role definition, self-organization, team assessment, and team design.
BUSN 4408 Process Management and Systems Thinking
This course explores the development and management of business processes and business systems. Business processes allow organizations to define and order actions in order to result in repeatable, consistent outcomes. In this course, students will learn to develop business processes and measure their effectiveness. Additionally, students will learn to address the complexity of modern process-oriented organizations through the application of systems analysis and systems thinking.
BUSN 4403 Managing Organizational Change
The only constant in organizations is change. In this course students will use strategic innovation and change management processes in order to help organizations adapt and thrive in a world of rapid and continuous change. Students will learn theories of change management, as well as have the opportunity to apply concepts and frameworks of change management in their workplaces and in their daily lives.
CYBER 1141 Information Systems Technology for Managers
This course provides a thorough overview of information systems technology for management. Through lecture, case study, Internet exploration and hands-on applications, students examine a wide variety of critical uses of information technology by management. Prerequisite: completed computer usage competency.
ENGL 3510 Managerial Communications
This course aims at improving the speaking, writing, listening, and facilitating skills of students who are, or aspire to be, supervisors and managers. Prerequisite: EN 1121 and EN 1122. Oral expression competency.
PADM 4861 Program Development and Evaluation (Capstone)
This course familiarizes students in different types of program evaluation, including needs assessment, formative research, process evaluation, monitoring of outputs and outcomes, impact assessment, and cost analysis. Students gain practical experience through the design of a conceptual framework, development of program indicators, and development of an evaluation plan to measure impact.
