Public administration is one of the most common and diverse careers, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities with a shared goal: putting public policy into action. While it can be a difficult career to summarize due to its broad scope, public administrators are generally responsible for executing and delivering public services, allocating resources, and supporting specific groups, regions, populations, or the public benefit from their program.
This field appeals to those who want to be challenged while working in a way that serves the public interest. If you’re looking to start a career in public administration, here are some key things to consider:
Public Administration Basics
When the electorate, politicians, board members, decision-makers, or other executive-level individuals enact new policies, public administrators implement and manage those initiatives. For example, if a city introduces a new tax to fund public transportation, public administrators will set aside the funds and dole them out as needed to different public transit providers. This sort of role is not just for public sector work — many public administrators work for universities, labor unions, hospitals, and non-government organizations (NGOs) such as the American Red Cross.
Estimates suggest there may be as high as seven million roles in public administration, but the work and titles are so diverse that the number of those who work in an “administrative” capacity is harder to pin down. Among professionals with a public administration degree, the figure is closer to one million nationally. As you might expect, the distribution of the jobs tends to concentrate around areas with a large amount of government agencies and operations, such as state capitols and the Washington, D.C. metro area. However, jobs suited to this career can be found nearly anywhere, as expertise in public administration is useful in numerous nonprofit and private sector organizations as well.
What Does a Career in Public Administration Look Like?
Individuals in public administration can hold a wide variety of roles, but for those in positions requiring a degree, obligations often include:
Research and Data Analysis
Most public administrators transact and utilize data in their day-to-day work. The competency to collect, analyze, manage, and organize data in a legible and accessible way is a critical part of the job, whether collecting donor metrics for a nonprofit or analyzing student feedback at a public university.
Legal and Ethical Compliance
Because many roles involve sensitive issues and regulated information, public administrators must understand the ethical and legal obligations of their role. Those working in government capacities in particular, must maintain accountability and transparency about funding, staffing and resources. Even entry level roles require administrators to offer services to others without infringing on their rights or privacy.
Accounting, Finances and Budgets
Although this will be reserved primarily for management roles and those which require a degree, many public administration jobs involve managing budgets and allocating resources toward people, projects and services as needed. Accounting, budgeting and projecting future financial needs are all valued skills.
People Skills, Communication and Team Leadership
Public administration roles can also involve a significant amount of interaction with stakeholders, clients, organization members or the general public. Having strong communication and leadership skills, including conflict resolution and de-escalation training, is invaluable. For leadership roles, many are expected to be able to hire, coordinate and lead teams to achieve policy and organizational goals.
Career Growth in Public Administration
Because this career path exists across a wide array of different organizations, advancement opportunities vary a great deal. Some entry-level public administration roles do not require a degree, although they may require some amount of specialized training or licensing. For those looking for more responsibility, obtaining a degree in public administration gives them the skills to move comfortably into management and leadership roles. Higher-level roles are often only available to those who have devoted significant time to a given organization or field and who have earned an advanced degree.
Examples of Public Administration Advanced Degrees and Certificates:
Master of Public Administration
Master of Business Administration – Public Administration
Graduate Certificate in Public Administration
M.S. Fire Executive Leadership – Public Administration
If you are interested in or already working in a public administrative capacity and want to advance your career, obtaining a degree not only provides you with a robust skillset, but shows potential employers your dedication to the field.
Earn Your Degree in Public Administration at Columbia Southern University
Our programs were created to allow you to study and obtain a degree at your own pace, learning key public administration skills on a schedule that works for you. If you’d like to learn more about our school, take a look at our programs page.
Multiple factors, including prior experience, geography and degree field, affect career outcomes. CSU does not guarantee a job, promotion, salary increase, eligibility for a position, or other career growth.
