Columbia College Bachelor's in Public Administration
Learn about improving lives through public services with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration from Columbia College.
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Available program formats: Online: BA In class: BA, BS
Learn about improving lives through public services with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Administration from Columbia College.
A degree in public administration at Columbia College offers students insights into the planning, coordination and management that help public service organizations fulfill their missions.
Students whose goal is to benefit society through work in a public, private or non-profit role will gain both theoretical and practical knowledge that can be applied to real-life scenarios.
You’ll study the many elements that go into public decisions, from values and ethics to economics to psychology. You can choose whether to focus on the science and analysis that inform decisions or on the human impacts of those decisions within the communities you serve.
This program provides a thorough understanding of public policy and government at the local, state and federal levels that’s ideal for furthering your learning through a graduate program.
Opportunities to study:
The decisions public administrators make can have far-reaching impacts. In this program, you will learn to weigh both the outcomes of past decisions and the possibilities for the future when you address current issues.
Workplaces from government to health care to non-profit organizations value skills in financial management, human resource administration and research methods. You will gain all of those, as well as knowledge of human behavior and organizational psychology.
At Columbia College, you will be prepared to work in a variety of careers such as urban planning, city management, hospital administration, fundraising or international humanitarian relief. You’ll also be ready for a graduate program or law school.
Some possible paths include:
Columbia College Global offers traditional classroom instruction for many courses at nationwide locations. Students at nationwide locations are expected to engage with multiple learning methods, including online and virtual while completing their degree. Columbia College offers on-campus programs with traditional classroom instruction at the Residential Campus in Columbia, Missouri.
"Whereas economists note that it brought the global economy to complete halt, leaders of various nations during the current COVID-19 pandemic have turned to advanced technology to sustain the global economy. "
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Main line: (573) 875-8700
Want to know more about our programs? Contact the department.
Department phone: 573-875-7535
Office: New 101
Email: BA@CCIS.edu
Available program formats
Study of environmental issues and policies from both a national and global perspective. Cross-listed as ENVS 312. Prerequisite: POSC 111.
How theoretical, philosophical, scientific, political, and social factors influence decision making in the public sector and methods used by public sector managers to make those decisions. Prerequisite/Corequisite: PADM/MGMT/POSC 311.
Examination of the foundations, theories, models, and literature for designing effective organizations. Extensive library research and case work required. Prerequisite: MGMT 230.
The values, knowledge and skills of human service practice in the context of communities and organizations. Prerequisite: HUMS 105 or PSYC 101 (courses may be taken as co-requisite).
Managers in the non-profit sector face unique challenges. This course exposes students to essential skills facing managers in the non-profit sector such as grant writing, fundraising, managing technology, managing finances, working with private boards, public advocacy and more. Prerequisite/Co-requisite: POSC/PADM/MGMT 311.
Provides a strong conceptual framework for understanding organizational efficiency as the result of the interactions of people and organizations. Prerequisite: MGMT 230 or PSYC 101.
An introduction to the research processes used by political science and public administration. The scope of political science and public administration research and the methods used to address political and policy questions are studied. Cross-listed as POSC 395. Prerequisite: three previous courses in political science or public administration.
Course covers issues related to the ethical practices of public administrators including the proper role of unelected bureaucrats in government and how they relate to citizens. Students are exposed to philosophical arguments related to ethical behavior. Course does not satisfy the general education ethics requirement. Prerequisite/Corequisite: PADM/MGMT/POSC 311.
April 20, 2020
— Michael Guthrie, General Studies student
August 3, 2020
Value Colleges listed Columbia College as the No. 2 school in Missouri for online programs in 2020.
November 14, 2019