Education for Public Service Careers

Education for Public Service Careers

Public service careers span a wide range of organizations and jobs in the new public sector, including frontline positions in government, senior positions in nonprofit management, and faculty positions in universities. Schools of public administration and public policy, such as the APPAM Institutional Members listed below, offer a range of degree programs to prepare you for launching and sustaining a desirable career in the field. The schools also offer mid-career and executive education programs designed specifically for the ongoing education needs of the working professional.

Making the decision to earn a graduate degree (via PublicServiceCareers.org)

The Bachelor's Degree

The number of stand-alone Bachelor’s degrees in public administration/public policy has been increasing over the past two decades, as has the number of minors in the field available to undergraduates.

One of the major advantages in an undergraduate program is the opportunity to take a sequence of courses related to a specific issue such as health care or the environment. Master’s degrees (MPA/MPP) inevitably focus much more on developing crucial analytical and managerial skills, and Ph.D. programs must place an emphasis on research methods and theory.

Graduates of Bachelor’s programs may find employment in all sectors at the entry level, and can gain vital experience that will serve them well when and if they decide to apply for additional education.

For information on continuing education in public service beyond the Bachelor's degree, please visit the dedicated webpages for the  Master's Degree and the  PhD Degree.

APPAM Institutional Members

Many of APPAM's Instituional Members are organizations that offer Masters and Doctoral programs in the public administration/public policy fields. Below is a list of our Institutional Members that offer such programs.